Flipkart, an e-commerce unicorn, based out of Bengaluru, has inked an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Government of Jharkhand to launch its initiative ‘Samarth.’
The initiative is 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.
“Artisans, handloom weavers and craftspersons of Jharkhand are having an 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,” Raghubar Das, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, said.
Flipkart, owned by Walmart, is based out of Bengaluru, founded by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal together in 2007. The company initially focused on book sales, before expanding into other product categories such as consumer electronics, fashion, and lifestyle products.
Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “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.”
On behalf 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, and warehousing.
Besides Flipkart, other e-commerce giants include Alibaba, Amazon, Shopclues, Jabong, Myntra, and many more.