Amazon India partners with Gujarat Govt to empower tribal entrepreneurs

Amazon India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Tribal Development Department to drive digital literacy among tribal entrepreneurs in Gujarat.

According to the MoU that was signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017, Amazon India will educate, train & enable tribal entrepreneurs to directly sell their products to Amazon customers not only in India but across the globe.

“This initiative will help tribal artisans in grading and standardising their product which will be available to the Amazon customer base across the globe,” said Ravi Shankar, Commissioner, TDD, Government of Gujarat, in a statement.

The product portfolio will include unique tribal products such as bamboo crafts, warli painting, pithora painting, bhada painting, clay craft, minor forest produces (like honey, musli, tamarind), herbal medicines, embroidery items and tribal food items.

“The integration will provide a massive fillip to the entire local ecosystem, thereby catalysing the economic development of the tribal community of Gujarat,” added Gopal Pillai, Director and General Manager (Seller Services) Amazon India.

However, it isn’t just about providing an online platform for marketing. Amazon India will also engage with tribal artisans across Gujarat to train - especially women entrepreneurs on making the products more attractive, appealing and marketable across the online domain.

In the past one year, Amazon India has partnered with various government bodies like DC Handloom, Ministry of Textiles and The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) to supplement the efforts of the government to uplift artisans & SMEs across the country.