Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, launched a three-year initiative on Thursday to conserve medicinal plant biodiversity in tribal regions and create sustainable livelihood opportunities by developing bioresource-based enterprises.
The project, titled “Integrated Conservation, Agro-Technology and Bioresource Enterprise Development for Sustainable Tribal Livelihoods in Tribal Hotspots of India”, was formally launched at the Central University of Odisha, Koraput.
The initiative will cover 16 selected tribal hotspots across 13 States and Union Territories, including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In Odisha, the selected locations are Kandhamal, Balangir and Koraput, according to an official statement.
The project aims to combine scientific research with traditional tribal knowledge to protect medicinal plant resources while creating opportunities for tribal communities to benefit economically from their indigenous bioresources.
Under the initiative, approximately 200–300 medicinal plant species will be documented, while scientific propagation will be undertaken for 30–40 rare, endangered, and threatened species. The programme also envisages establishing 16 community nurseries and 16 seed banks, alongside developing community-level capacities for medicinal plant cultivation and bioresource-based enterprises.
To support conservation and sustainable cultivation, the project will distribute between 40,000 and 50,000 quality planting materials.
Initial fieldwork has already been carried out by CSIR-NBRI in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district in October 2026. The research team interacted with 146 tribal knowledge holders across 12 villages to document traditional medicinal practices.
During the exercise, the team collected 97 field numbers representing approximately 200 medicinal and economically important plant samples. It also collected 25 live orchid samples for germplasm conservation and multiplication at the CSIR-NBRI Botanical Garden.
The initiative will establish institutional linkages among scientific organisations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), State Tribal Welfare and Forest Departments, and local communities.
Tribal farmers, traditional healers, women and rural youth will receive particular attention through capacity-building initiatives, cultivation activities and value-chain development. The approach seeks to ensure that local communities play an active role in conserving biodiversity while developing sustainable economic opportunities.
The inaugural programme was attended by the Additional Secretary and senior officials of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Dr. Ajit Kumar Kumar Shasany, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Odisha, and Dr. Sharad Kumar Srivastava, Chief Scientist and Principal Investigator at CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow.
Ms. Snehaprabha Majhi of the ITDA Project Administration, Koraput, scientists from ICMR-National Institute of Health Research, Bhubaneswar, researchers, industry representatives, faculty members and tribal community representatives also participated.
A special technical session titled “From Tribal Knowledge to Enterprise” brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss ways to translate traditional knowledge and medicinal plant resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
The programme also includes interactions with tribal farmers and traditional knowledge holders, followed by a field visit to the Koraput tribal hotspot on November 13.
Through the initiative, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs seeks to develop a replicable institutional model integrating biodiversity conservation, scientific research, preservation of indigenous knowledge and community-led enterprise development.
It also recognises tribal communities as custodians of India’s biological and traditional knowledge heritage, with an emphasis on enabling them to secure sustainable economic benefits from their local bioresources.
