RAIPUR: In a move to empower indigenous miners and eliminate middlemen, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai launched the TIN (Tribal Incentives on Natural Resources) portal, linking the earnings of Bastar’s tribal tin collectors directly to global market prices.
Under the new initiative, the procurement price of tin ore in Bastar will be pegged directly to the London Metal Exchange (LME).
The platform ensures that indigenous families capture the true economic value of their natural resource by aligning local remuneration with current international prices and routing payments straight to collectors' bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Calling the platform a landmark "Mineral-to-Livelihood" initiative, Sai said that the portal converts mineral wealth into sustainable grassroots prosperity.
The end-to-end digital ecosystem covers seamless registration of tribal gatherers and collectors, scientific quality assessment linked to real-time LME rates.
There will be real-time tracking & verification with integrated QR codes, SMS updates, and banking gateways that allow collectors to independently track weight, pricing, and payment processing.
Immediate financial settlements straight into beneficiaries' accounts, eliminating commission cuts, delays, and exploitative trade intermediaries.
The Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC), which currently operates six procurement centres across the Bastar division, executed an MoU with the Indian Overseas Bank to enhance financial services and direct credit access for registered collectors.
The formalisation of the tin trade has already driven significant economic momentum across the region. During the 2024–25 financial year, CMDC procured 8,707 kg of tin ore, distributing Rs 90.8 lakh in direct payments. By 2025–26, procurement jumped to over 20,895 kg, channeling Rs 3.8 crore directly to tribal families.
To expand coverage into interior belts, CMDC is establishing three additional collection centres in Bastar, Dantewada, and Sukma. The expanded physical network, combined with the digital oversight of the TIN portal allows forest-dwelling communities in the most remote pockets to sell their produce locally at certified global standards.