In a bid to support the local economy, e-commerce platform Zepto has announced a collaboration with over 500 local artisans to sell handcrafted Diwali diyas (earthen lamps), the company said on Monday.
In a press release, Zepto highlighted its project with 50 families from the Prajapati clan, a community of Kumhars (potters), to support their livelihood, which heavily depends on festivals like Diwali. Chief Executive Officer Aadit Pachalia also shared a video on LinkedIn, showcasing key aspects of this collaboration with the community.
In the video, local artisan Pradeep Kumar says: “We are concerned about the influence of Chinese goods during festivals like Diwali, as many customers prefer them…”
“This time, Zepto has helped us by selling a significant portion of our diyas,” he adds. Zepto’s initiative to promote locally made products aligns with the rising demand for Indian goods amid ongoing border tensions with China.
Since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, there has been a growing call to boycott Chinese products which consumers favour for their variety and affordability.
Although the recent standoff with China was diffused last week, with both sides agreeing to normalise tensions, the preference for local products is expected to persist.
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“We genuinely believe in empowering local entrepreneurship at Zepto, and we salute Pradeep and many others like him who crafted these beautiful earthen diyas to brighten India’s Diwali,” Pachalia said.
E-commerce platforms like Zepto and Zomato-owned Blinkit have also faced criticism for “disrupting” the traditional kirana (local grocery) store chains. With discounts and faster delivery options, these online platforms have impacted the Kirana business model, an issue flagged by Union Minister Piyush Goyal in August.
Goyal has called for greater integration of these stores into online platforms, noting: “We will have to carefully analyse certain areas where the effects of e-commerce may be detrimental to India's interests.”