E-commerce Fuels UP Packaging, Exports: Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow/New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) E-commerce platforms added momentum to Uttar Pradesh government's efforts towards enhancing packaging and export capabilities and promoting Centre's One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday.

The chief minister said the state is focused on enhancing packaging and export capabilities by leveraging design, technology, and market access and also called upon companies to take advantage of the state's warehousing policy, according to an official statement.

"We focused on enhancing packaging and export capabilities by leveraging design, technology, and market access. However, the work of giving it more momentum happened when Flipkart Group joined us," Adityanath said at an event at Lok Bhavan, where he virtually inaugurated Flipkart's two new warehouses in Unnao and Varanasi.

He also emphasised how these platforms are fostering healthy competition and empowering every citizen, whether in urban or rural areas, to reach global markets.

He said the ODOP scheme has gained worldwide recognition when Flipkart Group started providing services as an e-commerce platform.

The chief minister further said the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been a cornerstone of the state's economy for centuries.

However, over the past few decades, the sector had struggled due to a lack of adaptation to evolving demands in technology, design, and packaging, coupled with the absence of a concrete action plan.

"When our government came into power in 2017, we received guidance from PM Modi, which led to a comprehensive mapping of the MSME sector in the state. This initiative paved the way for the promotion of local products under the One District One Product scheme," he added.

"Uttar Pradesh, with the highest number of MSME units in the country -- between 90 to 96 lakh -- has been at the forefront of supporting small businesses. The state is also the first to provide a security insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh to entrepreneurs associated with each MSME unit," he added.

The chief minister also underscored the potential for job creation by these facilities and said such "developments foster healthy competition and open doors to numerous opportunities, reducing the risk of fraud and enhancing market fairness".

He said that the 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Udyami' scheme is paving the way for setting up of 10 lakh new enterprises, with Flipkart acting as a trusted partner to bring their products to the market.

The two new warehouses will help instill more confidence among entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh, while also creating new job opportunities, he said.

According to the chief minister, warehouses in Unnao, which is connected to the state capital Lucknow, and the one in Varanasi, the spiritual capital of Uttar Pradesh, represent "a significant step forward".

"These fulfilment centres are not only generating large-scale employment but also empowering the state's MSME units by providing them with a pan-India reach," he said.

The newly-opened facilities, covering over 5 lakh square feet of storage space, include an FC (fulfilment centre) and sortation centre in Unnao, and a sortation centre along with a grocery FC in Varanasi, Flipkart said in a statement.

The expansion aims to create over 3,600 direct and indirect job opportunities, and support local MSMEs, the company said.

Walmart-backed Flipkart has so far created over 7 lakh direct and indirect jobs in Uttar Pradesh with over 65 facilities, it added.

"With our strategic investments in Uttar Pradesh and our wide marketplace ecosystem, we aim to strengthen local communities, MSMEs, farmers, and ancillary businesses by supporting their digital transformation journey.

"Through key initiatives like Flipkart Samarth, Samarth Krishi and the launch of the new FCs in the state, Flipkart is creating thousands of employment opportunities, thereby supporting Uttar Pradesh's goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2027," said Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group.