Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd launches Indrayani Handlooms on Amazon.in ahead of the festive season

Close to 700 handloom products made by the handloom community of Maharashtra will be available for millions of Amazon customers

This partnership will have an impact on over 600 weavers from 17 different villages in Maharashtra

Customers have easy access to the best variety of handloom products on Amazon.in/Karigar store

Pune, India, September 13, 2019: With a vision to empower and encourage the growth of weavers under Amazon.in’s flagship ‘Karigar’ program, Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amazon India. As part of the MoU, ahead of the upcoming festive season, Amazon India will launch Indrayani handloom products on its marketplace. Millions of Amazon.in’s customers from across the country can now have access to a wide variety of handloom products ahead of the festive season. Through this partnership, Amazon India will have a significant impact on the lives of over 600 weavers from 17 different villages of Maharashtra.

With this association, weavers will get the opportunity to showcase their products such as ties, dupattas, stoles, men’s & women’s apparel, bedsheets, towels, durries, napkins, accessories, and products in the home category on Amazon India. This association will enable expansion of customer base for the weavers, bring in greater recognition for their work and provide more employment opportunities. Indrayani Handlooms will go live on the platform with close to 700 products.

“We are delighted to be on board with Amazon India as this is an excellent avenue for the local handloom weavers to showcase and sell their products. These weavers from 17 different villages of Maharashtra are intrinsic to the weaver community and their work supports the livelihood of many households. We believe that this partnership with Amazon India will help in expanding their reach and provide employability, besides also offering the best-quality traditional products to millions of customers from the country,” said Mr. Prakash Nakul Patil, Chairman, Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd.

For the past 3+ years, through the Kala-Haat initiative, Amazon.in has on boarded more than 2400 master weavers, co-operatives, artisans and APEX bodies (including National Award-winning weavers) to sell online. The program has made a difference in the lives of over 7.7 lakh weaver community across 22 states and union territories. Amazon.in has also partnered with 13 Government Emporiums and 5 Government bodies to showcase authentic crafts to craft lovers and increase the market connectivity. Amazon.in has taken the initiative to next level with the launch of Karigar store which was launched on the eve of National Handloom Day earlier this year. Amazon Karigar is one of the largest stores to feature a wide range of authentic crafts from Indian artisans, and gives prominence to India’s rich heritage by enabling weavers and artisans to showcase ‘Made in India’ products to customers. Today, Karigar showcases over 55,000 products, including 270+ unique arts and crafts from over 20 states, and provides Indian handicraft and artisan communities an enhanced visibility by enabling them to sell their products to a large customer base and get an appropriate price for their offerings.

Commenting on this new partnership with the Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd, Mr. Pranav Bhasin, Director, Seller Experience, Amazon India said: “In line with our mission to transform the way India buys and sells, Amazon India has been continuously working towards enabling small and medium sellers, to embrace online selling and expand their business. Artisans and weavers are a key part of our community, who are keeping our heritage alive, and today, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd to enable weavers across Maharashtra sell online, just ahead of the festive season. The launch of Indrayani Handlooms on the Amazon marketplace is yet another step in our sustained commitment towards the weavers and the government in its effort to drive growth and employment in the respective state economy.”

A Government of Maharashtra undertaking, Maharashtra State Handlooms Corporation Ltd., Nagpur was established in 1971 for the overall welfare and growth of weaver community. They set out with the objective of supplying improved equipment and accessories, raw materials for the handloom industry and buying finished products created by them. Additionally, they also work towards educating the handloom weavers about the various aspects of the industry by imparting training at the design centers they set up and run. Apart from Tussar hand woven sarees, Indrayani Handlooms also produce mulburry silk sarees and cotton bed sheets.