TRISSAM earns over Rs. 2 crores in revenue since 2019

The Van Dhan Yojana initiative of Government of India is successfully earning a revenue of Rs. 2 crores by selling its produce under the brand name TRISSAM (Tribal Assam), informed Dr. Bhaskarjyoti Saud, Project Head of TRISSAM to Business Northeast.

TRISSAM has received as the Best Brand Across the entire in the Van Dhan Award Ceremony held in Delhi, organized by Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

The project was started in Assam on 5th November 2019 with 50 Van Dhan Kendras.

The scheme is with a mission to increase income generating opportunities among the tribal communities of India who primarily depends on minor forest produces for livelihood.

In Assam, the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati is taken as the resource agency. The implemention structure of Van Dhan Bikash Kendra has Directorate of Tribal Affairs as the nodal agency. The implementing agency was Assam Plain Tribes Development Co-orporation. Later IIE was declared as it facilitating agency.

The scheme involves tapping the self-help groups which are already present in the state.

In Assam and across the country, 30 self-help groups with 10 member each are combined together to create one Van Dhan Kendra cluster of about 300 beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are given numerous skill development and value addition training by the resource agencies involved in skill training. They are then mentored and made to undergo an extensive handholding programme.

The resource agencies in conjunction with the nodal and implementing agencies for the project procure products and market them through various retail channels to generate sales revenue

In its first phase in 2019 it was started in 13 districts, in the second phase in 2020 it extended to 24 districts and now the number of districts has increased to 34 districts from the state.

For the successful operation of the project, IIE has launched Van Dhan Vikash Kendras as self-help groups for cluster wise operation of the programme. At present, there are 302 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras, Out of which total number of functional clusters are 3840.

IIE is involved in preparing business plans for each Van Dhan Vikash Kendra to ensure profitability and its financial sustainability over a period.

The total number of beneficiary across India is 38426.

The functional Van Dhan Kendras around the state comprises of approximately 37000 women beneficiaries which is a staggering 97 percent of the total beneficiaries registered.

IIE has adopted a five pronged intervention strategy for effective implementation of the scheme with an intent to achieve desired outcomes. These are capacity building, institutional building, identification of Major Minor Forest Produces, technical upgradation through machineries Installation and tool kit distribution along with prototype development and finally marketing and promotion.

It has introduced capacity building and various advocacy programmes for the welfare of the tribal people. The advocacy programmes are primarily focused on building awareness among the beneficiaries in general.

The institute has conducted a number of 128 advocacy programme covering all of 128 Van Dhan Vikash Kendras clusters in 24 districts of the state.

They beneficiaries took part in various exhibitions like the recently concluded Lokmanthan, 2022 in Guwahati, the India International Hospitality Expo 2021 in Delhi, Adi Mahotsav, etc.

Saud remarked that the initial sanction for the project was Rs. 15 lakh only. The tribals were provided machineries, training and working capital too.

Previously, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the revenue of TRISSAM will be doubled each year

Along with participation in various exhibition the brand is also bring marketed through digital channels through the website trissam.com (https://trissam.com/)

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