Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 will commence in the national capital on March 18, bringing together tribal artisans, entrepreneurs and cultural performers from across the country.
Organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the festival will be held at Sunder Nursery from March 18 to 30.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram will inaugurate the festival in the presence of Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey and other dignitaries.
The festival, open to the public daily from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, aims to showcase the diversity, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of tribal communities through art, handicrafts, handlooms, cuisine and cultural performances.
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the event will feature over 200 stalls representing 78 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) and participation from more than 310 master artisans across India.
Visitors will also be able to experience tribal cuisine under the “Forest-to-Plate” initiative, with participation from 120 food exhibitors, along with 17 live craft demonstrations showcasing traditional techniques. Cultural performances by over 400 artists are scheduled in the evenings.
A key component of the festival is the Bharat Tribes Business Conclave, to be held from March 19 to 27. The conclave will bring together policymakers, industry leaders and tribal entrepreneurs to deliberate on themes such as sustainable textiles, tribal food systems, ethical markets, innovation and skill development.
The Ministry said the conclave will also focus on strengthening community-led tourism and enterprise development. A CSR Conclave on March 24 is expected to facilitate partnerships between corporate entities and tribal entrepreneurs to promote sustainable livelihoods.
Another highlight of the festival is the RISA initiative, which brings together noted designers including Anju Modi, Manish Tripathi, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Sandeep Khosla and Sameera Dalvi with tribal artisans. The initiative aims to integrate indigenous textiles such as Eri silk, Kotpad cotton and Dongria embroidery into contemporary design and global markets.
