Flipkart on Wednesday launched ‘Flipkart Samarth’ – an initiative aimed at bringing India’s artisans, weavers, and handicrafts producers onto e-commerce. This move will open up national market access for these underserved communities, giving them access to a constantly growing pan-India customer base of more than 150 million and empowering them to leverage the benefits of the e-commerce model.
Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State, Finance & Corporate Affairs, appreciated and launched the ‘Flipkart Samarth’ initiative as Chief Guest. Sanjay Kaka Patil and Annasaheb Joelle, Members of Parliament, also graced the occasion.
Flipkart Samarth has been designed to support the e-commerce journey for artisans from onboarding until they reach familiarity with the process of selling online. The host of initiatives and benefits under Flipkart Samarth include dedicated support for onboarding, cataloguing, account management, business insights, dedicated seller support, reduced commission where eligible, and warehousing support.
Flipkart Samarth will work closely with reputed NGOs and government bodies and livelihood missions to reach a large number of rural entrepreneurs, with a special focus on women-led enterprises, differently-abled entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers, who often face obstacles such as lack of access to working capital, poor infrastructure, and inadequate training. Flipkart has systematically assessed the pain points and aspirations of these groups and designed Flipkart Samarth to address their problems and make it easier for them to list and sell online.
Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart Group, said, “As a homegrown company, we are constantly innovating to find new ways to use e-commerce to uplift and empower all sections of society, especially MSMEs. These small businesses are the backbone of Indian economy, going back centuries. Through ‘Flipkart Samarth,’ we are helping traditionally underserved communities access a pan-India market and engage with over 150 million customers. The initiative will help us partner with the government and add impetus to various social empowerment schemes. ‘Flipkart Samarth’ will leverage the increasing internet penetration in rural India to boost entrepreneurship and we are excited about the shared value we’re adding to the ecosystem with this initiative.”
Minister Anurag Thakur said that the government has taken a host of measures in the recent budget and during the past few years to nurture the startup ecosystem, support the MSME sector and encourage e-commerce platforms. “I am happy to see a slew of private players including Flipkart have come forward and bridge the gap between local artisans, technology and the marketplace. ‘One District, One Product’ of UP and similar other initiatives of other states are an extension of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Bringing our local sellers, helping them build their brand and guiding them through the supply chain process will go a long way in building a robust e-commerce ecosystem and the ‘Made in India’ brand.”