Amazon to promote traditional Gujarat tribal handicrafts, food items

Ecommerce major, Amazon India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Gujarat to reach out to its tribal population last week at the biennial investors' summit - Vibrant Gujarat.

The company said that it would help tribals promote their traditional handicraft and food items and its product portfolio will be listed to include products like bamboo crafts, Warli paintings, Pithora painting, Bhada painting, clay craft, minor forest produces (like honey, musli and tamarind), herbal medicines, embroidery items and tribal food items.

Further Amazon said that it will educate, train and enable tribal entrepreneurs in fourteen tribal districts of Gujarat to directly sell their products to Amazon customers in India and across the globe. 

In a quote to PTI, Amazon India Director and GM (Seller Services) Gopal Pillai said that the company hopes selling products online would help tribal artisans fetch an appropriate price for their unique products, which in-turn would help raise their overall standard of living.

Amazon India said they would 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.

The company will further provide technical guidance and hand-holding to tribal artisans with aspects related to identifying saleable products, grading, standardisation, certification and other promotional activities as well, the report added.

The MoU was signed between RC Meena, Secretary, Tribal Development Department and Gopal Pillai, Director and General Manager (Seller Services), Amazon India in the presence of Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in the three-day business summit that was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi. 

Last year, in line with PM Modi’s Make in India initiative, Amazon set up stores on its India and US websites that featured products manufactured in the country such as tapestry, toys, handicrafts and Aurveda products.

The company claimed that this initiative helped more than 6000 Indian sellers to sell their goods.