Lucknow: The Flipkart Foundation, the charitable arm of the Flipkart Group, has collaborated with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Pvt Ltd (Haqdarshak) to launch a programme that seeks to empower underprivileged micro and nano-entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh. The project aims to facilitate access to formal documents, financing schemes, and essential support for economically disadvantaged business aspirants and will be operational in Lucknow and Varanasi over six months. With the goal of uplifting and empowering 2,500 micro and nano entrepreneurs, this collaboration seeks to foster economic inclusivity and open doors to new opportunities.
The initiative aims to identify the distinct needs of entrepreneurs impeded by socio-economic challenges and help them navigate the intricate process of establishing their businesses. By empowering 2,500 micro and nano entrepreneurs and indirectly benefiting over 7,500 individuals, it will catalyse positive change, touching and transforming the lives of over 10,000 individuals.
The project will unfold through a strategic step-by-step approach wherein Haqdarshaq will first identify, and train community members known as Haqdarshaks. Simultaneously, the organisation will identify economically disadvantaged small-scale business owners, focusing on women entrepreneurs. The project strives to connect underprivileged micro/nano-entrepreneurs with corresponding schemes/documents, subsequently transitioning to credit linkage schemes. Throughout, Haqdarshaks will offer comprehensive application support to the programme participants’ beneficiaries, ensuring end-to-end assistance and continuous follow-up with government bodies to successfully realise benefits.
Commenting on the collaboration, Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “It is a pleasure to stand alongside the similar-minded partners in this impactful journey that stands as a beacon of our commitment to democratising entrepreneurship. This collaboration embodies our shared vision of driving meaningful change and fostering economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. By equipping economically disadvantaged micro and nano entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, we aim to facilitate access to resources and nurture a sense of empowerment. Besides linking individuals to schemes and documents, this initiative will help forge pathways to opportunities that have the power to transform lives in the districts of Varanasi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.”
Aniket Doegar, CEO and Co-founder of Haqdarshak, said, “We are thrilled to start our work with micro and nano businesses in Uttar Pradesh with the Flipkart Foundation. Haqdarshak’s aim is to foster entrepreneurship by enabling them to unlock the benefits of welfare programmes designed for them. With Flipkart Foundation, we will focus on formalising these micro-enterprises and enabling them to access credit and other subsidies for business growth. This association will be important in our journey towards impacting 20 million micro-enterprises by 2030.”
The collaborative initiative between the Flipkart Foundation and Haqdarshak is poised to usher in a transformative era for financially underserved small-scale business owners. By providing enhanced access to government schemes, vital documents, and eventual credit linkage opportunities, this program aims to uplift individuals and envisions a more inclusive and prosperous economic landscape.
In the past year, Flipkart Foundation has worked with underserved communities in various sectors across Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to serve, support, and empower unskilled and underprivileged sections of society in various sectors, to ensure maximum reach and sustainable impact.