ICAR-CIRCOT Organizes Online Lecture on “Digital Tribal: Empowering Tribal Communities” under Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada

As part of the Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada celebrations commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bagwan Birsa Munda, ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai organized an online lecture on “Digital Tribal: Empowering Tribal Communities” on 6th November 2025. The lecture was attended by tribal youth, women entrepreneurs, and innovators in the online mode.

Dr. D. M. Kadam, Head, Engineering Technology Transfer Division (ETTD), welcomed and addressed the participants. He urged the young tribal generation to draw inspiration from the life of Bagwan Birsa Munda, emphasizing his unwavering passion, leadership, and dedication to the upliftment of his community. Dr. Kadam encouraged participants to embody these values in their own lives by engaging in value addition, innovation, and sustainable use of local resources to drive socio-economic development within tribal regions.

Dr. A. K. Bharimalla, Principal Scientist emphasized the importance of Digitalization in each and every field. He encouraged participants to leverage digital platforms, e-commerce, and social media marketing to showcase their indigenous products globally and connect directly with consumers.

Dr. Manoj Mahawar, Senior Scientist, delivered a presentation on “Digital Tribal: Empowering Tribal Communities”, emphasizing the transformative role of digital inclusion in fostering tribal development. He discussed the pillars of a Digital Tribal Strategy, which include digital literacy, content creation in local languages, cultural preservation through digital archives, market linkages via online platforms, and access to digital devices and connectivity. Dr. Mahawar explained how these pillars collectively empower tribal communities to preserve their cultural identity while enhancing livelihood opportunities. He elaborated on the role of TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) in promoting tribal entrepreneurship, marketing of tribal products, and ensuring fair value realization for tribal artisans and producers. Through case studies on community radio and local-language content creation, he demonstrated how digital media can serve as a tool for knowledge sharing, social inclusion, and economic growth.

He concluded by emphasizing that digital empowerment is crucial for both cultural preservation and economic progress, urging the participants to actively engage with digital platforms to promote their products, art, and innovations.