This partnership under the Flipkart’s Samarth initiative will support the ODOP program of
Government of Madhya Pradesh and provide national market access to local artisans, weavers and craftsmen from the state
Bangalore – March 24, 2022: Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MP Industrial Development Corporation
Ltd (MPIDC) to enable national market access to local artisans, weavers and craftsmen from
the state. To support the ODOP program of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the
partnership under Flipkart’s Samarth initiative will enhance rural livelihoods allowing local
businesses, craftsmen, artisans and weavers to offer their products to millions of customers.
The MoU was signed by Mr. John Kingsly, IAS, Export Commissioner and Managing
Director of MPIDC, and Mr. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart
Group.
The MoU was exchanged today in the presence of Mr. Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon, Hon’ble
Minister, Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, between Mr. John
Kingsly and Mr Dippy Vankani, Regional Director – West, Flipkart at the “Madhya Pradesh
Trade Conference – 2022 Capacity Building Program” event organized in Bhopal.
Commenting on the MoU, Mr. Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon said, “One of the key priorities of
our government is to strengthen a flourishing ecosystem for entrepreneurs, artisans, SHGs
especially from rural areas, and I would like to commend Flipkart for their efforts and initiatives
to take ahead the ambitious ODOP initiative of Government of Madhya Pradesh. Our
association with Flipkart will give wings to the dreams of our entrepreneurs and support our
capacity-building initiatives for them”
Commenting on the MoU, Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart
Group, said, “We are delighted to sign the MoU with Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development
Corporation (MPIDC). The partnership is part of Flipkart’s Samarth program conceptualized to
provide a sustainable and inclusive digital platform to enhance the livelihood opportunities for
MSMEs and artisans, including in Tier-2 and smaller cities. Extending the government’s mission
of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Flipkart Samarth today supports the livelihood of
over a million artisans, weavers and craftsmen across India.”
Flipkart Samarth is a nationwide initiative that aims to introduce lakhs of MSMEs, artisans and
underserved communities from across the country to new growth opportunities through e-commerce. Samarth breaks entry barriers and helps these sellers set up their business on the Flipkart Marketplace by offering time-bound incubation as well as support with onboarding, free cataloging, marketing, account management, business insights, and warehousing.
The programme was launched in 2019 with the objective of building a sustainable and inclusive
platform for underserved domestic communities and businesses and to empower them with
better livelihood opportunities. Flipkart Samarth currently supports the livelihood of over a million
artisans, weavers and craftsmen across India and is working towards bringing more such sellers
onto the platform.
