BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Saturday signed an MoU with e-commerce platform Flipkart to increase business and trade opportunities for weavers and artisans of the state.
As per the MoU signed between Handlooms, Textiles and Handcrafts department and Flipkart, the online shopping platform will run ‘Flipkart Samarth Programme’ in the state to provide time-bound incubation support and national market access to weavers, artisans and craftsmen to showcase their hallmark products. The programme will be rolled out within two months.
“As part of the initiative, the government will work with Flipkart for engagement with state-owned affiliated enterprises and undertakings that work with local artisans, weavers and crafts producers to provide market access, training and support,” said Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Padmini Dian.
“This initiative will open national market access for the weavers and artisans of the state for Pan-India customer base of over 150 million while empowering them to leverage the benefits of e-commerce model,” said Secretary of the department Shubha Sarma. The Minister also launched a composite automation system named ‘Boyan Sparsha’, an end-to-end enterprise resource planning software for effective management of Boyanika, the State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Societies Limited which records an annual turnover of Rs 150 crore at present.
Managing Director of Boyanika Jyoti Prakash Das said the software which was launched at the head office here on a pilot basis will be integrated with all 42 Boyanika stores by December 31.
“From receiving indents to maintaining accounts and managing human resource at the organisation, everything was being done manually for which we were not able to improve our system effectively.
However, use of new technology and software will prove to be a game-changer. It will help making our administrative system more organised,” Das said.