The store has on sale a range of unique handcrafted products from Manipur. Being available through Amazon, the state’s handicraft will now be accessible to customers across the country
Representational image. ANI
Amazon India and the Manipur government on Monday signed an MoU and launched the Panthoibi Emporium, an online platform for the display and sale of the state’s handloom and handicraft.
With this launch, Amazon India aims to empower the growth of over 3,00,000 artisans and weavers associated with Panthoibi Emporium, the company said in a release.
Here’s all you need to know about the online store:
What is the Panthoibi Emporium?
Panthoibi Emporium is a unit of Manipur Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Corporation. It works as a collection house of locally-produced handloom and handicraft products from various weavers and artisans of different communities in the state.
The store has showcased a range of unique handcrafted products from Manipur. Being available through Amazon, the state’s handicraft will now be accessible to customers across the country. It includes handwoven clothes, handcrafted hats and bags, and terracotta products.
It also showcases Manipur’s indigenous Kauna craft, which used Kauna wood or water reed to make products like baskets, stools, bags and wallets.
Additionally, food items typical to Manipur, which include black rice, forest forage teas, GI-tagged chilli, lemon and oranges, are for sale as well.
The online marketplace also showcases handcrafted clay idols.
According to The Print, the Panthoibi Emporium has been launched under the Amazon Karigar programme, which aims to bring to the forefront India’s rich handicraft heritage.
The programme also aims to help small and medium scale businesses by showcasing handmade products from local artisans across the country.
Under the Karigar programme, Amazon India is aiming to digitise 10 million small businesses by 2025.
This is not the first time Amazon India has collaborated with state government emporiums. Since the programme’s launch in 2016, Amazon has collaborated with 30 government emporiums, and seven government organisations. It has brought to its online marketplace over 3,700 master weavers, co-operatives, artisans and regional apex bodies.
Karigar showcases over 1.7 lakh products, including 450 unique arts and crafts from over 27 states and union territories.
In a statement, Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh said, “This association will open up unlimited opportunities for them to grow and scale their business. Aided with the right tools, technology, and insights, MSMEs can play a definite role in accelerating the growth of the Indian economy. Therefore, it is important that the e-commerce ecosystem and its key stakeholders work towards enabling more and more small businesses with capacity building activities.”
With inputs from agencies
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