India, Sept. 28 -- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has launched a cluster development programme for three traditional tribal crafts in Tamil Nadu and Odisha, seeking to move beyond conventional welfare interventions and build sustainable, market-linked livelihood opportunities for artisans.

The initiative, being implemented through the National Design Centre, covers Toda embroidery in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris, Dongria embroidery in Odisha's Rayagada district and Kotpad cotton weaving in Nabarangpur. Each project has a one-year duration and is designed to address gaps ranging from production infrastructure and skills to product design, branding and market access.

The programme is expected to benefit 440 artisans across the three clust...