Jammu, November 17, 2022: UMEED - Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission and Meesho, India’s fastest-growing internet commerce company, today signed an MoU to support the growth of 1,800 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by providing them an online platform to launch and grow their business. The MoU was signed and exchanged in the presence of Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.
From shawls and carpets to wood carvings, Jammu & Kashmir’s arts and crafts have earned global recognition for their uniqueness. Going online with Meesho will allow these women to sell such products to all corners of India and benefit from higher visibility and additional income. Digital inclusion will help them become self-employed entrepreneurs and fulfill their aspirations of achieving financial independence.
Meesho’s industry-first seller-friendly initiatives, like zero commission and zero penalty, will encourage the SHGs to embrace the online model and access a wider market. Meesho will train them on various facets of running an online business, from seller account creation and catalog uploads to marketing and business activities including product and pricing recommendations. Meesho’s end-to-end support to these women entrepreneurs will include guiding them on logistics tie-ups as well.
UMEED and Meesho have already identified products created by these SHGs that can be sold on the online platform, such as Chabhari and Bina grass items, papier-mâché, essential oils, woolens and crewel embroidered products, made across Jammu & Kashmir. UMEED on its part will provide all necessary support to boost the digitization of these women entrepreneurs through access to the internet and financial services.
Sanjeev Barnwal, co-founder and CTO, Meesho, said, “We are privileged to work with UMEED and the Jammu and Kashmir government to further our mission of democratizing e-commerce. Women entrepreneurs are a key growth engine of India’s economy and Meesho has empowered lakhs of them to succeed in the online world. Through this partnership, we hope to amplify our efforts in that direction and enable these self-help groups from J&K realize their full potential. We will provide them with all the tools and guidance they need to grow their business online with Meesho.”
Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, said: “The MoU between JKRLM and Meesho will help in building lives and livelihood for rural communities and provide greater access to economic activities and financial independence to rural women entrepreneurs.”
Indu Kanwal Chib, IAS Mission Director, Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission, said: “This will not only give women artisans good prices for their products and access to a wider market base, but also a new identity to their entrepreneurship development. At the same time, unique products and crafts from J&K will become available to millions of Meesho customers across the country. In 2022, J&K emerged as a pioneer in many other fields and now the livelihoods of rural women has taken centre stage. Meesho has empowered millions of women entrepreneurs over the years, and the partnership will take our efforts forward in that direction.”
About Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission:
JKRLM is a poverty alleviation program focusing on women empowerment through self-managed and sustainable institutional platforms of women, financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods, aimed at removal of rural poverty. Under the National Flagship Programme of Government of India, National Rural Livelihoods Mission is implemented in J&K as JKRLM (Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission), popularly known as UMEED. The scheme provides rural women various platforms (Self Help Groups, Village Organization, Cluster Level Federation and Block Level Federations).
