Flipkart said it has continued to be at the forefront of fighting the global pandemic, by partnering with their network of sellers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and artisans to deliver products to consumers at their doorstep through its safe supply-chain.

Since April 2020, Flipkart has enabled more than 90 per cent of its sellers to resume business on the platform. It said sellers on the platform are able to leverage the benefits of nationwide market access along with an efficient, transparent and truly democratic functioning of their marketplace business.

“The impact of the pandemic has urged businesses across the country to rethink their usual mode of operating and identify newer ways to function. Local MSMEs across the nation have realised the true value of e-commerce that enables them to stay connected with millions of customers,” it said.

As a result, Flipkart has seen a 125 per cent increase in new seller signing-up on the platform, in comparison to its existing seller base, for a period of April-June 2020.

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi and Tamil Nadu are the top states where local MSMEs have shown maximum interest in taking their businesses online. These sellers operate in various categories ranging from women’s clothing, personal care, food and nutrition, home improvement tools and baby-care products.

To help MSMEs and sellers through this pandemic, Flipkart said it had introduced a health insurance plan, specific to Covid-19, to cover the sellers along with their families and employees. The most important need of the seller community, in these times, is that of working capital.

To address this, the e-commerce firm ran a special offer on loans through Flipkart’s Growth Capital programme which is designed specifically to enable independence for MSMEs who operate online. During the first phase of the lockdown, Flipkart said its Seller Protection Fund (SPF) enabled online sellers to claim a certain amount as compensation for unfair losses.

For such SPF claims, sellers were given an extension on all the returns received for a certain period to ensure that they have enough time to raise their claims.