Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the District Administration of Varanasi, Government of Uttar Pradesh, to enable national market access for artisans, weavers, people with disabilities and of Varanasi.
Through this partnership, iconic goods such as Banaras Sarees, Handmade Carpets, Zardoji Craft, Metal Crafts, and Handmade Dari from the state will now be available to 400 million customers on the Flipkart platform. The Flipkart Samarth program will offer training and time-bound incubation support, which will help artisans, weavers, people with disabilities, and craftsmen grow their businesses through e-commerce.The MoU was exchanged at an event in Varanasi in the presence of Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, Shri Umesh Kumar Singh, Joint Commissioner, Department of Industries, Varanasi Division and Shri. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group.
The guests of honor were – Shri Ravindra Jaiswal, Minister of Registration and Stamp, Government of Uttar Pradesh and other dignitaries such as Shri Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary Department of MSME, Information, Khadi and Exports, Shri Deepak Agarwal, Divisional Commissioner, Varanasi and District Magistrate Varanasi, Shri Kaushal Raj Sharma.At the event, artisans, weavers, people with disabilities and craftsmen of Varanasi were recognised by the dignitaries for their contribution towards the society.Flipkart Samarth, launched in 2019, is a nationwide initiative that aims to introduce lakhs of MSMEs, artisans and underserved communities from across the country to growth opportunities through e-commerce. The programme’s primary objective is to provide underserved domestic communities and companies with a sustainable and inclusive platform and better livelihood chances.
