This will potentially benefit more than 5000 artisans associated with our sellers from seven states
Customers can access over 550 handmade Craftmark certified products created by them to millions of Amazon customers
Bengaluru, NFAPost: With a vision to empower and encourage the growth of artisans and weavers its mission to bring all forms of Indian crafts online and expand the selection for customers, Amazon India announced the launch of multiple sellers associated with All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA).
Through the launch of these sellers, Amazon India will have a significant impact on the lives of more than 5000 artisans associated with AIACA fromover seven states across India. These sellers will benefit from SOA fee waiver as part of Amazon’s Stand for Handmade initiative.
The launch will help showcase over 550 products handcrafted by artisans, and sold by sellers on Amazon.in. These products come with a Craftmark certification that AIACA licenses to its artisan organisations, craft-based businesses, cooperatives and NGOs for use on their products.
With this launch, sellers will get an opportunity to showcase unique Craftmark certified products like handloom brocade weaving by weavers from Banaras, stone carving products from Agra from various artisans, among many more to millions of Amazon customers.
Artisan entrepreneurs
Amazon India recently introduced the ‘Stand for Handmade’ initiative to help over 10 lakh entrepreneurs including artisans, weavers and women entrepreneurs, rebound from the economic disruption caused by Covid-19.
As part of the Stand for Handmade initiative, more than 8 lakh artisans and weavers from Amazon Karigar programme and more than 2.8 lakh women entrepreneurs from Amazon Saheli program will benefit from SoA fee waiver. The fee waiver will also be available to the sellers launched in association with AIACA.
Amazon India MSME Empowerment & Seller Experience Head Pranav Bhasin said Amazon India remains committed to help artisans embrace online selling and expand their business.
“It will help thousands of artisans to showcase their unique products to millions of Amazon customers. This launch is an extension of our Stand for Handmade initiative which has already helped artisans, weavers and women entrepreneurs rebound from the economic disruption caused by COVID-19 with a 3X growth,” said Amazon India MSME Empowerment & Seller Experience Head Pranav Bhasin.
Craft enterprise
AIACA Craftmark ExecutiveDirector Sreya Mozumdar said Covid has dealt a body blow to the livelihoods of the artisans and craft enterprises; many of whom were already on the margins of the development discourse in the country.
“What a full-fledged or partial recovery will entail goes beyond reliefs, sops and bailouts to a committed resilience-building strategy that places the strategic needs of small artisans and enterprises up front and centre. This would include concerted efforts to provide differentiated and easy-to-access financing instruments to the sector, promote the reinventing of marketplaces through a digital up-skilling strategy and exploring means of repurposing business keeping in mind COVID realities,” said AIACA Craftmark ExecutiveDirector Sreya Mozumdar.
AIACA Craftmark ExecutiveDirector Sreya Mozumdar said the collaboration between AIACA-Craftmark and Amazon is a first step towards the digital access to new/emerging markets for authentic handmade products by certified groups/artisans.
A dedicated Stand for Handmade storefront has been set up to help generate customer demand for the locally crafted, handmade products from Karigar and Saheli sellers. The storefront showcases traditional handicrafts & handlooms along with highlighting stories of craftsmen and their works, helping take their stories closer to consumers.
Women entrepreneurs
Customers can discover and purchase products from artisans and women entrepreneurs from different parts of the country by visiting specific pages created for selections from North, South, East, West and Central India.
Customers can also discover unique products made by artisans and weavers on the Amazon Karigar storefront. Since launch in 2016, the Karigar program has made a difference in the lives of over 8 lakh individuals’ part of weaver communities from over 20 states and union territories.
Amazon.in has also partnered with 22 Government Emporiums and 5 Government bodies to showcase authentic crafts to craft lovers and increase market connectivity. Today, Karigar showcases over 60,000 products, including 270+ unique arts and crafts from over 20 states.
The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) was set up as a membership-based apex body for the handloom and handicraft sectors. AIACA seeks to represent a range of organizations in the handloom and handicrafts sector and to engage in policy advocacy activities aimed at increasing the domestic market for handloom and handicraft products and improving the standard of living of Craftworkers.
Policy advocacy
Currently, AIACA consists of 55 member organizations including leading NGOs such as Dastkar, Dastkar Andhra, SEWA, Kalaraksha, Urmul and Udyogini; and private businesses such as Anokhi, Bandhej, FabIndia, Bharat Carpet Manufacturers and Soma. In addition to policy advocacy work, AIACA is also implementing a certication program for Indian Handicrafts under the Craftmark Initiative.
Craftmark authenticates genuine hand-crafted processes from India. Established in 2006, Craftmark has developed a sector-wide, process-specific standards and norms for labeling a product as hand-made and increases consumer awareness of distinct handicraft traditions. Under this initiative, AIACA licenses the Craftmark seal to artisan organisations, craft-based businesses, cooperatives and NGOs for use on their products that are created through handcrafted processes.
Over the years AIACA has been able to build ‘integrity’, ‘quality’ and ‘authenticity’ as some of the core values, evidenced by endorsements from large global chains and domestic buyers who regularly source Craftmark-certified products. Today, Craftmark has certified more than 250 craft enterprises with an outreach of about 165,000 artisans across India.
The Amazon.in marketplace is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Ltd, an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon.in seeks to build the most customer-centric online destination for customers to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online by giving them more of what they want – vast selection, low prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience; and provide sellers with a world-class e-commerce platform.
