Flipkart Grocery in collaboration with The Spices Board of India to train farmers in Idukki, Kerala

Flipkart Grocery in collaboration with The Spices Board of India helps build capabilities and train farmers in Idukki, Kerala

● The event witnessed over 100 representatives of various FPOs and progressive farmers, predominantly from Kerala as well as Tamil Nadu

● The training program will help drive the growth by building and enhancing the capabilities of spice farmers across India

● Flipkart consumers will have access to a high-quality regional selection of Kerala’s native spices, such as ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, among others

● Flipkart has trained and built capacity for over 10,000 farmers pan India under its Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) initiative

Kerala – October 20, 2022: Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, in collaboration with The Spices Board of India (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India), today introduced a nationwide training program for spice farmers in the Idukki district of Kerala. The event was graced by Shri Dean Kuriakose, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Idukki constituency, and witnessed the participation of over 100 representatives from various FPOs and progressive farmers predominantly from Kerala, as well as Tamil Nadu. Under the mentorship of The Spice Board of India and Flipkart Grocery, farmers will be provided with assistance in procuring spices, timely training and access to the pan-India market. Leveraging its technology expertise, Flipkart will handhold the farmers in their digital journey.

Procurement of native spices and condiments, including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, tea, and coffee, will ensure access to quality staples on the platform. The training will additionally aid the growth of farming communities by providing an inclusive and sustainable platform.

Flipkart continues to strengthen its commitment towards building the local economy through meaningful partnerships. Under the FPO initiative, the collaboration with The Spices Board of India will enable Flipkart Grocery to continue providing on-ground and virtual training, while helping with capacity-building programs to reinforce the production of quality produce across India. The program will encompass a host of production aspects, including better harvestation techniques, storage and maintenance, quality control, packaging, and even logistics.

Smrithi Ravichandran, Vice President and Head of Grocery, Flipkart, said, “Our dedicated efforts towards creating meaningful opportunities for MSMEs and the farmer community in the country will be further strengthened with the introduction of capacity building training. Furthering our commitment, the collaboration with The Spices Board of India in Kerala will enable easy access to high-quality regional staples for consumers, as well as accelerate the growth of the farmer community by unlocking greater market opportunities for them. To ensure inclusivity of the digital transformation for farmers from Tier-II and beyond, we will continue to handhold them in their journey by replicating this initiative pan India.”

Flipkart continues to fortify its aim to impact thousands of livelihoods of the farmer community through strategic collaboration with FPOs, small and marginal farmers across states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The platform will ensure touching more lives and creating greater impact in the MSME ecosystem.

Flipkart Grocery currently serves more than 1,800 cities and 10,000 PIN code areas across all 28 Indian states. It has ramped up its operations in the past two years by establishing 28 fulfillment centers, which cover over an area of 27 lakh square feet, to meet the fast-growing nationwide demand for online groceries.