Sukma tribal wood-craft and minor-forest-produce co-op

This co-op organises 30-40 tribal artisans and gatherers around two lines: finishing rough wood carvings into branded home-decor, and cleaning, grading and packing minor forest produce (mahua, tamarind, honey, tendu) for institutional buyers. It builds on the district's Wooden craft and woodwork skills and its Forest produce of southern Bastar, and it directly targets the Wooden craft: rough carvings to finished branded decor gap — the value sits in seasoning, finishing, packaging and a Bastar-origin story, not in the carving itself.

Be honest about what this district demands: the security situation constrains travel and supplier logistics, so build slack into timelines and lean on CSR partners already operating here. Ethical, fair-price artisan engagement is the whole moral and commercial basis — exploitative sourcing kills the brand. NTFP needs food-grade handling and FSSAI for edible lines. Buyers are urban home-decor retailers and gifting platforms for craft, and ayurveda, food and CSR-procurement channels for forest produce. Break-even is realistically 3-4 years; CSR anchor contracts are what make the early years survivable.