The Chief Minister's Office of Arunachal Pradesh announced on Monday, 22 June 2026 that Chief Minister Pema Khandu visited the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Noodle Processing Unit at Jang in Tawang district, spotlighting the contribution of women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in building local enterprise and preserving tribal knowledge through value-added food products.

Context

Jang is a town in Tawang district, one of Arunachal Pradesh's most remote and culturally distinct regions, where tribal communities have long depended on agriculture and forest-based livelihoods. The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) model places processing infrastructure directly in such communities, enabling them to move beyond the sale of raw produce. The noodle processing unit at Jang is a product of that model, turning locally available ingredients — including millets and forest herbs — into packaged food items with market value.

CM Khandu's visit drew attention to the role of women at the centre of this enterprise, with SHGs operating the unit and managing production. The CMO noted that the initiative promotes 'local enterprise, preserving traditional knowledge and strengthening rural livelihoods through value-added products.'

Policy Backdrop

The Van Dhan Vikas Yojana was launched in April 2018 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs with a target of setting up 3,000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras across tribal districts nationwide. The scheme is implemented by TRIFED — the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India — which provides training, branding, and marketing support to tribal producer groups.

Arunachal Pradesh has integrated this central framework with state-level efforts to leverage traditional knowledge for commercially viable products. The noodle processing unit at Jang exemplifies this convergence, channelling the Atmanirbhar Bharat push for tribal self-reliance into a tangible rural enterprise. Women-led SHGs have been a primary vehicle for this, supported under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and allied state programmes that promote micro-enterprise and financial inclusion.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the Jang unit are tribal women enrolled in local Self-Help Groups, who gain income, skill development, and a formal stake in the local food economy. By processing raw forest and farm produce into packaged noodles, participating women move up the value chain — reducing dependence on middlemen and improving household earnings.

The broader community in Tawang district stands to benefit from the preservation of traditional food knowledge that might otherwise erode. Buyers of the finished product — whether local consumers or urban markets — receive a product rooted in the Northeast's distinct agricultural heritage. TRIFED's marketing infrastructure is critical here, connecting remote producers to wider distribution networks.

What's Next

The government's focus is expected to turn to scaling the Van Dhan model across more blocks in Tawang and other tribal districts of Arunachal Pradesh. State-level monitoring of income gains for participating SHG members will be a key indicator of whether the unit at Jang can serve as a replicable template.

With CM Khandu personally inspecting the facility, the visit signals political commitment to sustaining and expanding the programme — and may accelerate administrative approvals for additional processing units in the state's remoter tribal belts.