Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission: 4,172 Van Dhan Kendras Sanctioned, MSP for 87 Forest Products

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The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is observing Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada from 1 to 15 November 2026, culminating in Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on 15 November, the birth anniversary of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda. During the fortnight, the Ministry is accelerating its flagship programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM), which supports tribal forest gatherers through minimum support prices, value addition and market access. On Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, over 300 projects for tribal communities will be taken up, with 228 ready for inauguration and 74 for foundation stone laying. Two national digital initiatives, the Jan-HIT Portal and the National FRA Digital Platform, will also be launched.

Launched in 2021–22, PMJVM organises tribal gatherers into community-owned Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs). As of 31 July 2026, 4,172 VDVKs had been sanctioned, of which 2,911 were functional. The VDVKs had linked 12.48 lakh tribal members. Reported sales from these centres stood at around ₹168 crore. The government has notified Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 87 minor forest produce (MFP) items, including honey, tendu leaves, mahua flowers, tamarind, lac, bamboo and wild herbs. Since 2013–14, state governments have procured 2,67,954 metric tonnes of MFPs worth ₹693.98 crore under the scheme, according to the Ministry.

What is the Van Dhan Yojana and when did it begin?

The Van Dhan Yojana was launched on 14 April 2018 and later became a component of the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission. It forms the foundation of the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra model, which clusters about 15 self-help groups comprising around 300 tribal gatherers into one community-owned centre. The scheme is implemented by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), which was established in 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act. TRIFED functions as the national-level agency mandated with the marketing and development of tribal products, including the procurement of minor forest produce at the notified Minimum Support Price.

How does PMJVM support tribal forest gatherers?

PMJVM mobilises tribal gatherers into self-help groups (SHGs). A group of 15 SHGs, comprising about 300 tribals, is clustered into one VDVK, with at least 60% of members from Scheduled Tribes. The centres provide primary processing equipment, training for 30 members on sustainable harvesting and value addition, working capital facilitated through banks and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), and storage and transport support on a rental basis. VDVKs are established around local haat bazaars, of which there are over 5,000 in tribal areas, and these haats are being modernised in phases. TRIFED disseminates market intelligence and procures MFP at MSP through state implementing agencies such as tribal development cooperatives and forest development corporations.

What legal framework protects tribal rights over forest produce?

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 — the Forest Rights Act — defines minor forest produce as all non-timber forest produce of plant origin, including bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers and the like. The Act recognises the right of forest-dwelling communities to procure and sell non-timber minor forest produce. Separately, the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 grants tribal Gram Panchayats ownership rights over minor forest produce.

What has PMJVM achieved and what remains to be done?

As of July 2026, 4,172 VDVKs had been sanctioned but only 2,911 were functional, indicating a gap between sanction and operationalisation. The scheme has linked 12.48 lakh tribal members and generated sales of around ₹168 crore. An example from Leparada district, Arunachal Pradesh, shows a VDVK established in October 2021 with 300 women SHG members and farmers that has sold ₹11 lakh worth of processed products from 2022–23 onwards. The Ministry’s Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada is a time-bound drive to take benefits to the last mile, and the launch of digital platforms such as the Jan-HIT Portal and the National FRA Digital Platform is expected to improve transparency and access.