Cookies & mustard oil to handcrafted items: Made-in-Tihar products go online, Pg4

Key Highlights:

• Tihar Jail has initiated online sales of products made by convicts, including mustard oil and cookies, through the Mystore app.
• The Tihar Jail administration plans to expand sales to e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.
• Approximately 500 convicts work daily at the Tihar Jail factory, producing a variety of goods.
• In 2024, the turnover from bakery products was around Rs 8 crore, and from other units approximately Rs 11 crore.

Detailed Insights:

• Tihar Jail, Asia's largest prison, houses around 20,000 inmates and aims to boost sales and support convicts' families through online platforms.
• The products currently sold include 'Tihar Se' mustard oil, various types of cookies, and handcrafted teakwood Ganesh showpieces.
• Convicts earn around Rs 412 a day, which is deposited into bank accounts managed by the jail administration, and they can send money to their families.
• Selection for work in the jail factory is based on convicts' behavior and skills, contributing to their reformation and rehabilitation.
• Similar product manufacturing units operate in jails across several states, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Gujarat.
• Mystore is an ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)-connected marketplace created by the Government of India for Indian sellers.

Key Concepts Involved:

• ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce): A government initiative to democratize e-commerce by creating an open network for buyers and sellers.
• Reformation: The process of rehabilitation and positive change in inmates through skill development and employment.
• Tihar Jail: One of the largest prison complexes in India, focusing on inmate welfare and reformation through various initiatives.