Flipkart, IIM Sambalpur to partner to support small businesses and artisans

E-commerce giant Flipkart and Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur, announced a partnership to support and promote small businesses, artisans and weavers by leveraging technology, e-commerce platform, and market insights. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this partnership will be signed in the next few weeks.

Through this partnership, announced on National Handloom Day, IIM Sambalpur and Flipkart will leverage their deep expertise and knowledge to create an operational framework. This would support under-served communities by helping them build capacity and enhance market reach.

Flipkart executives will actively participate in this program 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 (micro, small and medium enterprises), and artisans through its marketplace.  

"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," said Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, Flipkart Group. 

Kumar said the Flipkart team’s expertise, technology, learnings, and insights serving a pan-India market will come in very handy for MSMEs, artisans, and the Indian handicraft industry through this partnership with IIM Sambalpur. "At Flipkart, we believe that entrepreneurship is essential to creating more local jobs across the ecosystem and are committed to growing an inclusive digital e-commerce ecosystem."

The collaboration extends Flipkart’s sustained partnerships with academic institutions and serves as a testimony to its commitment towards India and its continuous support for entrepreneurs and the start-up ecosystem.

"Our partnership with Flipkart and the e-commerce industry will help strengthen the spirit of entrepreneurship by creating opportunities to leverage technology and accelerate growth for small businesses and artisans," said Prof Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal, director, IIM Sambalpur. "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."

Jaiswal said he is 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.

Under the Flipkart Samarth initiative, the company has partnered with several states across the country, including Odisha. Flipkart’s partnership with the Odisha State Government’s State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) is helping onboard renowned Odia brands such as Boyanika, Utkalika, and Sambalpuri Bastralaya on its e-commerce marketplace.  Flipkart said handloom and handicraft artisans living in remote Odisha are now able to market their products to consumers across India better.