Amazon of govt procurement to list more small sellers as govt makes big move for artisans, craftsmen

Hunar Haat will now be organised in Ranchi and Chandigarh.

Technology for MSMEs: Artisans and craftsmen showcasing their art and products at the government’s on-going Hunar Haat programme will soon get them listed on the Ministry of Commerce’s e-commerce portal Government e-Marketplace (GeM), according to Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The ministry, which will have these products registered on the GeM portal, is also in touch with multiple export promotion councils to enable large scale orders for them from India and abroad, PTI reported on Sunday citing Naqvi. Hunar Haat is being organised across India to help artisans and weavers promote their art and sell their products. 

Each Haat “generates business worth crores of rupees for indigenous handmade exquisite products of artisans and craftsmen. These artisans are receiving orders for their products not only from domestic markets but also from international markets,” Ministry of Minority Affairs quoting the minister had said earlier this month. Speaking on the last day of the Haat organised at India Gate lawns, Rajpath, Naqvi cited PM Modi’s visit to the Haat. “By mentioning ‘Hunar Haat’, the prime minister has reiterated our government’s commitment to promote and encourage the legacy of our indigenous arts and crafts,” he said. Modi had visited the Haat on Wednesday where he had ‘kulhad ki chai’ and ‘litti-chokha’ and interacted with craftsmen about their art and products.

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Hunar Haat has already been organised in Delhi, Mumbai, Allahabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Puducherry. Ranchi and Chandigarh will host Hunar Haats from February 29 to March 8 and from March 13-22 respectively.

GeM was launched by the Commerce Ministry in August 2016 to increase transparency and efficiency in the public procurement process. Currently, GeM has over 3.36 lakh sellers out of which 74,240 are micro and small sellers having over 50 per cent share of the total order. The total transaction value stood at Rs 47, 612 crores so far. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed to increase GeM’s turnover to Rs 3 lakh crore ahead.