Celebrating craftsmanship: Flipkart Samarth’s five-year impact on India's artisans and weavers

Flipkart, India’s homegrown ecommerce marketplace, recently celebrated a significant milestone: the fifth anniversary of its Flipkart Samarth initiative, aimed at empowering India’s artisans, weavers, self-help groups (SHGs), women, and rural entrepreneurs. The event, held to honour and elevate the country’s rich cultural heritage, brought together over 250 industry leaders, sellers, artisans, weavers, craftsmen, and SHGs.

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Flipkart, shared insights into the initiative's impact and future goals. "When we started this journey, our vision was clear: to ensure that those working at the grassroots level, like artisans and weavers, have access to the vast opportunities provided by digital markets," Kumar said. He emphasised that while the initiative has achieved considerable success, with nearly 1.8 million livelihoods impacted through the Samarth programme, the road ahead is long. "The real challenge is to build the right infrastructure and training programmes to extend these benefits further," Kumar added.

Government support and future aspirations

Sonal Mishra (IAS), Joint Secretary, MSDE, commended the impact of the Samarth initiative, stating, "It is truly inspiring to witness what Flipkart is doing through its Samarth initiative. This programme aligns perfectly with the current needs of our country, especially in empowering entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for women-led businesses. We’ve collaborated with Flipkart on workforce skill development, particularly in logistics and warehousing, and upskilled around 500 individuals. We are eager to scale these efforts further with even bigger targets and greater impact."

Atul Kumar Tiwari (IAS), Secretary, MSDE, also highlighted the significance of the collaboration. "The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed today with Flipkart Academy marks a significant step in our efforts to upskill the youth in key industries such as logistics, warehousing, ecommerce, and retail. This combination of classroom learning and on-the-job training will ensure a well-rounded, impactful learning experience, preparing our youth for today’s industries."

Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, highlighted the alignment of Flipkart's efforts with the government's vision. "This event is a crucial step toward realising our goal of making India the skill capital of the world. The prime minister has repeatedly emphasised this aspiration, and initiatives like Flipkart Samarth are vital to achieving it," Chaudhary stated. He lauded Flipkart’s contributions to empowering underserved communities and announced a new academy initiative focused on the logistics and warehousing sectors, which will support the booming ecommerce industry.

The event also hosted an insightful panel discussion focused on the future of artisan empowerment in India. The panel featured esteemed leaders, including Ateesh Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME; Mahendra Payaal, Chief Program Officer, National Skills Development Corporation; Simmi Nanda, Co-Founder and Director, BeUnic; and Meenu Chopra, Executive Director, All India Artisans & Craftworkers Welfare Association. Together, they explored the evolving landscape of India’s artisan community, highlighting the critical role of skill development and the transformative impact of e-commerce in expanding market access for artisans across the country.

Voices from the field

The impact of Flipkart's initiatives was echoed by several sellers and partners who have benefited from the platform.

Ashita Arora, Category Manager at Saras Ajeevika, shared how the initiative has opened new avenues for rural artisans. "Our rural women, who create beautiful handicraft and handloom products, can now reach urban markets they previously couldn't access. Flipkart’s promotional support has made it easier for them to sell their products online."

Pritam Soni, from Darsharaj Jewellers, who sells handmade products crafted from 925 sterling silver, spoke about the transformation his family business has undergone since joining Flipkart in 2017. "With the help of ecommerce, my sales have doubled. The platform has helped my brand gain recognition, and the support from Flipkart’s team in areas like cataloguing and advertising has been invaluable."

Kangabam Bijaya Chanu, of Purbashree Emporium, based in Manipur, specialises in handloom and handicraft products such as bedsheets, shawls, sarees, and handbags. She shared how going online with Flipkart has significantly expanded her customer base. "We cannot have shops in every part of India, but with Flipkart, we can reach customers across the country. Our sales have improved tremendously."

Looking ahead

As Flipkart reflects on its journey, the focus remains on expanding its reach and impact. The company's commitment to fostering growth among India’s artisans and small businesses continues to drive its efforts. "We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but we know there is much more to be done. Our aim is to further integrate these communities into the digital economy and create more opportunities for them to thrive," Kumar concluded.

The celebration not only marked Flipkart’s achievements but also set the stage for future endeavours that will further uplift and empower India’s diverse and vibrant artisan community.