A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been established between Amazon India and the Odisha government, marking a significant step towards enhancing e-commerce for handloom products. The signing ceremony was attended by esteemed officials including Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, the Governor of Odisha, Pradeep Bal Samanta, the state’s Minister of Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, and other prominent figures from the Directorate of Textiles.
This partnership aims to onboard eligible weavers and artisans identified by the Directorate under Amazon Karigar, a program focused on empowering local artisans and weavers by facilitating their online sales. This initiative will enable these sellers to present Odisha’s traditional handloom products to a broader audience, featuring nine GI-tagged items including Sambalpuri Bandha, Orissa Ikat, Khandua, Bomkai, Gopalpur Tussar, Berhampur Patta, Kotpad Handloom, Habaspuri, and Dhalapathar fabrics.
As part of the collaboration, Amazon will offer a variety of support services to the sellers, such as onboarding assistance, training, initial account management, imaging, cataloguing, and marketing support, all aimed at helping them expand their businesses on the Amazon platform.
Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati emphasized the significance of Odisha’s handloom heritage, stating, “Odisha’s handloom tradition is an integral part of the state’s cultural identity and provides livelihoods to thousands of artisans and weaving families. Through this collaboration with Amazon Karigar, we are creating new opportunities for our handloom institutions to leverage e-commerce while preserving the authenticity and heritage of Odisha’s handloom products. We believe this collaboration will help expand market access for our weavers and enable more customers across India to discover the craftsmanship that Odisha is known for.”
Aruna Daryanani, director of sales, seller success, and marketing at Amazon India, remarked, “India’s artisans and weavers represent a rich legacy of craftsmanship, and we are committed to helping them access customers across the country. Through Amazon Karigar, we have empowered lakhs of artisans and weavers across India, working with government bodies and artisan communities to preserve traditional crafts while enabling sustainable livelihoods through e-commerce. Our collaboration with the Directorate of Textiles, Government of Odisha builds on this commitment and will help bring authentic Odisha handloom products to customers across India through Amazon.”
This partnership is part of Amazon India’s ongoing efforts to empower artisans, weavers, and local businesses through e-commerce.
