E-commerce for MSMEs: Multinational retail company Walmart and its e-commerce marketplace in India, Flipkart have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government to enable state MSMEs digitise their businesses and sell goods online as part of the Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Program.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday between Swasti — the programme partner for Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Program in India and Telangana’s Industries and Commerce Department to “facilitate the development of local MSMEs towards accessing a wider domestic marketspace, leverage online retail and enable sustained growth and commercialisation,” the company said in a statement.
Under the MoU, Walmart will offer support to MSMEs to digitise their businesses and fuel capacity building for the state of Telangana. This will enable MSMEs to be a part of the offline and online domestic supply chains, it said.
Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, Government of Telangana, said MSMEs from different parts of Telangana are flourishing and bringing recognition to our state. “MSME form a strong backbone to the country’s economy, and it’s crucial that we help them scale up and equip them with digital tools and technology to promote their business growth.”
The Vriddhi programme offers free training, expert assistance, tools and skills to small businesses to grow and expand their ventures. It also conducts training seminars and mentoring sessions. The company said over 32,000 MSMEs have already completed the training.
“We launched Walmart Vriddhi in 2019 with the intention to equip 50,000 Indian MSMEs with the skills necessary to succeed in business. From streamlining supply chains to implementing data-driven insights, these skills enable them to make informed decisions, identify emerging trends, and seize opportunities for innovation and expansion,” said Jason Fremstad, Senior Vice President, Supplier Development, Walmart.
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Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group said Telangana is an important market for the company and home to thousands of MSMEs, some of whom have already benefitted from the expanded pan-India reach.
“We want to sustain this momentum, support the state’s artisans, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs, and provide them with a thriving ecosystem to flourish and profit. We are happy to be a part of this initiative and extend our help,” he said.