A tribal touch: Founders solve problems, and keep culture alive

A young mother in search of a reliable nanny, an IT professional striving to preserve his native language, and a farmer's daughter bringing ancient tea from Mizoram to the world - these were among the inspiring stories of tribal entrepreneurs, or tribalpreneurs, who showcased their ventures at the StartUp Mahakumbh held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from April 3 to 5.

More than 45 start-ups led by tribal founders took centre stage, presenting innovations that aim to solve everyday challenges in remote, tribal-dominated regions, while celebrating and sustaining their cultural roots. The Economic Times spoke to five tribalpreneurs about their journeys and the impact they are creating.
Brewing Change
Lalthla Muani, 26, from Leisenzo village on the India-Myanmar border, founded Eco Far in 2019 to market her village's native tea - a wild green tea harvested from old forest trees and processed without chemicals or machinery. "We drink it to stay warm and for immunity," she said.


Her operation now supports 300 farmers and receives orders from Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and parts of Africa. A farmer's daughter herself, Muani created an instant version of the tea using leftover material. "I was clear I wanted to build something that supports local youth and our farming community."
Reviving a Language
Hercules Munda, a computer science graduate from BIT Mesra, was dismayed to discover that his cousins back in Khunti, Jharkhand, could no longer speak Mundari - their native tribal tongue. That experience led him to develop Trilingo, an app that helps tribal children learn in their mother tongue.

Initially discouraged due to his lack of a formal background in languages, Munda went on to study at SOAS and the University of Edinburgh, where he built the app. Trilingo recorded over 1,000 downloads in its first fortnight. "Ironically, it's those who've moved away from Jharkhand who are most eager to reconnect with the language," he said.
Connecting Help
Vanlalmuansangi Khenglawt, popularly known as Sangte, returned to Aizawl in 2014 and longed for a way to access trustworthy domestic help. The IIT Guwahati alumna turned that idea into Puitu - an app that connects users with verified workers such as electricians, plumbers, and nannies in the informal sector.

With support from IIT Bhilai, Sangte spent a year conducting workshops to understand workers' challenges. "We've been relying on WhatsApp and Facebook. Puitu brings structure, reliability, and accountability," she said.
Echoing Culture
At IIT Roorkee, Gunjal Ikir Munda and his friends felt increasingly detached from their tribal heritage. This led to the creation of Rumbul - meaning "echo" in Mundari - a platform for preserving tribal music, dialects, and art forms.

They began by learning vanishing folk songs and instruments themselves. Soon, communities engaged with them as cultural custodians. Rumbul has revived festivals like Sukanburu and now supports eco-tourism and forest management. "We didn't set out to be a start-up," Gunjal said, "but self-sustenance became necessary. Our vision now is to make Rumbul the Amazon of tribal music."
Natural Living
Rinzing Choden Bhutia, from Gangtok, was working on a sustainable farmstay in Sikkim when Covid disrupted her plans. She turned to her kitchen, using orange peels and garden herbs to create natural soaps - and thus, Agapi was born.

Drawing on a course she had taken at a vegan retreat in West Bengal, Rinzing expanded her offerings to lip balms and body care using ingredients like beetroot and coffee. Agapi now supplies to hotels and trains rural women in Sikkim to become self-reliant. In 2023, it became the first women-led start-up in Sikkim to secure foreign direct investment. "I returned home to give my child a healthier environment. City life just didn't compare," she said.