Andhra Pradesh urges Walmart to expand sourcing from MSMEs and artisans
IT Minister Nara Lokesh proposed dedicated supply-chain channels for women-led self-help groups and local brands during a meeting with Walmart officials.
Andhra Pradesh has requested American retail major Walmart and Flipkart to expand their local procurement to include the state's MSMEs, women-led self-help groups (SHGs), and artisans, according to The Economic Times.
The request was made on Thursday by IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh during a meeting with Paul Dyck, Walmart's Senior Vice President for Global Government Affairs and Business Diplomacy, at the 31st CII Partnership Summit.
Lokesh proposed that Walmart host a specialised MSME sourcing event in the state focused on seafood and textiles. He also recommended establishing a dedicated pipeline within the domestic and international supply chains for goods sold under the state's Swayam AP and Lepakshi labels.
Walmart currently sources more than 65 million pounds of shrimp annually from Andhra Pradesh, alongside textiles, engineering goods, and pharmaceuticals. Dyck stated that Walmart would review the state's recommendations.
Flipkart's operations in the state have generated over 28,000 direct and indirect jobs and include more than 100 logistics hubs covering roughly 12 lakh sq ft. Through an MoU with the AP MSME Corporation and the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH), over 3,200 MSMEs have received training, with more than 900 businesses actively selling on the Walmart and Flipkart platforms.