Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh on Thursday urged US retail giant Walmart to increase sourcing from the state by onboarding MSMEs, women-led self-help groups and artisans.The issue was raised during a meeting between Andhra Pradesh IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and Walmart’s Paul Dyck.
“Andhra Pradesh is asking Walmart and Flipkart to widen their sourcing from the State beyond seafood and pharmaceuticals, to include its MSMEs, women-led self-help groups and artisans,” an official statement said.
Dyck, Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs and Business Diplomacy, Walmart, met the minister on the sidelines of the 31st CII Partnership Summit.
It said that Walmart already buys over 65 million pounds of shrimp a year from the state.
Lokesh suggested Walmart bring its global buyers to an MSME sourcing event in Andhra Pradesh focused on seafood and textiles, building on the Walmart Growth Summit in New Delhi, which connected Indian suppliers with Walmart’s global buying teams.
He also suggested that Walmart and Flipkart should create a dedicated channel into their domestic and global supply chains for products from women-led SHGs and local artisans, sold under the State’s Swayam AP and Lepakshi brands.
According to the statement, Dyck said that Walmart is among the largest buyers of Andhra Pradesh shrimp, sourcing more than 65 million pounds a year.
It also sources pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods from the state.
Flipkart’s investments in the State have created more than 28,000 direct and indirect jobs. Its network of more than 100 logistics hubs spans about 12 lakh sq ft of infrastructure space, along with 0.33 million sq ft of wholesale space.
Under an MoU with the AP MSME Corporation and the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH), more than 3,200 MSMEs have been trained, and over 900 of them are now selling on the Flipkart and Walmart marketplaces.
Dyck said Walmart would examine the state government’s proposals.
“Walmart is already one of the largest buyers of Andhra Pradesh shrimp. Now we want them to look at the rest of what our State makes. Our MSMEs, women’s groups and artisans make products of global quality. What they need is a direct line to global buyers, and Walmart and Flipkart can provide it,” said Lokesh.
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