New Delhi: Walmart-owned Flipkart on Friday said it supports over six lakh artisans, weavers and craftsmen across the country through its Samarth programme and is working on onboarding more such sellers to the platform. The Samarth programme was launched last year, wherein the e-commerce major had partnered with five non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help artisans use the online marketplace to sell their products.

Samarth supports the livelihood of over six lakh artisans, weavers and craftsmen through partnerships with NGOs and government entities, and provides the artisans an access to a pan-India customer base of more than 200 million, Flipkart said in a statement.

“With the help of government partnerships, we have been able to bring artisans online from the remotest parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and Karnataka till now.

“We are very encouraged by the progress we have made and our aim is to bring further thrust to this initiative,” Jagjeet Harode, senior director and head of marketplace at Flipkart, said.

Speaking to reporters, he said the demand is stronger than pre-COVID-19 levels across various product categories.

“Traction is much more than what we saw pre-COVID-19 and that is also reflecting in Samarth sales. We see two major trends – one is around decor, household essentials, personal care, food and beverages, all of these have seen a massive jump. In lifestyle, what has seen a jump is comfort wear and Samarth has helped,” he said.

Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and MSME Pratap Chandra Sarangi said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are vibrant and dynamic contributors to the Indian economy.

“It significantly contributes to the growth of the country and has a huge potential to do more. E-commerce companies can help Indian MSMEs and the handicraft sector adopt a global outlook,” he said.

The minister added that providing insights around reducing cost of production, and getting better prices for products would further boost the segment.

Harode said Flipkart has been providing artisans with consumer feedback on scaling and product quality to help these artisans enhance their earnings through the platform.

He added that the company has also been running awareness campaigns to reach out to potential sellers to join the platform.

Over the course of the year, Flipkart has partnered with several government entities including UP Khadi and Village Industries Board, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), and Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation.

Flipkart also supports MSMEs through Walmart Vriddhi, a supplier development programme that aims to empower 50,000 MSMEs to ‘Make in India’ for local and global markets. It leverages the supply chains and expertise of the Flipkart businesses and Walmart, and provides tailored training and advice along with access to an ecosystem of peers and mentors.