Kolkata, Sep 8 (UNI) Flipkart, India’s leading e-commerce marketplace, today signed
an MoU with the Government of Jharkhand to onboard the Jharkhand’s artisans,
weavers and craftsmen onto ‘Flipkart Samarth’ – an initiative aimed at enabling and
handholding craftsmen from across India to set up an online business.
The MoU will bring thousands of artisans, weavers, and craftsmen from Jharkhand
into the e-commerce fold, ahead of the state’s much-awaited Bamboo Artists Conclave
on September 18 - 19.
To begin with, products and handicrafts from Jharkraft and Khadi Jharkhand are
present on the platform, with several other Jharkhand based NGOs and artisans
preparing to join in a few weeks.
As part of the Flipkart Samarth program, eligible entities and artisans will receive
time-bound incubation support in the form of onboarding, cataloguing, account
management, business insights, reduced commission (where eligible), and warehousing.
The Government of Jharkhand is supporting the initiative by fast-tracking collaboration
between Flipkart and state-run enterprises that are already working in the arts and
handicrafts space.
This development coincides with other initiatives and schemes by the Jharkhand
Government to promote the bamboo, khadi and handloom industries in the State.
It also comes just ahead of the online festive season in India, one in which artisans
from Jharkhand can participate in for the first time.
" Artisans, handloom weavers and craftpersons of Jharkhand are having enormous
skill which is passed on from generation to generation. I am sure that association with
Flipkart will provide national market exposure to Jharkhand's craft and traditional skills.
This e-commerce platform will unite the people across India with Jharkhand's craft,
traditional skills and knowledge. Apart from local artisans and weavers, in course of
time, other Jharkhand MSME manufacturers will also benefit out of this association
with Flipkart" said Raghubar Das, Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
“We are delighted to join hands with the Govt. of Jharkhand to give the state’s
artisans and weavers the opportunity to showcase and sell their products to a
pan-India customer base of over 150 million. Flipkart Samarth has been designed
to help underserved communities break social and demographic barriers and
participate in the formal economy. We are thankful to the Govt. of Jharkhand for
its support in bringing the benefits of Samarth to the community of bamboo, khadi
and handloom artisans in the State. With every artisan who gets on board Samarth,
we’re a step closer to making e-commerce even more inclusive for all Indians,” said
Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group.
To access the widest selection of craft products, users of the Flipkart mobile app
may type ‘Samarth’ in the search bar and click on the banner at the top of the results.
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