Flipkart signs MoU with SERP to enable market access, growth for FPOs, SHGs in Telangana
Through this partnership, Flipkart aims to empower farming communities by providing pan-India market access to more than 400 million customers.
India’s homegrown ecommerce marketplace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Department of Rural Development, Government of Telangana, to enable market access for farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) and self-help groups (SHGs) in Telangana.
Through this partnership, Flipkart aims to empower local farming communities and SHGs of Telangana by providing pan-India market access to more than 400 million customers on its platform.
The MoU was exchanged between Sandeep Kumar Sultania, IAS, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Government of Telangana; and Smrithi Ravichandran, Vice President and Head of Grocery, Flipkart at an event held in Hyderabad in the presence of Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply Minister, Government of Telangana; along with other dignitaries including Rajitha Nardella, COO, SERP, Telangana.
As part of this collaboration, Flipkart will directly source premium quality pulses, millets, staples, and spices from the local farmers, contributing to improved income and business growth. Flipkart will further engage with these communities through virtual and on-ground training and capacity-building initiatives to provide them with an understanding of the quality, pricing, and licenses required to be a part of the FPO ecosystem. SERP will extend support with infrastructure and necessary approvals to take this partnership forward
Through this partnership, Flipkart aims to empower local farming communities and SHGs
Speaking on the occasion, Rao said that the MoU was the first of its kind signed in the country with a credible ecommerce giant such as Flipkart. which is another milestone contributing to the progress of Telangana.
“SHGs and women from Telangana will now be able to sell their products to a pan India consumer base for an improved livelihood and gaining more visibility. There are 4,36,000 SHGs consisting of 46 lakh members in the state. We wish to support all of them, especially women, for whom we have a target to provide loans of Rs 500 crore this year. We believe that the SHGs will work hard and use these initiatives to accelerate their development and to grow their businesses,” he added.
Sultania said that the MoU would enable Telangana’s farmers and SHGs to sell their produce pan-India as well as in international markets.
He added that the training, skill development, and focus on product standardisation will ensure the products are not just limited to B2B partners but scale to reach pan-India customers directly.
Flipkart is currently working with multiple Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), as well as small and marginal farmers across the country to build sustainable and scalable partnerships. It has trained over 10,000 farmers across the country on product quality and food safety to enable market access, and empower and prosper the farmer community in India.
Speaking at the event, Smrithi said,
“Flipkart is dedicated to creating new avenues of progress for all its stakeholders. The MoU signed with SERP is another step towards our commitment to handhold farming communities and SHGs to ensure improved income and business opportunities with adequate knowledge, training, and market access. This further promotes inclusivity with FPOs, SHGs, and entrepreneurs in India and Telangana. Our customers get an improved experience with direct access to quality produce and fresh groceries from these FPOs in the region."
"We look forward to creating more such linkages and initiatives for the farming community to help them scale their offerings through technology and ecommerce and help bring rural prosperity," she adds.
Edited by Kanishk Singh