Sri Vijaya Puram: In the Central Nicobar Islands, where tradition runs deep and geography often limits opportunity, Rashid Yusoof has emerged as a force placing Nicobar on the global map. A native of Nancowry Island and a direct descendant of the Queen of Nancowry, Rashid’s work straddles the local and the international, with one idea at its heart, empowering indigenous livelihoods through innovation rooted in heritage.
At the centre of his efforts is Tribe Nicobar Virgin Coconut Oil, a product born from the land and the people. What began as a community-driven initiative to add value to raw copra has evolved into a nationally recognised enterprise and a symbol of tribal entrepreneurship. Sourced, processed, and packaged in the Nicobar Islands, the oil is not just a commodity, it is a story of climate resilience, traditional knowledge, and self-reliance.
Tribe Nicobar Virgin Coconut Oil is prepared using traditional methods adapted to meet modern standards. Rashid’s team worked closely with agricultural scientists, cooperative societies, and tribal farmers to ensure quality while preserving the authenticity of island practices. Today, the oil is not only available in select Indian markets but is also making inroads into international wellness and organic segments. The brand received an unexpected boost in visibility when Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised it as a model for sustainable tribal entrepreneurship.
For Rashid, the oil business is more than economics, it is identity. “I was always looking for livelihood options for the people,” he says. “I have observed that tribes are very happy with their traditional knowledge and skills, but if you ask them to do something in the mainstream, they are not keen. Their tradition makes them happy.”
This belief has guided Rashid’s broader efforts to link tribal products to national markets. “For this, I knocked on the door of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, for us to register,” he recalls. “The President of India helped in registration of Nicobar and the rest of the tribal group under TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, so that all the manufactured tribal products from the region can be sold across India in the retail outlets of TRIFED.”
In collaboration with government officers such as Prabeer Krishna, IAS, and Dr Rajnikant, widely known as the “GI Man of India”, Rashid also helped secure Geographical Indication (GI) tags for six indigenous products: Virgin Coconut Oil, Coconut of Nicobar, Nicobarese Canoe, Nicobarese Mattress, Nicobarese Hut, and the Karen community’s Red Rice. “The long formality which began in 2022 under the nodal department NABARD was launched across the platform, and the GI was granted in January 2025,” he explains.
This recognition has brought legitimacy and market access to artisanal products that are both culturally significant and economically vital.
The shift did not happen overnight. Rashid’s understanding of enterprise is rooted in decades of grassroots engagement. In 1992, he established the Tribal Development Cooperative Society Ltd. in Nancowry, which helped stabilise the copra market for tribal farmers under the government’s Price Support Scheme. He then went on to create several firsts for the islands, including the Nicobars’ first tribal contracting firm, LPG distribution unit, and an inter-island transport network. But it is Tribe Nicobar that has captured the attention of national policymakers and global development forums alike.
In 2008, Rashid represented the Nicobar Islands in the US Government’s International Visitors Leadership Program, bringing visibility to the challenges and strengths of India’s tribal communities. Since then, he has spoken on platforms in Germany, Austria, and Sweden, often using Tribe Nicobar as an example of what locally led, globally aligned development can look like.
His other initiatives, from women’s cooperatives to tailoring schools, from tsunami relief to youth mentorship, underscore a holistic approach to leadership. Yet it is the coconut oil venture that remains his most recognisable contribution, turning a humble island resource into an economic lifeline and an ambassador of Nicobar’s potential.
As the world increasingly turns its gaze towards sustainable, ethical, and local supply chains, Rashid Yusoof’s work stands out not just for its social impact but for its foresight. In placing Nicobar on the global map, he has done so not through spectacle or politics, but through a clear-eyed belief that the future of island economies lies in the wisdom of their past.
