Hyderabad: Flipkart, one of e-commerce leaders in India, on Saturday said that it would help Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Telangana to get market access in partnership with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). SERP is part of the Department of Rural Development, Government of Telangana.
Through this partnership, Flipkart aims to empower local farming communities and SHGs of Telangana by providing pan-India market access to more than 40 crore customers on its platform.
As part of this collaboration, Flipkart will directly source premium quality pulses, millets, staples, and spices from the local farmers, contributing to improved income and business growth. Flipkart will further engage with these communities through virtual and on-ground training and capacity-building initiatives to provide them with an understanding of the quality, pricing, and licenses required to be a part of the FPO ecosystem. SERP will extend support with infrastructure and necessary approvals to take this partnership forward.
The MoU was exchanged between Sandeep Kumar Sultania, representing the panchayat raj & rural development department, the Government of Telangana and Smrithi Ravichandran, vice-president and head of grocery, Flipkart in Hyderabad.
Speaking on occasion, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, the state minister for panchayat raj, rural development and rural water supply, said “This first of its kind MoU signed in the country with a credible e-commerce giant such as Flipkart is another milestone contributing to the progress of Telangana. SHGs and women from Telangana will now be able to sell their products to a pan-India consumer base for an improved livelihood and gain more visibility. There are 4,36,000 SHGs consisting of 46 lakh members in the state. We wish to support all of them, especially women, for whom we have a target to provide loans of 500 crores this year. We believe that the SHGs will work hard and use these initiatives to accelerate their development and to grow their businesses.”
