Shillong: In a major step towards expanding market opportunities for local businesses, the Meghalaya Department of Commerce and Industries on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-commerce giant Amazon. This marks the first-ever collaboration between the state government and Amazon.
The MoU was signed at the Directorate of Commerce and Industries, following which an Amazon team conducted a capacity-building workshop for more than 100 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from across Meghalaya.
During the workshop, participants were introduced to Amazon’s Karigar and Saheli initiatives, which are aimed at promoting traditional artisans, weavers and women-led enterprises through the online marketplace.
Officials of the department urged MSMEs to register on Amazon to enhance the visibility of their products and expand their reach to national and global markets. The department also assured complete handholding support to artisans and entrepreneurs to facilitate seamless onboarding and long-term business collaboration with Amazon.
Speaking on the occasion, Director of Commerce and Industries F Sutnga said the partnership is expected to create long-term value for local entrepreneurs and significantly improve market access for MSMEs, particularly those engaged in handloom, handicrafts and indigenous products.
The MoU has been signed under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme of the Ministry of MSME. As part of the agreement, the Meghalaya Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation, a public sector undertaking under the Department of Commerce and Industries, will oversee business operations on the Amazon platform, including product listings, cataloguing and pricing.
Officials said the collaboration would play a crucial role in integrating Meghalaya’s artisans and MSMEs into the digital economy, enabling them to scale up operations and access wider markets through e-commerce platforms.
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The event was attended by Amazon representative Sarita Tiwari, Joint Director of Commerce and Industries ML Wanshnong, Managing Director of Meghalaya Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Daphiralin Kharjana, members of the RAMP State Project Implementation Unit, and other senior officials.
