*Over 10,000 artisans and weavers stand to benefit from Amazon’s collaboration with Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (GSHHDC) through Amazon Karigar Program
Bangalore, July 14, 2021: Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon.in today announced the launch of Garvi Gurjari Emporium on its marketplace. Through this launch, Amazon.in aims to empower the growth of over 10,000 artisans and weavers associated with Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd., (GSHHDC), an undertaking of the Government of Gujarat. This initiative is driven by the intent to encourage digital inclusion and empower the artisan and weaver community, provide economic opportunities for them, and provide local entrepreneurship as well as job creation.
Sellers’ part of ‘Garvi Gurjari’ will be able to avail benefits such as discounted referral fees, support with shipping and delivery of products, imaging and marketing support, technical training, and business and sales support under Amazon Karigar program. This association will also enable a possible expansion of the customer base for these weavers, bringing in greater recognition for their work and providing more employment opportunities. Millions of Amazon.in’s customers from across the country can access and shop from a wide variety of unique products like Pithora Paintings, Furnishings, Handicrafts, Jewelry and Gift items offered by Garvi Gurjari Emporium.
Shri Vijay Rupani, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat said, “This is an important development towards empowering the thousands of local weavers and artisans associated with Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. (Garvi Gurjari). Access to e-commerce will open up unlimited opportunities for them to grow and scale their business. It provides them with an effective medium to showcase their unique products in the online marketplace, making them a part of the commercial mainstream. Aided with the right tools, technology, and insights, MSMEs can play a definite role in the revival of the Indian economy. Therefore, it is important that the e-commerce ecosystem and its key stakeholders work towards enabling more and more small businesses with capacity building activities.”
Since the launch of the Amazon Karigar program in 2017, Amazon.in has onboarded more than 3,700 master weavers, co-operatives, artisans and regional APEX bodies to sell on Amazon.in. The program has made a difference in the lives of over 12 lakh artisans and weavers. Amazon.in has also collaborated with 28 Government Emporiums and 5 Government bodies to showcase authentic crafts to craft lovers and increase market connectivity. Today, Karigar showcases over 120,000 products, including 450+ unique arts and crafts from over 27 states and union territories, and provides Indian handicraft and artisan communities’ enhanced visibility by enabling them to sell their products to a large customer base.
“The launch of Garvi Gurjari exemplifies Amazon India’s commitment to enable artisans and weavers across the country – to discover and avail the benefits of selling online. This is part of our mission to make Indian arts and crafts accessible to customers through Amazon Karigar program and digitize 10 million MSMEs by 2025. With this launch, customers will now have access to unique selection of handicraft and handloom products from Gujarat. For artisans and weavers from the state, it will provide them with access to a wider customer base while also providing them with a source of additional income every time they make a sale,” said Pranav Bhasin, Director, MSME & Selling Partner Experience, Amazon India. “We will continue to collaborate with organizations like Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (GSHHDC) to expand product selection by bringing in local art forms benefitting craftsmen through Amazon Karigar program, in the process, and make Amazon.in marketplace truly representative of India’s rich culture,” added Pranav.
Shri Mahesh Singh, IFS, Managing Director, Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. said, “Our collaboration with Amazon will play a pivotal role in enabling thousands of artisans and weavers associated with Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. (Garvi Gujari) to bounce back from disruptions caused due to the pandemic. Artisans from Gujarat produce a rich volume of handicrafts and handloom products, deserving of recognition across the country. Selling online will empower them with the support needed to scale their business by reaching a larger pool of customers. It will also bring attention to locally produced products from the country that are representative of our rich cultural heritage.”
Recently, Amazon.in launched its first Digital Kendra in India in Surat, Gujarat. Amazon Digital Kendras are brick and mortar resource centers that will provide micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) the opportunity to learn about benefits of and avail a range of third-party services such as shipping and logistics support, cataloging assistance, digital marketing services, GST and taxation support to kick start their journey towards being digital entrepreneurs. Amazon.in also launched of seller registration and account management services in Gujarati that benefits over 1.1 lakh existing Amazon sellers and lakhs of new sellers from tier – 1 and below markets like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara and Gandhinagar. These launches are part of Amazon’s commitment to help digitize 10 million Indian MSMEs in India by 2025.
Amazon.in recently also announced annual Prime Day event that will be held in India on July 26 and 27, featuring two days of the best Prime has to offer. This Prime Day, Amazon will continue its efforts to support lakhs of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) to bounce back from the economic disruption owing to Covid-19 Wave 2, and help generate customer demand for products offered by lakhs of sellers, manufacturers, start-ups and brands, women entrepreneurs, artisans & weavers, and local shops. Prime Members can now shop from the selection offered by SMBs and avail offers such as 10% cashback up to INR 150 on their Prime Day purchases.
