Big Biz, Small Sellers: Walmart’s Make-in-India Mission Scales Up

Image Source: KNN India

Programme Expansion: Walmart has significantly expanded its supplier development programme, Vriddhi, to ensure that it onboard 1 lakh additional micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India in the next three years. This expansion reinforces Walmart's sustained commitment to India's entrepreneurial ecosystem and export potential.

Growth Highlights:

The Vriddhi program launched in 2019 has already trained over 70,000 MSMEs

This new phase will be initiated in association with Ideas to Impact Foundation

Walmart aims to grow penetration in local and global markets through the leveraging of Walmart and Flipkart marketplaces

The program supports India's larger digital economy and export aspirations

Strategic Intent:

Walmart is aiming at Indian exports worth 10 billion USD a year by 2027

The Vriddhi expansion will help diversify the sourcing base of Walmart in categories like toys, apparel, food, pharma, and health and wellness products

The program is designed to equip MSMEs with digital literacy, mentorship, and market access to develop in a sustainable manner

Empowerment Tools:

There will be new modules on visual branding, sustainability, and export readiness

MSMEs will be given one-to-one guidance and access to online business platforms

Flipkart's Samarth program will run parallel with Vriddhi by featuring Indian weavers and artisans on its app

Global Inspiration:

With the success of Vriddhi in India, Walmart has commissioned similar programs in Mexico (Crece con Walmart) and in the US (Grow with US)

The India model is being proposed as a model of inclusive supplier development anywhere in the world

Forward Outlook

Walmart's leadership highlighted that enabling MSMEs is not so much about business—it's about having strong supply chains and inclusive growth

Since India's MSME sector generates close to 30 percent of GDP, this program would be capable of creating a multiplier impact on jobs and exports The next three years will be critical in challenging how effectively Walmart will be able to integrate these businesses into its global value chain

Sources: Moneycontrol, Economic Times, Rediff, CNBC-TV18, The Week, MSN Business