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The humble khadi and handloom appear to have got a new lease of life with Amazon India collaborating with various government bodies, and directly engaging with weavers and artisans across the country to source products and retail them.
A symbol of India’s independence movement, popularised by Mahatma Gandhi, handspun khadi has got a makeover and become a style statement, with designers giving it a modern touch. Amazon India is looking to play a crucial role in its retail journey.
Focus segment
“To support the surge in demand for Khadi products over the last few years, we recently partnered with the Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board,” said Gopal Pillai, Director and GM, Seller Services, Amazon India, adding the company is offering artisans “the most comprehensive suite of seller services and all the requisite tools in their new digital journey.”
With the textiles and apparel sector contributing both direct and indirect employment to almost 35 and 50 million Indians respectively, the company says khadi and handloom have turned out to be an even more important focus segment. What is aiding the trend is the fascination for natural and eco-friendly products, and the increasing demand for bio-degradable and organic products. Amazon India is looking to breathe new life in these textiles, and has collaborated with multiple State and Central government departments such as the Gujarat Tribal Development Department, the Telangana government, and UP Khadi to promote handlooms and handicrafts.
The e-commerce major has launched APCO (handloom) and Lepakshi (handicraft) in Telangana, Boyanika and Resham Shilpi (handloom) in Orissa; Priyadarshini, Cauvery Handlooms and Loomworld (handloom) in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Direct sale
Amazon India teamed up with Uttar Pradesh’s Khadi and Village Industries Board in February, to enable rural khadi artisans to directly sell their products on the platform.
Last October, as part of a pilot project, Amazon India started conducting workshops in collaboration with the Khadi Board to educate Khadi Societies and Village Industries across Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Lucknow.
In its handloom category, around 1.50 lakh weavers and artisans across 15 States are using Amazon India’s marketplace through its ‘Kala Haat’ programme. Teaming up with over 1400 weavers, co-operatives, artisans and apparel export promotion bodies to bring the rich heritage of handicrafts and handlooms, the e-commerce major now showcases 40,000 genuine handloom and handicraft products sourced from over 20 states.
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