About RISA: Timeless Tribal:
- It is a dedicated premium brand for tribal textiles, embroideries, and handicrafts.
- It was launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
- The RISA initiative has been conceptualized:
- to create a distinct brand identity for tribal products
- strengthen market linkages for tribal artisans
- facilitate design development and product diversification, and
- promote tribal heritage in premium domestic and international markets.
- It seeks to generate enhanced livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans while ensuring the preservation of traditional crafts and indigenous knowledge.
- As part of the first phase of implementation, seven tribal textile and embroidery traditions have been identified based on their cultural significance and market potential.
- These include Eri Silk and Muga Silk of Assam, Santal Cotton of Jharkhand, Changpa Pashmina of Ladakh, Kotpad Cotton and Dongria Embroidery of Odisha, and Toda Embroidery of Tamil Nadu.
- The first phase also includes focused promotion of selected tribal handicrafts, namely Longpi Pottery of Manipur, Turtuk Brass Cutlery of Ladakh, and Dokhra Art of Chhattisgarh.
- To facilitate design interventions and product development, eminent fashion designers have been associated with the initiative.
- The initiative is being implemented through the National Design Centre (NDC), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Textiles.
- The project encompasses design development, creation of garment prototypes, capacity building of tribal weavers and artisans, establishment of stitching facilities, strengthening of weaving and handicraft clusters, and improvement of product presentation and packaging.
- The National Institute of Design (NID), Haryana, has been engaged for the development of premium and environmentally sustainable packaging solutions for products marketed under the RISA brand.
- First exclusive RISA Store: Gallery No 2, Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, Connaught Place, New Delhi.
