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

• Aim to help MSMEs, artisans, weavers, and other small businesses by giving them the know-how to leverage technology & e-commerce for market-access, and promote start-ups

Hyderabad - August 7, 2021: Flipkart, India's homegrown e-commerce marketplace, and Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur, the hand-crafted IIM, one of the most promising and dynamic management institutions among the new generation IIMs of the country, today announced a partnership to support and promote small businesses, artisans and weavers by leveraging technology, e-commerce platform, and market insights. An MoU to cement 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 to 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 and artisans through its marketplace.  

Commenting on the development, Prof Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “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. 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. We are 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.”

Mr. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “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. Our team’s expertise, technology, learnings and insights serving a pan-India market will come 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.

Under the Flipkart Samarth initiative, the company has partnered with several states across the country, including Odisha. Our partnership with 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, among others, on our e-commerce marketplace. With the help of Flipkart, handloom and handicraft artisans living in remote Odisha are now able to market their products to consumers across India better.