Flipkart on Monday announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the West Bengal government to train and support local artisans, weavers and handicraft makers to leverage its e-commerce platform to scale up their businesses nationally. The agreement was signed with the state’s micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles department.

West Bengal’s MSME department Principal Secretary Rajesh Pandey said, “We are focused on deepening our commitment towards MSMEs in the state and helping their growth. This partnership will enhance development of artisans, weavers, small businesses and MSMEs by providing access to opportunities that e-commerce enables.” He also said these efforts will be instrumental in driving the commercial and social development in the state by creating inclusive growth.

Flipkart Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajneesh Kumar said it will be instrumental in driving the economic growth of weavers, artisans, and small businesses with the e-commerce company’s national market access.

“As a homegrown company, we are passionate about our sellers’ growth, building an inclusive e-commerce ecosystem and constantly innovate to find new ways to uplift and empower all sections of society, especially MSMEs,” he said.

Under this partnership, it will provide time-bound incubation support and training benefits to underserved communities.