New Delhi
Recalling some of his interesting and learning experiences since he first became a Cabinet Minister for the newly-created Tribal Affairs Ministry in 1999, the present incumbent Jual Oram on Wednesday said tribal products like Mahua have the potential to give birth to a new Unicorn.
“As a tribal, I have sold Mahua in tin cans, not in packets. And it was under a barter system, wherein I took salt in lieu of Mahua. But Mahua has a storage problem. It rots and decays fast. Therefore, I call for finding out ways to store Mahua products. They have an over Rs 1 lakh crore revenue potential and can give birth to a new Unicorn in India,” Oram, serving his third term — the longest — as the Tribal Affairs Minister, said while addressing the Tribal Business Conclave 2025.
Mahua is a small, juicy and pale-yellow flower mostly used for making an intoxicating brew by the tribal community. Mahua seeds, known as tora, are used to extract the oil used in cooking. In places like Bastar in Chhattisgarh, it is customary to greet guests with Mahua liquor in the same way tea and coffee are served to visitors elsewhere.
Oram further said that just like Mahua even Sal seeds have a tremendous business potential if its storage problem is solved as well, “Mahua, Sal seeds, even fabrics like Tasar are national wealth. Unfortunately, we only ran after mining,” he said.
He exhorted all for a combined effort saying, “Coming together is 50 percent, thinking together is 25 percent and working is only 25 percent. We all have come together and are thinking together, so only working together remains.”
He also reminisced how the mindsets, developments and the priorities for the tribal sector have evolved since 1999 under leaders like late Atal Behari Vajpayee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and bureaucrats like Bhure Lal.
Speaking as the Chief Guest on the occasion, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal talked about his own experiences with the tribal community right from his childhood even as he extended his Ministry’s full assistance to its Tribal Affairs counterpart.
“This conclave aims to achieve market linkage of tribal products. My Ministry will help both in domestic and international markets, and also in exports through different means including e-commerce, international warehouses for product display and sales, as well as wholesale and retail trade networks.. Local goes global and you all are an important link to Viksit Bharat 2047,” Goyal said.
He informed that a scheme is currently being developed to strengthen export promotion efforts to ensure that tribal products gain the visibility and market access they rightfully deserve in both domestic and global markets.
Goyal emphasised that the Prime Minister believes that the nation can truly prosper only when the indigenous people prosper. He said that India’s growth and development depends on ensuring that progress reaches every household, particularly those in tribal and remote regions. The Minister reiterated that the upliftment of tribal and indigenous communities remains a top priority for the Government, reflecting its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
He recalled Birsa Munda’s clarion call of ‘Abua Dishom, Abua Raj’ (our land, our governance) against the British and highlighted how tribals were exploited and made to undergo forcible religious conversions. But despite all these, the tribal community preserved its heritage and history, he said even as he reminisced his association with Ekal Vidyalayas, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrams and a visit to a tribal hamlet in Talasari way back in 1973-74 memories of which still remain etched in him.
Goyal said the Naxalites meted out grave injustice to tribals and deprived them from developmental benefits for long but it is all changing and Naxalism is set to be wiped out from India by March 2026. While he talked about how India got its first tribal woman President in Droupadi Murmu, he pointed out that the Maori tribals of New Zealand and the Adivasi community of India have many similarities.
Earlier, he gave out GI certificates to many new innovations after the Tribal Business Conclave got off to a colourful start with cultural presentations.
The Conclave, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, DPIIT, and Ministry of Culture, aimed at facilitating business linkages and attracting investments for tribal entrepreneurs across India as part of tribal icon Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary year celebrations billed as the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh.
The event witnessed participation from over 250 tribal enterprises, with 150 exhibitors and more than 100 tribal start-ups showcasing their innovations at the “Roots to Rise” pitching platform. The initiative provided a direct connection between entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and government buyers, creating a vibrant ecosystem for collaboration and growth.
The conclave included six high-impact panel discussions and four masterclasses that engaged more than 50 eminent voices from government, academia, and industry. The sessions focused on themes such as investment and partnerships, skilling and empowerment, sustainability and geographical identity, and branding and market innovation.
Buyer-seller meets were also organised to create actionable pathways for market access, skill development, and policy recommendations aimed at strengthening tribal value chains from villages to global markets.
It also featured pitching sessions for tribal startups, knowledge workshops with industry leaders and a CEO’s forum on sustainability and market access.
Among the panel discussions were those like the DPIIT-led panel “Geographies of Growth” which explored how Gis can power sustainable growth, turning heritage into economy by empowering artisans, ensuring quality and certification, boosting branding and global access besides enforcing rights and enabling state collaborations.
“Catalyzing Tribal Growth” spotlighted how CSR, capital and collaboration can power inclusive tribal development with success stories like Chhattisgarh showing vast opportunities, subsidies and startup potential to boost regional prosperity.
A cultural showcase featuring a thematic pavilion and traditional performances celebrated tribal heritage under the theme “Tribal Bharat @2047: Sustaining Culture, Scaling Commerce.”
Key partners included FICCI, TICCI, Startup India, and the PanIIT Alumni Reach for Gram Uddyogi (PRAYOGI) Foundation, which will support mentorship, incubation and investment facilitation.
