Online retail giants Walmart and Flipkart yesterday announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Export Promotion Bureau, Government of Uttar Pradesh, to create an ecosystem aiding capacity building for Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
Under the partnership, Walmart and Flipkart will help MSMEs digitise their businesses and enable them to sell products across India through online retail. They will also have an opportunity to unlock their export potential and become part of Walmart’s global supply chain.
Launched in 2019, Walmart Vriddhi aims to train 50,000 Indian MSMEs with the business skills necessary to succeed as suppliers to Walmart, sellers on Flipkart, and other domestic and global marketplace platforms.
On the signing of the MoU, Sidharth Nath Singh, Minister of MSME, Investment and Export, Textile, Khadi & Gram Udyog, Government of Uttar Pradesh, said, “MSMEs from Uttar Pradesh are being recognised the world over, registering record exports this year. With schemes like Ubharte Sitaare and ODOP, the Government of Uttar Pradesh is at the forefront of developing a vibrant ecosystem for the MSME sector in the state, helping them boost exports and venture into new markets.”
Commenting on the partnership, Nidhi Munjal, Vice President, International Partnership Services, Walmart, said, “We look forward to expanding our ongoing partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and supporting their efforts to build a robust MSME ecosystem by providing opportunities to access online and offline markets in India and globally through local training and support. We are committed to tripling our exports from India to USD 10 billion annually by 2027.”
Jagjeet Harode, Senior Director & Head – Marketplace, Flipkart, said, “Flipkart’s partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh on the ODOP scheme has been a huge success, registering 52% quarterly growth since January 2020, across various product categories.”
Swasti, founded in 2004, is a part of the Catalyst Group. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India and active globally with a footprint in 30 countries, Swasti co-designs demonstrable and scalable solution models in partnership with communities on the ground.
In addition, Swasti and the Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Programme (Walmart Vriddhi) provide a comprehensive learning platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
They will also organise training seminars and mentorship workshops to further enable the growth and development of small and medium businesses. The programme pivoted to a digital format in 2020 and Vriddhi e-institutes have since been launched in Panipat, Haryana and Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and with plans to open many more.
