In order to support MSME entrepreneurs throughout 9 districts as part of the state’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, the e-commerce giant Amazon India has signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh authorities. It has been reported during the press release that Amazon India via its new initiative Kala Haat programme, will assist conventional industries, synonymous with respective districts of the state, leverage e-commerce to scale and access the Indian market. The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed at the ODOP Summit in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind.
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As per the programme, a wide range of advantages will be offered to 300 MSME sellers registered under UP government ODOP scheme. Under the programme, Amazon will provide training, advertising and marketing tools, account administration guidance and world-class infrastructure of storage and delivery network to these entrepreneurs in order to aid their progress through online selling.
Amazon marketplace will provide access to much broader customer base to the items such as Banarasi silk saris, locks from Aligarh and brassware from Moradabad, carpets from Bhadohi and Lucknawi Chikankari, leather-based items from Kanpur, leather-based footwear from Agra.
According to the sources, the sports activities items from Meerut and wood merchandise from Saharanpur will also be available to online buyers. The Director &GM , Seller Services, Amazon India Gopal Pillai said that Amazon.in has been introducing lacs of weavers, artisans and crafts people across various clusters in India to digital commerce through this Kala Haat programme.
Amazon said that khadi and handloom have turned out to be an even more important focus segment along with the textiles and apparel sector contributing both indirect and direct employment to almost 50 and 35 million Indians respectively. The increasing demand for biodegradable and organic products and the fascination for natural and eco-friendly products is that what is aiding the trend.
To enable rural Khadi artisans and to directly sell their products on the platform, Amazon India teamed up with Uttar Pradesh’s Khadi and Village Industries Board in February.
Last October, to educate Khadi Societies and Village Industries across Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Lucknow, as part of a pilot project, Amazon India started conducting workshops in collaboration with the Khadi Board.
This way Amazon has provided a new lease of life to khadi and handloom. It is directly engaging with weavers and artisans across the country to source products and retail them.
Amazon India is playing a crucial role in its retail journey by providing a recognition to hand spun Khadi which is a symbol of India’s independence movement, popularised by Mahatma Gandhi, that has got a makeover and become a style statement, with designers giving it a modern touch. This initiative has been taken to support the surge in demand for Khadi products over the last few years. Gopal Pillai accounted that to aim success in their new digital journey the company is offering artisans “the most comprehensive suite of seller services and all the requisite tools”. Amazon is increasing its influence in the Indian market by bringing in the platform to sell Khadi, a symbol of India’s Freedom Struggle.
Devang Vibhakar is the Founder and Editor of www.SpeakBindas.com. He has interviewed more than 350 people. His effort was recognized by Limca Book of Records, twice. He has been to Scotland as well as Germany as part of vocational & cultural exchange programs and has compiled five books so far. He's passionate about bringing forth interesting stories & interviews of entrepreneurs to avid readers of SpeakBindas. He can be reached 