Flipkart, IIMR join hands to provide market access to FPOs and SHGs

Hyderabad: E-commerce marketplace Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) to enable market access for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Through this partnership, Flipkart will provide pan-India market access. It will engage with these communities through virtual and on-ground training and capacity-building initiatives to provide them with an understanding of quality, pricing, and licenses required to be a part of the FPO ecosystem. ICAR-IIMR will extend support with infrastructure and necessary approvals to take this partnership forward.

“IIMR’s vision is to transform subsistence farming of millets into a globally competitive climate resilient nutri-cereal enterprise. Focus will be on



value-addition to meet food, feed, fodder, nutrition and bio-fuel requirements of the country through millets. E-commerce platforms like Flipkart can play a role in the development of India’s farming ecosystem by using technology to provide access to a nationwide market. We aim to improve the operations of small and marginal farmers and FPOs by sharpening their skills and knowledge,” said Dr CV Ratnavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR.

“The MoU with ICAR-IIMR is a step towards handholding farming communities to ensure improved income and business opportunities. Flipkart has trained over 10,000 farmers across the country, on product quality and food safety. We look forward to creating more such linkages,” said Smrithi Ravichandran, Vice President – Grocery, Flipkart.