Flipkart’s go-to route to acquire more sellers: India’s ‘underserved’ MSMEs

Walmart-owned Flipkart has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Punjab government to onboard state’s sellers, weavers, and artisans for online selling of their products. Flipkart has signed two MoUs to help state’s MSMEs as part of its Samarth programme with training and support for e-commerce channel. The company, which is battling Jeff Bezos’ Amazon for e-commerce supremacy in India, had launched Samarth programme in July this year to help small business communities in India get access to the digital medium to reach out to pan India customers and sell their products. Flipkart has also partnered with other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand to help small business communities even as it would boost the company’s seller count.

The tie-up will help state’s “MSMEs, artisans and weavers the opportunity to showcase and sell their products to a pan-India customer base of over 200 million,” said Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group in a statement adding “We have constantly endeavoured to help underserved communities break social and demographic barriers and become a part of the formal economy.” Flipkart will “focus on showcasing the hallmark products of the state of Punjab,” the company said under the first MoU along with offering benefits including incubation support to “select” local artisans and weavers in the Samarth programme.