Help 300 tribal women scale their enterprise

Mission Creative Million is an initiative of Industree Foundation that was launched in 2017, to impact one million creative producers. The aim is to give creative producers in rural India access to formal work in enterprises that they collectively own, close to their homes, thereby providing a stable and dignified alternative to the precarious informal sector. Industree works on the assumption that economic empowerment is a springboard for social empowerment, and therefore provides handholding support to enable producers to set up and scale their enterprises.

In Odisha, Industree has partnered with the  Orissa Forestry Sector Development Society (OFSDS) to enhance livelihoods for 2,000 tribal women in Phulbani and Baliguda forest divisions. The tribal community primarily depends on the forest for its livelihood, collecting and processing non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as siali and sal leaves, turmeric, tamarind, and mahua leaves. While the initial phase of the project looks to carry out interventions in the siali leaf value chain, over time, it would also expand to include bamboo, other NTFP and handloom value chain.

During the initial scoping visit carried out in end-2017, Industree realised that siali leaf collection and processing has the potential to impact 5 lakh people, primarily women from tribal communities. The objective of the project is to carry out various interventions along the value chain, with an end goal to increase incomes for women in the siali leaf value chain.

Industree Foundation is providing support for demand-side activities (revenue-oriented & marketing activities). To this end, Industree has successfully mobilised more than 600 women across 26 self-help groups in the Sirla area and 22 self-help groups in the Lundruguda area and completed capacity-building (including hard and soft skills training) for more than 1,050 women. Branding activities have been initiated, and infrastructure development is currently in progress thanks to a partnership with SELCO Foundation to introduce solar-powered electrical systems to these remote locations, which suffer from frequent power cuts.

Currently, a Common Facility Centre has been set up in the Lundruguda, another in Sirla. Solar installations facilitate power for equipment like stitching machines. While the women are currently working on local siali leaf plate orders, Industree Foundation is in the process of securing larger orders from Bangalore. Design development and market reach is a continuous effort that is being carried out by the teams. There is a need for the installation of machines that will enable the producers to manufacture products that are demand-driven and ensures competitive and fair prices.

Ippuli Mahji is one of the producers in the Lundruguda unit in Odisha. She says “We decided to stick with the group and make it successful.” She believes that the setting up of the unit is something that can help in bringing regular and increased income, hence providing a better quality of life.

It is with this objective that Industree is moving to the 2nd phase of the project. Industree aims at creating an ecosystem of sustainable, profitable livelihoods, by upgrading the machinery in use at the units in order to cater to a larger market, through market-led designs. This will increase incomes further and also ensure consistent orders. We look forward to your support on the same.