As part of its Karigar initiative, Amazon India has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the forest tribals of Vishakhapatnam district to support them in accessing economic opportunities, preserving their cultural heritage, and fostering community development.
Through this partnership, Amazon aims to leverage the rich heritage and craftsmanship of the tribal communities in Vishakhapatnam to offer authentic handcrafted products to a global audience via its ecommerce platform. The collaboration will also enhance visibility and revenue generation for the forest produce crafted by the tribals through listing on Amazon, thereby creating employment opportunities.
Under the initiative, the Amazon Karigar programme will provide comprehensive training to tribal members in value addition, packaging, and branding, empowering them to sell their products online. An ecommerce hub will be established within the tribal area of the forest in Visakhapatnam district to facilitate various activities such as packaging, storage, dispatch, and order processing.
Launched in 2017, the Amazon Karigar programme aims to support small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs, including weavers and artisans, by enabling them to benefit from ecommerce and revive traditional art forms. With a selection of over 20,000 unique handmade products, the programme impacts over 1.8 million artisans across India.
Gaurav Bhatnagar, Director of Seller Acquisition and Development at Amazon India, emphasized the significance of partnering with the Visakhapatnam forest tribals to enrich the marketplace with authentic handcrafted products and preserve age-old traditions.
Initially, the focus of the project will be on the online sale of forest produce in non-consumable categories such as grass weaving for mats, elephant dung paper, and bamboo utensils. Anant Shankar, IFS, District Forest Officer of Visakhapatnam, expressed optimism about the collaboration’s benefits for the tribal community, enhancing their living standards by showcasing their craftsmanship to a broader audience.
