Mobile marketplace Paytm will be opening a branded store called "Garvi Gurjari" which will showcase products from the Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation, reports Business Standard. Paytm has signed an expression of interest (EOI) with the state-run handloom corporation and will help indigenous craftsmen and retailers of Gujarat to leverage the large country-wide customer base of Paytm and drive their business beyond their immediate geographical boundary. The branded store on the Paytm marketplace will sell handloom and handicraft products of Gujarat like patola, mashroo, tie and dye, tangaliya etc. and printworks like Warli, Matani Pacchedi, Rogan etc. among other handlooms and handicrafts made by artisans affiliated with GSHHDC. It's also worth noting that Gujarat Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation (GSHHDC) had planned to launch its own e-commerce portal to reach to a larger audience including overseas and had signed up with e-Bay for the same. Other deals by online marketplaces to help rural economies and artisans It's worth noting that Flipkart has been quite active in this space and has signed up a number of deals to help promote the rural economy and artisans. Though whether it has translated for increased sales for the artisans remains to be seen. Here are some of the deals signed: - Earlier in February, Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding with the CSC e-governance India Limited to work out a mechanism to help Common Service Centers (CSCs) pan India to leverage Flipkart’s e-commerce platform. The MoU has emphasis on development of ancillary industries (packaging, logistics) and employment avenues in rural…
