Amazon to launch Karigar store for handmade goods

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Aug 7, 2019

Amazon India revealed on August 6 that it will launch Amazon Karigar, a store for “Made in India” handmade goods designed to promote small businesses across the country. 

The day before National Handloom Day on August 7, Amazon India shared that it will launch a site dedicated to handloom and handicraft products. The site showcases over 55,000 products from over 20 Indian states and aims to represent all of the country’s diverse craft cultures. 

“The eve of National Handloom Day is perfectly suited to launch Amazon Karigar which is in alignment with Amazon’s efforts to contribute to the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,” Amazon India’s vice president of seller services Gopal Pillai said in a statement on Tuesday, as reported by ET Online.

“Through the program, we are engaging with government and handicraft bodies across the country, training craftsmen to embrace online selling and enabling them to sell to a wide consumer base. Over time, we aim to expand our seller base and selection, to support newer local art forms benefitting both craftsmen and consumers in the process."

The program aims to help small businesses in India to grow and to support the government’s “Make in India” initiative.

The Karigar logo resembles a thumbprint with lines coming together to symbolise India’s diverse and rich material culture. Amazon has also introduced a large number of offers on handcrafted products such as sarees and textiles on its e-commerce platform to celebrate the launch.