PM Modi logs in TRIFED's shopping site as a customer and buys tribal products

New Delhi: In a move that may help in sensitising people towards buying local natural products prepared by tribal artisans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday purchased a toda handwoven shawl, a jute file folder and a Gond painting through Tribesindia.com portal, which is a flagship initiative of TRIFED --- a marketing arm of the Tribal Affairs Ministry.

"It a major boost to tribal artisans, and women artisans in particular, on the occasion of International Women's Day as the Prime Minister ordered these few unique pieces from Tribes India portal," said Pravir Krishna – the MD of TRIFED.

Among the tribal art items that the PM ordered is a Gond painting by Sarita Dhurvi, a tribal artisan from Dindori district, Samnapur tehsil, Madhya Pradesh, he said, adding that the Toda shawl ordered by the PM has been crafted by the Toda artisan Monisha.

"The shawl, the file folder and the painting totalling Rs 3,849.60 is being shipped by TRIFED to the Prime Minister's residence on Monday and it would reach him on Tuesday with all our love too," Krishna said.

Following the clarion call by the Prime Minister to promote women entrepreneurship, and in particular that of the tribal women, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal also purchased products from the Tribes India website.

Irani bought a bright and beautiful Kantha cotton/silk saree, handcrafted by the master craftswomen of West Bengal, while Vardhan purchased a multicolour cotton shirt and some foxtail millets and Goyal bought a handloom woven herringbone waistcoat, he said.