Flipkart and Tamil Nadu trade body tie up to promote local weavers and artisans

Ecommerce giant Flipkarton Thursday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tamil Nadu Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau to serve local artisans, weavers, and craftsmen.

The partnership, under the Flipkart 'Samarth' programme, would enable the artisans, weavers, craftsmen, and small industries to showcase their products from the house of Flipkart.

The trade bureau would support Flipkart with its state-owned affiliated enterprises and undertakings, which work with the crafts producers and farmers.

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"There are 294 industrial cooperative societies functioning under the department. Many of them are involved in production of handicraft items, including GI-registered products. This MoU will provide these societies with a new vigour and link them to a national market for their products," Industries Commissioner Anu George said.

"Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative and aims to help skilled local artisan communities set up their business on the Flipkart Marketplace in an efficient, transparent manner. The programme seeks to break entry barriers for local artisans and weavers by extending incubation support, which includes benefits in the form of seamless onboarding and cataloguing," FlipkartGroup Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajneesh Kumar said.

The Samarth programme was launched in 2019 to build a sustainable and inclusive platform for underserved domestic communities and businesses to empower them with greater opportunities and better livelihoods. It works with NGOs, government bodies, and livelihood missions to reach out to a large number of rural entrepreneurs, with a special focus on women-led enterprises, differently-abled entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers, who often face obstacles such as the lack of access to working capital, poor infrastructure, and inadequate training.

Under the programme, Flipkart also signed an MoU with the Government of Assam, last year, to promote the state’s local arts, crafts, and handloom sectors by bringing them into the ecommerce fold.

Currently, the programme supports over 7.50 lakh artisans, weavers, and craftsmen across the country, the press release said.