NotOnMart aims to connect 20 lakh farmers, artisans with consumers

NotOnMap and California-based hospitality firm StayFlexi have launched a digital platform 'NotOnMart' that aims to connect 20 lakh farmers and artisans with consumers by the first quarter of 2022.

Founded in 2014, NotOnMap curates travel experiences at offbeat locations and promotes deep-rooted cultural exchange between the traveller and the host family or village. It is present in over 80 locations across Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

ALSO READ

These NGOs and non-profits are empowering artisans and reviving handicrafts in India

"NotOnMart, in essence, is a small scale community-led initiative that aims to scale up the coordination of micro-sized businesses. Our work will focus around identifying agriculturists and craftsmen from various rural parts of the country, who face challenges in terms of extending their reach into the urban markets and connecting them with consumers," NotOnMap Founder and Director Kumar Anubhav said.

Rural population ends up depending on a middleman or a distributor, and NotOnMart aims to provide a holistic platform that facilitates the shortening of the supply chain system, he added.

"We already have 4,000 people on the platform, and we hope to take this to 20 lakh by Q1 2022. We are looking at locations like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Kerala. By Q1 2022, we hope to be in 11 states. We feel the initiative will have a major impact on rural inclusion, rural education and empowerment, and promotion of the youth," he said.

Unlike e-commerce platforms, NotOnMart will provide details on how to connect with the farmer/artisan, so that the interested consumers can directly engage and complete the transaction.

"We are creating an online platform that has local produce along with farmers' contact details, and consumers can directly contact the family to purchase the same, and 100 percent money goes directly to the family. We will also offer training and guidance to the farmers and artisans to handhold them through the process," he said.

The training — to be provided in partnership with the local youth — will focus on areas like content creation, customer interaction, packaging, and digital payments. Farmers will be provided assistance from the team, if needed, for delivery that is handled by them.