Tribal Women Can Become Entrepreneurs through Van Dhan Kendras, says Vizag Joint Collector

By: WE staff | Friday, 23 May 2025

• Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) encourage tribal women to start their own businesses
• The observation was made by ITDA Paderu's Joint Collector and in-charge Project Officer, M.J. Abhishek Gowda

According to M.J. Abhishek Gowda, Joint Collector and in-charge Project Officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Paderu, in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district, tribal women have the ability to succeed as entrepreneurs by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs). He said these things during a one-day training session that was attended by 106 VDVK members from 11 different mandals in the area.

Abhishek emphasized the growing market for organic forest products, which tribal women can gather and prepare to increase value and revenue. He underlined that getting these products certified as organic would significantly improve their market accessibility. Additionally, he noted that the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) might be able to help spread the word about and distribute VDVK products throughout the nation.

In order to help officials find and apply solutions that promote improved sales results, the training session also addressed real-world problems that Area Village Managers (AVMs) encounter in the manufacturing and promotion of VDVK products.

All 106 VDVKs are actively involved in producing a range of value-added tribal products, such as coffee, tamarind products, straw crafts, brooms, and small grain biscuits, according to V. Murali, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). He pointed out that members are receiving training on how to use the equipment effectively and that ITDA is supplying free machinery to support these production activities. Murali added that, in response to VDVK members' input, more infrastructure support would be taken into consideration.