Over 28,300 Indian artisans, 149,422 weavers registered on GeM Portal

The portal aims to increase participation from under-served seller groups such as artisans, weavers, micro entrepreneurs, women, tribal entrepreneurs and self-help groups working in handloom and handicrafts, who face challenges in accessing government markets.

The initiative is intended to provide direct market access opportunities to approximately 35.22 lakh handloom workers and 27 lakh handicraft artisans, simultaneously doing away with the intermediaries.

GeM initiated the seller registration and onboarding of weavers and artisans in July 2020 with the assistance of officials from office of development commissioner handloom and development commissioner handicrafts. Officers from 56 Handicraft Service Centres and 28 Weaver Service Centres were trained and engaged in the seller registration process, the ministry of textiles said in a press release.

As many as 28 exclusive product categories have been created for handloom products. Simultaneously 170 custom product categories are created for handicraft products. Dedicated web-banners and market pages have been developed for Indian handloom and Indian handicraft products made by artisans, weavers, cooperative societies, SHGs and producer companies capable of supplying such products to various government buyers.

The move will help promote handloom and handicraft products with government buyers, empower weavers and artisans to sell their products directly to government buyers sans intermediaries and reinforce the spirit of #MyHandloomMyPride, #VocalForLocal and Make in India, towards ensuring an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, the ministry said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)