Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: The company said it will work with the NEHHDC to develop ‘enablement’ programmes specifically designed for artisans from the North East, including modules on online selling and entrepreneurship, and the opportunity to access a wider market for their products.
Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: E-commerce marketplace for craft and handmade items Etsy on Monday said it has partnered with the government’s North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) to enable small sellers, weavers, and artisans sell products across markets where Etsy operates including the UK, Germany, and Canada apart from India. The company said it will work with the NEHHDC to develop ‘enablement’ programmes specifically designed for artisans from the North East, including modules on online selling and entrepreneurship, and the opportunity to access a wider market for their products.
“There is a global appreciation for ‘Made in India’ products and we want to enable artisans and craftspeople from the all the states of the North East to be a part of our community of 5.5 million sellers and use our platform to showcase the intricacy, the beauty, and the quality of their art to audiences – and buyers – across the world,” said Ross LaJeunesse, VP, Public Policy & Advocacy, Etsy.
Among its enablement services for sellers, Etsy’s Saksham initiative aims to digitally enable artisans, creators, and entrepreneurs in the Indian handicrafts sector, through a series of workshops, training sessions, and in-person support on photography assistance, marketing assistance and digital media branding assistance said an Etsy spokesperson. Training workshops on various aspects of selling on Etsy, including payment, logistics, shopping, and more are also offered.
The indigenous products from North East in categories such as textiles, cane and bamboo products, accessories and more will be accessible to customers from Etsy’s marketplace. Artisans from all eight North-Eastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will be onboarded on Etsy and will receive a fixed amount of free ad credits as a part of this programme, the company said.
There are more than 21 lakh weavers and 14.5 lakh artisans in the North East region which Etsy is looking to connect with over the next few years in partnership with NEHHDC. Currently, there are more than 3.8 million product listings from India and hundreds and thousands of sellers have explored online selling on the platform, the spokesperson added. For instance, Guwahati-based Elvira who has been selling a variety of bags under the brand name Chezvies Patterns on Etsy since 2016 and has made close to 4,000 sales to buyers from across the globe.
Attribution-Financial Express
