Reliance Retail has entered into a partnership with Delhi-based Tihar Jail to sell bakery and confectionery products manufactured by in-house prisoners.
“TJ’s is a great initiative and we are happy to support the cause and be associated with it. We are beginning with this pilot and based on the customer feedback, the products would be available across all Reliance Fresh stores in the city. The initial customer response during the pilot phase has been encouraging,” Reliance Retail said in a statement.
Currently, the products would be available at 26 Reliance Fresh stores in Delhi.
Mr Neeraj Kumar, who was earlier DG (Prisons), Delhi and who has initiated the unique collaboration, said “TJ’s are not just products but a movement aimed at reforming prison inmates by channelising their energy towards learning vocational skills and productive work. It’s heartening to see that Reliance Retail is partnering with prison authorities to give the initiative a wider customer base”
TJ’s started in 1995 as a modest initiative with jail inmates making a range of products such as bakery items, spices, stationery, furniture, blankets, garments and detergent resulting in the evolution of the brand TJ’s.
The portfolio also included handloom and textile, apparel, furniture, mustard oil, stationery paper products and even phenyl for household use among others. TJ's revenues have risen from Rs 2.36 crore in 2004-2005 to about Rs 18 crore in the last fiscal year.