Flipkart to host first-ever dedicated Samarth sale event on January 26

E-commerce firm Flipkart said it is hosting its first-ever dedicated Flipkart Samarth sale event - ‘Crafted by Bharat’ to be held on January 26, marking the occasion of India’s Republic Day. The event will focus on celebrating India’s rich culture and heritage by showcasing the wide range of handicrafts and handlooms from across the country.

The pandemic has accelerated the shift to e-commerce, and more consumers are expected to shop online at a higher frequency this year than last year, according to analysts.

Crafted by Bharat will see participation from artisans, weavers, people with disabilities and rural and urban women working in self-help groups associated with the Flipkart Samarth program from every corner of the country, including Tier 2 and 3 cities such as Bhagalpur, Bhopal, Gandhinagar, Howrah, Kalyani Lucknow, Nuapatna, Saharanpur, Sikar, Surat, and Vijayawada, among others.

The event is a part of Flipkart’s continued efforts to partner with Flipkart Samarth artisans, weavers and handicraft makers by providing market access to a nationwide customer base of more than 400 million consumers.

“The Flipkart Samarth program has grown 5X over the past year and continues to see accelerated growth each quarter. Being a homegrown company, we are committed to continuing working towards creating more opportunities for increasing business growth for India’s local communities,” said Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, Flipkart Group. “With this dedicated sale event, we are looking forward to providing our Flipkart Samarth partners with a platform where they can showcase their diverse products and at the same time, bring our customers closer to India’s rich historic culture. With millions of Indians shopping online, small enterprises and artisans can now move beyond their local communities and gain access to opportunities that truly reflect the worth of their efforts.”

At the event, customers will have access to great value propositions for a wide range of products curated by partners with rich cultural heritage and high regional significance. These include  Garvi Gurjari - one of the largest emporiums from the western region; Biswa Bangla - showcasing traditional Bengali handicrafts, fabrics and artifacts; Khadi products, chikankari, and zari-zardozi work; and Karnataka's renowned handloom and handicraft brands such as Cauvery.

Flipkart Samarth was launched in 2019 and has been designed to democratize e-commerce through technology and build a sustainable and inclusive platform for these under-served domestic communities, with a special focus on women-led enterprises and people with disabilities. Under this program, Flipkart has been working with several Government entities, livelihood missions and NGO partners to onboard rural entrepreneurs from across the country. Today, Flipkart Samarth impacts over a million livelihoods by helping them adapt and leverage digital commerce.

To further make the e-commerce experience seamless, the Flipkart app is available in 11 Indian language interfaces including Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Bengali.

Rival company Amazon India’s ‘Great Republic Day Sale’ started from midnight on January 17 with offers until 11:59 pm on January 20. Prime members will get 24 hours early access starting 12:00 AM on January 16th, 2022.

Customers can shop from millions of products offered by sellers including artisans and weavers, women entrepreneurs, start-ups, brands, and local neighbourhood stores. These are across hundreds of categories including smartphones, consumer electronics, fashion and beauty essentials, home and kitchen, large appliances, TVs and daily essentials.

There is up to 40 per cent off on the latest smartphones and accessories from top brands and up to 70 per cent off on electronics and accessories. The platform is offering up to 60 per cent off on TV, up to 50 per cent off on appliances and up to 80 per cent off on Amazon fashion and beauty.