On March 18, 2026, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram inaugurated the Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, in the presence of Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey. The 12-day festival, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), runs from March 18 to 30, 2026, and was subsequently extended to April 5 following overwhelming public response.

The festival features over 200 curated stalls representing 78 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), over 300 art and craft exhibitors from 28 states, 120 tribal cuisine participants serving authentic forest-to-plate experiences, and 400+ tribal artists performing cultural programmes. The RISA initiative, a key highlight, brings together noted fashion designers — Anju Modi, Manish Tripathi, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Sandeep Khosla, and Sameera Dalvi — with tribal artisans to integrate indigenous textiles such as Eri silk, Kotpad cotton, and Dongria embroidery into contemporary design and global value chains.

The Bharat Tribes Business Conclave, scheduled from March 19–30, 2026, provides a platform for policymakers and industry leaders to engage on sustainable textiles, tribal food systems, and the protection of indigenous knowledge. The festival also showcases progress under PM JANMAN — the government's scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) — and the Van Dhan initiative which has strengthened tribal incomes through value-added forest produce marketing.

Rajasthan's tribal communities, particularly the Bhil, Meena, and Garasia tribes, have historically participated in national tribal fests. The Van Dhan Vikas Kendras operating in tribal-dominated districts of Rajasthan such as Banswara, Dungarpur, and Udaipur directly benefit from TRIFED's marketing support and value-addition programmes showcased at the fest.