Amazon introduces Weavesmart on its marketplace to promote Indian handloom

Amazon India has announced the launch of Weavesmart, the largest e-commerce store for handlooms in India and an e-marketing partner for the Ministry of Textiles for promoting Indian Handloom Brand and Handloom Mark products, on its marketplace. Through this alliance, handloom and handcrafted products by weavers from various parts of the country associated with Weavesmart will now be available to millions of Amazon customers across India. Amazon India intends to help these associated weavers reach millions of customers across India and in turn help in empowering them.

Weavesmart brings quality and vibrant weaves such as handloom and handcrafted sarees, dress materials, dupattas, accessories and home & living products from handloom clusters belonging to the smallest of villages in India. Helping the weavers to display their creativity on a large scale, Weavesmart today has more than 3,000 weavers in its network and more than 20,000 products.

Talking about this launch, Nishita Manne, CEO, Weavesmart, said, “Indian weavers produce some of the finest handloom and handcrafted products which have always found resonance with shoppers across the country. Weavesmart was launched with the objective to bring together the weaving community and buyers and provide a platform to showcase authentic and beautifully handcrafted products created with a lot of passion and hard work by the weavers and artisans. We are delighted to partner with Amazon India as this launch helps to achieve this objective. It will provide the weavers with the opportunity to reach out to millions of Amazon.in customers and expand their sales.”

“In line with our vision to transform the way India buys and sells, Amazon India has been continuously working towards enabling more and more sellers, weavers and artisans to embrace online selling and scale greater heights. Our partnership with Weavesmart is another key step towards our constant endeavour which is aligned with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives. With our experience and deep understanding of customers across the country, this launch will help provide a wider reach for these products which, in turn, will have a positive impact in the lives of the weavers associated with Weavesmart. We are happy to support Weavesmart and offer them the most comprehensive suite of seller services and requisite tools in this digital journey,” said Gopal Pillai, Director & GM, Seller Services, Amazon India.

There are several pockets in the country with SMEs that offer a rich variety of offerings from apparels to handicrafts to organic products. With the aim to enable more and more of these SMEs as well as micro entrepreneurs like weavers, artisans and craftsmen to benefit from e-commerce and grow their businesses, Amazon.in launched the “Kala Haat” program in 2016 and through its efforts, Amazon India wants to give these craftspersons the opportunity to showcase their products. Amazon India has been relentlessly working in collaboration with its on-ground partner Prione to penetrate into deeper regions in the country and put forward the real “Make in India” offering to its customers. There are various initiatives that the company has taken in this direction through government partnerships and conducting workshops across the country.

All products listed by artisans and weavers are available through the “Handloom & Handicraft” store on Amazon.in. Launched in 2016, the store aims at bringing the rich Indian heritage of handicrafts and handlooms to Indian consumers’ doorsteps. The store has enabled craftsmen from across India to come on Amazon.in from across categories such as sarees, jewellery, handbags, shoes and more. Amazon.in has partnered with various government bodies such as DC Handlooms and Gujarat Tribal Development Department to onboard 1,100+ weavers/cooperatives/artisans in 11 states through 35+ workshops impacting upwards of 1.5 lakh weaver and artisan households.

Amazon.in has signed an MoU with the Telangana government to promote their handloom and handicrafts online. In Telangana, APCO (handloom) and Lepakshi (handicraft) have been launched, while in West Bengal and Orissa Amazon.in is working with Tantuja (handloom), Jute Corporation of India and Boyanika (handloom). In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Amazon.in has enabled Cauvery Handlooms and Loomworld (handloom) to sell their products online. Amazon.in has also worked with central government agencies like TRIFED & Craft Cottage Industries Corporation to enable “Tribes India” and “CCIE” on the Amazon.in marketplace and has collaborated with UP Khadi & Handlooms to enable the Khadi societies in the state of Uttar Pradesh.