Walmart, Flipkart partner with Madhya Pradesh govt to support MSMEs

US giant Walmart and ecommerce platform Flipkart have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of Madhya Pradesh, to create a budding ecosystem for local MSMEs.

Under this initiative, the two companies will together team up with the state government to digitise small businesses and also help them sell their products in the global market through online channels.

Commenting on this development,  Om Prakash Sakhlecha, Minister for MSMEs, Science and Technology, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said,

"...At this point, it is crucial for small businesses to scale up and use modern technology for their business growth. We are happy to collaborate on programmes like Walmart Vriddhi and shall provide our guidance and support required to allow MSMEs to achieve greater success through the programme."

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Earlier this year, Walmart and Flipkart also partnered with the governments of Tamil Nadu and Haryana to uplift local MSMEs through its Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Program (Walmart Vriddhi). This programme was launched in 2019 with the aim of training 50,000 MSMEs and equipping them with the skills, knowledge and technology to become future-proof. In the past, it has organised various seminars and workshops for MSMEs. It also provides various learning platforms with the help of e-institutes set up in Panipat and Agra.

Nidhi Munjal, Vice President, International Partnership Services, Walmart noted that they aim to triple  exports from India to $10 billion annually by 2027 and wants to continue to help Indian small and medium businesses in finding a place in the international arena.

According to research firm IBEF, India is home to about 6.3 crores micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). They form the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing 48 percent to India’s exports, making them a major revenue generator for the country. 

In September, Amazon India also signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat to onboard MSMEs from the state with the aim of boosting ecommerce exports.