State to launch e-commerce portal for weavers, artisans

Kolkata: The West Bengal government will soon launch a dedicated e-commerce portal to help the state’s weavers and artisans sell their products globally and improve their livelihoods.

“The Chief Minister believes that unless micro and small enterprises, weavers and artisans are supported, our job remains incomplete. The e-commerce portal is being fine-tuned and will be launched very soon. Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation is playing a lead role in developing the platform,” said Rajesh Pandey, additional chief secretary of the MSME and Textiles department.

Pandey was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM), organised under the World Bank-supported Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme.

For the first time, the state government is hosting the RBSM in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Eastern Region.

The MSME department has been supporting artisans and weavers in marketing their products through Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation, Banglar Saree, Tantuja, Manjusha and other state-run entities. Officials said the new e-commerce portal will further expand market access by providing a global platform.

The RBSM is being organised as part of the RAMP programme, which is being implemented in the state with World Bank support. Two more such meets will be hosted in West Bengal.

“We will develop five zonal export hubs, including a tea-specific hub in North Bengal, along with hubs for food grains, fruits and vegetables, steel and other sectors. PwC is assisting us in identifying land for these export hubs,” Pandey said.

Bengal has posted strong export performance in recent years, with textile exports at about USD 960 million last year and leather exports at USD 880 million. The state government is therefore focusing on textiles and leather in the current RBSM.

State MSME and Textiles Minister Chandranath Sinha said the government is setting up six economic corridors to strengthen supply chains for manufacturing, warehousing and allied activities.

The RBSM has drawn 35 overseas buyers and around 100 sellers from other states.