Raja Saleem Khan
New Delhi: The Government of India has sanctioned 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) across the country, covering approximately 12.48 lakh tribal members, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM).
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2,817 VDVKs have been reported operationalised, with reported sales of ₹1,582.99 crore.
The Van Dhan initiative focuses on supporting tribal communities involved in the collection and production of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and other tribal products. The programme provides support for training, processing, value addition, packaging, branding, transportation, storage and marketing.
Under the PM-JANMAN initiative for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), the government has sanctioned 540 VDVKs, covering approximately 46,000 members. Of these, 491 centres have been reported operationalised, with reported sales of ₹52.74 crore.
The government is also working to expand market access for tribal products through the Tribes India network, e-commerce platforms and exhibitions. According to the Ministry, tribal products are being marketed through 116 Tribes India outlets, while approximately 6,000 products are listed on the Tribes India website. More than 1,000 tribal products are also being sold through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
To support producers of Minor Forest Produce, the government has notified Minimum Support Prices for 87 MFP items. Since the implementation of the scheme in 2013-14, State Governments have procured 2,67,954.36 metric tonnes of Minor Forest Produce, valued at approximately ₹693.98 crore.
The Van Dhan programme is part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen tribal livelihoods by supporting the value chain of forest and tribal products—from collection and processing to packaging, branding and market access.
Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India / Press Information Bureau.
