Flipkart, trade body tie up to help small businesses grow

This MoU will provide these societies with a newvigour and link them to a national market for theirproducts, Industries Commissioner Anu George said.Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative which aimsto help skilled local artisan communities set up theirbusiness on the Flipkart Marketplace in an efficient,transparent manner.

Chennai, Feb 18 (PTI): Flipkart, an e-commerce firm, onThursday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with Tamil Nadu Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Tradeand Investment Promotion Bureau to serve local artisans,weavers, craftsmen.

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

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

''There are 294 industrial cooperative societiesfunctioning under the department. Many of them are involvedin production of handicraft items, including GI registeredproducts. This MoU will provide these societies with a newvigour and link them to a national market for theirproducts,'' Industries Commissioner Anu George said.

''Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative which aimsto help skilled local artisan communities set up theirbusiness on the Flipkart Marketplace in an efficient,transparent manner. The programme seeks to break entrybarriers for local artisans, weavers by extending incubationsupport which includes benefits in the form of seamlessonboarding and cataloguing,'' Flipkart Group chief corporateaffairs officer Rajneesh Kumar said.

The Samarth was launched in 2019 to build a sustainableand inclusive platform for under-served, domestic communitiesand businesses to empower them with greater opportunities andbetter livelihood.

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