Walmart to add 1 lakh MSMEs in next 3 years

US-based retail giant Walmart will connect one lakh more MSMEs in the next three years to its supplier development programme in India, a company official said here on Thursday.

Illustration: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

The programme, Walmart Vriddhi, has partnered with Ideas to Impact Foundation (i2i), which will enable more MSMEs to expand their access to both national and international markets, helped by the combined strengths of Walmart’s global supply chain and Flipkart’s e-commerce capabilities.

“As we approach the next phase of the Walmart Vriddhi programme, we are very excited to announce today that going forward we have partnered with Ideas to Impact Foundation to empower an additional 100,000 MSMEs over the next three years,” Jason Fremstad, senior vice president of Supplier Development – Sourcing at Walmart International, said.

This will also help the Bentonville-headquartered retail company amplify its sourcing of goods from India for its global operations, for which it had earlier set a goal of exports worth $10 billion per year by 2027.

Through its initiative, Walmart is empowering the Indian MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) with critical business skills and market access, which has helped them to scale their business sustainably and contribute to India’s economic growth story.

“We are also deepening our support for MSMEs by expanding access to market linkages both nationally and internationally through the Flipkart and Walmart marketplaces,” Fremstad said.

Launched in 2019, Walmart Vriddhi has trained over 70,000 MSMEs so far by enabling access to digital commerce, personalised mentorship and strategic partnerships.

Encouraged by the success of the Vriddhi initiative in India, Walmart has launched similar supplier development initiatives in Mexico (Crece con Walmart) and its home turf, the US (Grow with US).

Participants will benefit from an approach devised by Walmart, Flipkart and the programme’s implementing partner, Ideas to Impact Foundation, through access, outreach and programme management expertise.

“We are also introducing new learning tools focused on helping small businesses with visual growth, sustainability, and export readiness.

“We will continue to build new partnerships that connect MSMEs with ecosystem enablers, ensuring they have not just the knowledge but the networks and opportunities to grow,” he said.

Rajneesh Kumar, SVP and chief corporate affairs officer at Flipkart Group, said that MSMEs are a big component for the company.

Now, it has started an initiative named “Samarth”, which helps to empower Indian artisans, weavers, and micro-enterprises by providing them with a platform to reach a wider audience and grow their businesses.

Now Flipkart app has a dedicated landing page allowing customers to explore the products made by Indian artisans and weavers, he said.

“Through strategic collaborations like Walmart Vriddhi, we are collectively enabling entrepreneurs to scale their aspirations and significantly contribute to India’s burgeoning digital economy,” Kumar added.

Last year, Walmart said it had sourced goods worth over $30 billion from the Indian market in the last two decades for its global operations.

Walmart has been in India for over 25 years.

Moreover, Walmart has in the last few years also increased its sourcing basket by adding more products by developing new suppliers here.

It sources toys, shoes, bicycles, food, pharmaceuticals, consumables, health and wellness, among others.