• Amazon.in to partner with Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDCL), a Government of Karnataka Undertaking to enable over more than 55,000 artisans from Karnataka to reach millions of Amazon customers in India through Amazon Karigar Program
• Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will benefit from a 100% Sell on Amazon (SoA) fee waiver till September 12, 2021 as part of Karigar Mela initiative

Bengaluru, 08 September 2021: With a vision to empower and encourage the growth of small sellers (including artisans and weavers) through Amazon.in ‘Karigar program, Amazon.in today announced the launch of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium – a unit of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDCL), a Government of Karnataka Undertaking, on its marketplace.

Artisans associated with KSHDCL from in and around towns and cities in Karnataka like Mysore, Anegundi, Sandur, Bijapur, Hiriyur, Channapatna, Sagar, Sirsi, Soraba, Kumta, Kinhal, Navalgund, Bidar and Shivarapatna among many more will be part of Amazon Karigar, an Amazon.in program to empower Indian artisans to sell their handcrafted products across India and for sellers selling such products to reach customers nationwide and scale their business on Amazon. Through the Karigar program, Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will be able to avail a wide range of program benefits such as personalized training for a quick start, increased customer visibility and dedicated marketing support among others.

With the launch of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium, ahead of the festive season, millions of Amazon.in customers from across the country can now access and shop from a wide variety of unique Geographical Indication (GI) products like Bidriware, Channapatna toys and dolls in addition to other locally produced products like Sandalwood products, Rosewood products, Metal Crafts, and Lacquerware among many more. Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will go live on the marketplace with a selection of hundreds of products initially with more products to be added by Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium subsequently. The launch of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will help in driving deeper sentiment of ‘vocal for local’ among Indian consumers and help in boosting Prime Minister’s vision to be an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

“Karnataka is known for its handicraft industry and its unique, traditional masterpieces which are made from a variety of materials using intricate motifs and time-tested as well as modern techniques. The launch of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium is an important step towards our vision of the Karigar program to expand the product selection by bringing in local art forms that benefit craftsmen and make Amazon.in marketplace truly representative of India’s rich culture,” said Sumit Sahay, Director, Seller Partner Services, Amazon India. “In our intent to encourage digital inclusion and empowerment of the artisan community through the Karigar program, we will continue to collaborate with organizations like Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDCL) across the country,” added Sumit.

Smt D Roopa Moudgil, Managing Director, Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited said, “As we focus on achieving our mission of taking Cauvery and its glory to golden heights and at the same time working towards the welfare of our struggling artisans, and our craftsmen, we are expanding our reach with the launch of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium on Amazon.in marketplace. The launch will bring higher visibility amongst customers who look for a huge variety of handicraft products made by craftsmen from Karnataka. Our partnership with Amazon to launch Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will help in building awareness and recognition for Karnataka’s rich crafts and open up unlimited opportunities for artisans to scale their business by accessing millions of Amazon’s customers across the country.”

Since the launch of the Amazon Karigar program in 2017, the Amazon Karigar program has made a difference in the lives of over 12 lakh artisans and weavers across the country. Amazon.in has onboarded more than 3700 master weavers, co-operatives, artisans and government organizations under various Ministries like Textiles, Cottage Industries, Tribal Welfare etc. to sell online. Amazon.in has also collaborated with over 28 Government Emporiums to showcase authentic crafts to craft lovers and increase market connectivity. Today, Karigar sellers showcase over 1.5 lakh products and the program provides Indian handicraft and artisan communities’ enhanced visibility by enabling them to sell their products to a large customer base and get an appropriate price for their offerings.

Recently, to help generate online demand for artisans and weavers’ products while supporting them as they look to bounce back from the recent disruptions, Amazon.in introduced the Karigar Mela initiative. As part of the initiative, Karigar sellers including sellers from Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium will benefit from a 100% Selling on Amazon (SoA) till September 12, 2021.

About Amazon.in
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 marketplace.
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About Amazon
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For more information contact:
Shashank Rathod
Amazon India
rathshas@amazon.com

Suman Nath
MSL
suman.nath@publicisconsultants-asia.com