The Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, and the Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur on Saturday announced a partnership to support and promote small businesses, artisans and weavers by leveraging technology, e-commerce platform and market insights.
An MoU to cement the partnership would be signed in the next few weeks, said IIM Sambalpur sources.
Through the partnership, which was well-timed being announced on National Handloom Day, the IIM Sambalpur and Flipkart will leverage their deep expertise and knowledge to create an operational framework to support under-served communities by helping them build capacity and enhance market reach.
Flipkart executives will actively participate in this programme by sharing operational know-how, market and consumer insights.
The company will also explore opportunities to enable pan-India market access for products created by these entrepreneurs, MSMEs and artisans through its marketplace.
IIM Sambalpur Director Prof Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal said, “By combining institutional learning and practical industry experience, we aim to provide entrepreneurs best practices and deeper insight on how to leverage e-commerce for their growth. We are hopeful that weavers, artisans and farmers will leverage this opportunity to showcase their skills and high-quality traditional heritage products to a national consumer base and reach new heights and recognition.”
Flipkart Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajneesh Kumar said,
“As a homegrown company, we aspire to leverage locally developed world-class technology to create a positive impact in the lives of countless entrepreneurs and underserved communities from across India leading to inclusive economic growth.”