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What is the story about?
Logistics firm DTDC Express on Tuesday announced the launch of Kaarigo, a dedicated e-commerce platform for the country's artisans, local sellers, MSMEs and small-town businesses to access wider markets through digital commerce.
The company said it aims to onboard 1,000 artisans onto the platform over the next 12 months, creating a stronger digital pathway for India's grassroots businesses to access wider markets and grow.
The platform brings together digital storefronts, seller enablement and the company's logistics ecosystem to address one of the key barriers faced by grassroots entrepreneurs -- access to markets, it said.
It is designed to support sellers across their digital journey, including onboarding, product cataloguing, online selling and fulfilment, while connecting them with the company's extensive logistics network, it stated.
DTDC had over 16,500 physical touchpoints and 220+ global destinations, providing the infrastructure to help local businesses extend their reach beyond their immediate markets, the company said.
The company has also entered into an initial pact with the UP Government's Directorate of Industries & Enterprise Promotion to support stakeholders under the state's One District One Product (ODOP) programme..
The collaboration will enable participating artisans, weavers, craftsmen, MSMEs, producer organizations and self-help groups to explore digital commerce through seller onboarding, product cataloguing, market linkages, fulfilment and logistics support, the company said.
A key component of the collaboration will be a "Phygital Market Access" pilot that brings together digital and physical commerce, adding DTDC's retail touchpoints in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi, it said.
These touchpoints will explore curated showcases and commerce activations for ODOP products, with the potential to expand the model through DTDC's wider retail and channel partner network.
"India's economic strength is deeply rooted in its local enterprises, artisans and communities. But for these businesses to realise their full potential, they need access to markets beyond their immediate geography. Kaarigo is our effort to bridge that gap by bringing together technology, e-commerce and the reach of our logistics network," said Subhasish Chakraborty, Chairman & Managing Director, DTDC.
The company said it aims to onboard 1,000 artisans onto the platform over the next 12 months, creating a stronger digital pathway for India's grassroots businesses to access wider markets and grow.
The platform brings together digital storefronts, seller enablement and the company's logistics ecosystem to address one of the key barriers faced by grassroots entrepreneurs -- access to markets, it said.
It is designed to support sellers across their digital journey, including onboarding, product cataloguing, online selling and fulfilment, while connecting them with the company's extensive logistics network, it stated.
DTDC had over 16,500 physical touchpoints and 220+ global destinations, providing the infrastructure to help local businesses extend their reach beyond their immediate markets, the company said.
The company has also entered into an initial pact with the UP Government's Directorate of Industries & Enterprise Promotion to support stakeholders under the state's One District One Product (ODOP) programme..
The collaboration will enable participating artisans, weavers, craftsmen, MSMEs, producer organizations and self-help groups to explore digital commerce through seller onboarding, product cataloguing, market linkages, fulfilment and logistics support, the company said.
A key component of the collaboration will be a "Phygital Market Access" pilot that brings together digital and physical commerce, adding DTDC's retail touchpoints in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi, it said.
These touchpoints will explore curated showcases and commerce activations for ODOP products, with the potential to expand the model through DTDC's wider retail and channel partner network.
"India's economic strength is deeply rooted in its local enterprises, artisans and communities. But for these businesses to realise their full potential, they need access to markets beyond their immediate geography. Kaarigo is our effort to bridge that gap by bringing together technology, e-commerce and the reach of our logistics network," said Subhasish Chakraborty, Chairman & Managing Director, DTDC.
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