Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs Addresses Press Briefing on Landmark National Initiatives Celebrating Tribal Art, Culture, Enterprise and Partnerships
Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs Addresses Press Briefing on Landmark National Initiatives Celebrating Tribal Art, Culture, Enterprise and Partnerships
Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is organizing a series of landmark national initiatives in March 2026. These initiatives collectively present an integrated framework to preserve tribal heritage, promote creative excellence, strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market access, and deepen corporate partnerships for sustainable tribal development.
Addressing the Press Briefing today, the Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, detailed the scope and strategic vision of these initiatives. He highlighted how the upcoming programmes are designed to create long-term socio-economic impact by positioning tribal communities at the centre of cultural preservation, enterprise development, and national growth. On this occasion, Hon’ble Union Minister also formally unveiled the logo of Tribes Art Fest, Living Roots Festival – Soundscapes of Tribal India, and Bharat Tribes Fest 2026.
The Hon’ble Union Minister was joined by Shri Durgadas Uikey, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Shri Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary, Shri M. Raja Murugan, Managing Director, TRIFED, and Shri Dharmendra Tewari, PIB.
Tribes Art Fest (TAF) 2026 | 02-13 March 2026; Travancore Palace, New Delhi
The Tribes Art Fest (TAF) 2026 will bring together over 70 eminent tribal artists and showcase nearly 1,000 artworks spanning 30 distinct tribal art forms from across the country. Conceived as a national platform for India’s tribal visual traditions, TAF will feature curated walkthroughs, live painting demonstrations, illustrated talks, mentorship workshops, participatory sessions and panel discussions bringing together artists, curators, designers and collectors. Special highlights include collaborations with contemporary practitioners, women-led live painting demonstrations and structured dialogues on pathways from heritage to market. By connecting tribal artists to national and global platforms through exhibition, market facilitation and capacity building, TAF seeks to enhance visibility, dignity and sustainable livelihood opportunities while positioning tribal art as a vital component of India’s creative economy.
The exhibition is also facilitating the direct sale of paintings by artists, enabling visitors and collectors to purchase artworks directly from the creators and thereby ensuring fair returns and stronger market linkages for tribal artists.
Living Roots Festival – The Soundscapes of Tribal India
13-15 March 2026, Bikaner House & India Gate
The Living Roots Festival will celebrate India’s living tribal music traditions through a three-day cultural intervention designed to reposition tribal music as a contemporary, respected and economically viable cultural force while remaining rooted in community ownership. The daytime segment at Bikaner House (1:30 PM – 5:00 PM) will feature keynote addresses, immersive showcases, panel discussions on preservation and innovation, and focused sessions on intellectual property rights, ownership and ethical collaboration. The evening cultural programmes at Kartavya Path (5:00 PM – 9:15 PM) will present fifteen curated performances across three days, representing diverse regions and traditions and bringing tribal soundscapes to one of India’s most iconic public spaces. Through performance, dialogue and mentorship, the festival aims to ensure sustained recognition and opportunity for tribal musicians.
Bharat Tribes Fest (BTF) 2026 | 18-30 March 2026, Sunder Nursery, New Delhi
Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 will serve as a comprehensive national marketplace and cultural platform, with participation of more than 1,000 tribal artisans, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), tribal chefs and cultural troupes, showcasing art, craft and cuisine across more than 200 curated stalls. Major highlights include the Signature Pavilion featuring high-end tribal products and the launch of the Ministry’s “RISA” brand aimed at positioning tribal fashion and crafts in premium and global markets. An International Pavilion will host indigenous artisans from countries such as Australia, Fiji and Vietnam, fostering global tribal synergy. The Tribal Food Court, representing 21 states, live demonstrations, and evening cultural performances from multiple states will create immersive experiential zones that strengthen cultural exchange and national integration. The Fest is designed to enable direct market access and improve income realisation for tribal producers.
Tribal Business Conclave: A key pillar of Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 will be the 14-day National Business Conclave, structured to promote tribal entrepreneurship and integrate tribal enterprises into domestic and global value chains. The Conclave will host focused sessions on forest-based food value chains, sustainable textiles and handicrafts, ethical luxury positioning, innovation and technology integration, skilling and employment pathways, intellectual property protection and ethical commercialization of traditional knowledge, and community-led tourism models. It is expected to facilitate buyer-seller linkages, catalyse partnerships and generate actionable recommendations to strengthen tribal economic ecosystems.
CSR Summit | 24 March 2026, Sunder Nursery, New Delhi: The Ministry will host a National CSR Summit on 24 March 2026 to bring together corporate leaders, CSR heads, implementation partners and State Tribal Welfare Departments on a common platform. The Summit aims to present priority sectors requiring gap-filling CSR support, recognise corporate partners contributing to tribal development and facilitate structured collaborations aligned with national priorities. Ongoing CSR-funded initiatives include substantial investments by public sector undertakings towards digital education, space laboratories in EMRS, health and hygiene interventions for girl students, and capacity development programmes across multiple states. The Summit will also showcase the craftsmanship and potential of tribal products for corporate engagement and gifting.
Addressing the media, Hon’ble minister emphasised that these initiatives reflect a holistic approach integrating culture, commerce and corporate partnership. By bringing together art, music, enterprise development and strategic collaboration within one coordinated framework, the Ministry seeks to ensure that tribal communities are empowered participants in India’s cultural and economic transformation. The Hon’ble minister also requested media to help in mainstreaming tribal events and initiatives for a greater awareness among public. Collectively, these programmes reaffirm the Government of India’s commitment to safeguarding tribal identity, strengthening livelihoods, expanding market access and positioning tribal heritage at the centre of India’s inclusive growth narrative.
Collectively, these five landmark initiatives, Tribes Art Fest 2026, Living Roots Festival, Bharat Tribes Fest 2026, the Tribal Business Conclave and the CSR Summit, form an integrated national architecture for cultural preservation, economic empowerment and strategic partnership. By strengthening creative industries, expanding market access, formalising value chains, enabling entrepreneurship and catalysing corporate collaboration, these initiatives align with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and position tribal communities not merely as beneficiaries, but as cultural leaders, economic contributors and equal stakeholders in India’s journey towards inclusive, sustainable and innovation-driven development.
