BENTONVILLE, Ark., and NEW DELHI, Feb. 13, 2024 — Walmart today announced that its supplier development program, Walmart Vriddhi, has achieved its goal of empowering more than 50,000 micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) over five years. Launched in December 2019, the program provides free training, mentoring and digital tools to help businesses grow, scale and integrate into domestic supply chains in India. The program reached this milestone well ahead of schedule.
Together with Walmart’s program partner, Swasti, Walmart Vriddhi offers local suppliers the chance to access training, mentoring and business advice while tapping into Flipkart's platform expertise. The digital training provided to MSMEs covers crucial aspects of business management such as finance, marketing, workforce management and environmental sustainability. This empowers entrepreneurs to establish successful and sustainable business models while contributing to employment opportunities in local communities.
“Empowering MSMEs is at the heart of Walmart’s commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth,” said Jason Fremstad, senior vice president, Supplier Development, Walmart. “I commend the 50,000+ Walmart Vriddhi graduates for their unwavering dedication to the initiative. The rapid growth they have achieved stands as a testament to the program's robust curriculum, effective delivery and the valuable partnerships forged at every step. We eagerly anticipate these businesses reinvesting in their communities, generating new jobs, stimulating local value chains and economies, and acting as catalysts in India’s burgeoning economy.”
Ishu Saini
Co-Founder, The Sacred Artisans, Sanitree
“The partnership with the Walmart Vriddhi program marked a turning point for Sanitree. The program provided us with more than just business insights; it offered a comprehensive framework to scale our vision. Under the mentorship of Walmart Vriddhi experts, we learned to refine our business model, focusing on sustainable growth and scalability.”
The program is accessible across India and has played a pivotal role in connecting MSMEs in key centers, such as Moradabad and Agra, Panipat, Bhopal, Surat, Guwahati and Tirupur. This connection with consumers nationwide is also achieved through collaborations with the respective state governments.
“As India advances towards achieving a $5 trillion economy, a substantial portion of this growth will be driven by a competitive and productive MSME sector, serving as a catalyst for economic expansion and job creation. The government actively supports the promotion and development of the MSME sector across all states,” said Shri Narayan Rane, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of India. “Initiatives like the Walmart Vriddhi program play a pivotal role in facilitating the digital transformation and growth of MSMEs. I extend my congratulations to the Walmart and Flipkart team for providing over 50,000 Vriddhi graduates with the opportunity to unlock market opportunities.”
Samir Padhan
Co-Founder, Danodia Foods
“With the program’s guidance, our company was onboarded onto Flipkart which helped increase our online visibility. This proved instrumental – we now sell pan-India, with sales rising above 35%. Walmart Vriddhi also equipped us with digital marketing tactics to engage customers.”
Walmart Vriddhi is just one way Walmart is supporting India’s ambition to develop the country’s supply chain and be a leading participant in global markets. Walmart has committed to sourcing $10 billion in goods from India each year by 2027, and this week, Feb. 13-15, is hosting its inaugural Growth Summit in New Delhi. The summit will bring together Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants and Indian suppliers for pitch presentations to help advance Walmart’s $10 billion export goal.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit approximately 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart/.
About Swasti
Swasti, a part of the Catalyst Group, is headquartered in Bengaluru, India and active globally with a footprint in 30 countries, was founded in 2004. Swasti co-designs demonstrable and scalable solution models in partnership with communities on the ground and influences policies nationally and internationally. Over the past 15 years, Swasti has directly reached over 400,000 people through its initiatives, including more than 238,000 factory workers, the majority of whom are women.
About Flipkart
The Flipkart Group is one of India’s leading digital commerce entities and includes group companies Flipkart, Myntra, Flipkart Wholesale, Flipkart Health+, and Cleartrip.
Started in 2007, Flipkart has enabled millions of sellers, merchants, and small businesses to participate in India’s digital commerce revolution. With a registered customer base of more than 500 million, Flipkart’s marketplace offers over 150 million products across 80+ categories. Today, there are over 14 lakh sellers on the platform, including Shopsy sellers. With a focus on empowering and delighting every Indian by delivering value through technology and innovation, Flipkart has created lakhs of jobs in the ecosystem while empowering generations of entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Flipkart is known for pioneering services such as Cash on Delivery, No Cost EMI and easy returns, which are customer-centric innovations that have made online shopping more accessible and affordable for millions of Indians. For more information, please write to media@flipkart.com.
