Development of tribal areas in India: Scope of tourism and corporate social responsibility

The tribal people constitute about 8.5% of population of India; they have been indicated as historically disadvantaged community. Although there are many attempts by the Governments to uplift the in different way, still they are in the realm of the under-developed. In this background this paper tries to find the scope of tourism and CSR in the development of Tribal Areas in India. The study used the case study methodology, mixed methods, and secondary data. The nature of the paper is exploratory, explanatory and non-doctrinal. The study reveals that, like Thenmala tribal area, many tribal areas are potential hubs of tourism in India. The present CSR initiatives are mainly concentrating in one or two sectors as well as in few states; if it is diverted towards tribal areas by creating appropriate synergy between the state and CSR, it will be good impetus for the development of tribal areas and people.