Tribal produce from Vizag forest to be sold by major e-commerce site

Visakhapatnam: In a step towards empowering tribal artisans from Visakhapatnam through facilitating economic opportunities, cultural preservation and community development, e-commerce giant Amazon India partnered with Visakhapatnam forest tribals.

By inking a pact with the Visakhapatnam forest tribals, under ‘Karigar’ programme, the e-commerce site aims to provide a comprehensive training for tribal artisans in value addition, packaging, branding and empowering them to sell their produce online, providing them access to a broader marketplace.

The endeavour signifies a shared commitment to fostering indigenous craftsmanship, promoting cultural exchange, and enhancing livelihoods.

With an aim to leverage the rich heritage and craftsmanship of the tribal communities and to offer authentic handcrafted products to a global audience via its e-commerce platform, the partnership aims to align the e-commerce site’s mission to create a positive impact in serving the tribal communities.

As part of the initiative, an e-commerce hub will be established within the tribal area of Visakhapatnam forest which serves as a crucial centre for various activities, including primary and secondary packaging, storage, dispatch and order processing. Sharing details of the project, director of Seller Acquisition and Development at Amazon India Gaurav Bhatnagar mentioned that the partnership supports socio-economic empowerment of tribal communities while preserving their traditional knowledge and upholding the legacy of age-old traditions.

Elaborating further, district forest officer (DFO) Anant Shankar said the partnership will enable the tribal communities to showcase their craftsmanship to a broader audience and raise their living standards.

With an objective to provide visibility and support revenue generation through the forest produce of the tribals, the project, initially, will focus on the online sale of the forest produce in non-consumable categories such as grass weaving for mats, paper made of elephant dung, bamboo supplies, among others.