Promotion of Tribal Products from North Eastern Region (PTP-NER)

What is PTP-NER?

Promotion of Tribal Products from North Eastern Region (PTP-NER) is a Central Sector scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, implemented by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). Its full name in government records is "Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North-Eastern Region".

PTP-NER was launched on 18 April 2023 at Imphal, Manipur, with an outlay of Rs 143 crore. The problem it addresses is specific: tribal artisans in the North East make high-value craft but sit far from buyers, with weak logistics, no branding and no assured offtake. PTP-NER puts a government buyer, a logistics chain and a marketing platform behind them.

Main features

• Central Sector scheme, 100% funded by the Government of India.
• Covers eight states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• Artisans are identified and enrolled through Tribal Artisan Empanelment Melas (TAeM) held district by district.
• Support covers procurement, logistics, skill development, entrepreneurship, product development, branding and packaging.
• Implementation partners include NEHHDC, India Post for logistics, and state government departments and agencies.

Who is eligible for PTP-NER?

You can be empanelled if:

• You belong to a notified Scheduled Tribe and hold a valid ST certificate.
• You live and work in one of the eight North Eastern states covered by the scheme.
• You are a practising artisan or craft producer; handloom and textiles, bamboo and cane, pottery, jewellery, paintings, or a collector or processor of minor forest produce.
• You can present samples of your own work for assessment at the mela.

Self-help groups, artisan clusters and Van Dhan producer groups are also empanelled as units.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a Scheduled Tribe member, or cannot produce an ST certificate.
• You live outside the eight North Eastern states. Tribal artisans elsewhere in India are not eligible under PTP-NER and should look at TRIFED's regular supplier empanelment or at Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana.
• You are a trader or middleman rather than a producer. PTP-NER is designed to remove the intermediary layer, not fund it.

There is no cash grant to apply for. Anyone who asks you for money to "get your name into PTP-NER" is not acting for TRIFED.

What documents are required for PTP-NER empanelment?

How to apply for PTP-NER

PTP-NER empanelment is an offline, camp-based process. There is no online registration form for artisans.

1. Watch for the announcement of a Tribal Artisan Empanelment Mela (TAeM) in your district, issued by TRIFED, the state Tribal Welfare or Handloom and Handicrafts department, or the District Information and Public Relations office.
2. Attend the mela with your ST certificate, Aadhaar card, bank passbook and samples of your products.
3. Register at the TRIFED desk and have your craft and production capacity assessed by the empanelment team from TRIFED and NEHHDC.
4. If empanelled, provide your bank details for procurement payments and note the categories and price points recorded for your products.
5. Take part in the training capsule offered for your craft, where the team identifies you for skill upgrading, design or packaging support.
6. Supply products against TRIFED purchase orders; goods are moved through the India Post logistics arrangement and sold through Tribes India outlets and online channels.

If no mela has been held in your district yet, register your interest with the District Tribal Welfare Officer or the state handloom and handicrafts corporation so your name is on the list for the next phase.

What does PTP-NER give an artisan?

PTP-NER is not a subsidy scheme. What an empanelled artisan gets is:

• Assured procurement: TRIFED buys the product and pays into the artisan's bank account, removing the search for a buyer.
• Logistics; India Post moves goods from remote locations that private couriers do not serve economically.
• Skill and design training through the training capsules identified at the mela.
• Branding and packaging support, so products sell under the Tribes India brand rather than as anonymous craft.
• Market access through Tribes India retail outlets, exhibitions and e-commerce channels.

PTP-NER progress so far

According to TRIFED and the Press Information Bureau, phase 1 in April-May 2023 covered eight states and 38 districts, with 64 Tribal Artisan Empanelment Melas. TRIFED reached 2,526 artisans from 44 tribes, empanelled 1,056 and identified 1,465 artisans for training capsules.

PTP-NER 2.0, the second phase, ran from 21 September to 10 November 2023, with TRIFED and NEHHDC teams covering 29 districts to reach further artisan clusters.

Related schemes for tribal producers

• Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana — Van Dhan Vikas Kendras for value addition to minor forest produce, open across India.
• Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through MSP: price support for forest produce collectors.
• Scheme of Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for the Welfare of Scheduled Tribes, the route for NGOs supporting artisan groups.

Each is covered separately on this site.

Where to get help

• TRIFED PTP-NER page: trifed.tribal.gov.in/ptp-ner
• NEHHDC offices in the North Eastern states, for craft and design queries.
• District Tribal Welfare Officer, for mela schedules and empanelment status.

Empanelment under PTP-NER is free. No agent can charge you for it, and no official will ask you to pay to be listed as an artisan.