Brands
Amazon India launches Weavesmart on its marketplace
MUMBAI: Amazon India today announced the launch of Weavesmart, the largest e-commerce store for handlooms in India and an e-marketing partner for the Ministry of Textiles for promoting India Handloom Brand and Handloom Mark products, on its marketplace. Through this alliance, handloom & handcrafted products by weavers from various parts of the country associated with Weavesmart will now be available to millions of Amazon customers across India. Amazon India intends to help these associated weavers reach millions of customers across India and in turn help in empowering them.
Weavesmart brings quality and vibrant weaves such as handloom & handcrafted sarees, dress materials, dupattas, accessories and home & living products from handloom clusters belonging to the smallest of villages in India. Helping the weavers to display their creativity on a large scale, Weavesmart today has more than 3000 weavers in its network and more than 20,000 products.
Talking about this launch, Weavesmart, CEO, Ms. Nishita Manne said “Indian weavers produce some of the finest handloom and handcrafted products which have always found resonance with shoppers across the country. Weavesmart was launched with the objective to bring together the weaving community and buyers and provide a platform to showcase authentic and beautifully handcrafted products created with a lot of passion and hard work by the weavers and artisans. We are delighted to partner with Amazon India as this launch helps to achieve this objective. It will provide the weavers with the opportunity to reach out to millions of Amazon.in customers and expand their sales.”
“In line with our vision to transform the way India buys and sells, Amazon India has been continuously working towards enabling more and more sellers, weavers and artisans to embrace online selling and scale greater heights. Our partnership with Weavesmart is another key step towards our constant endeavor which is aligned with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives. With our experience and deep understanding of customers across the country, this launch will help provide a wider reach for these products which in-turn will have a positive impact in the lives of the weavers associated with Weavesmart. We are happy to support Weavesmart and offer them the most comprehensive suite of seller services and requisite tools in this digital journey,” said Gopal Pillai, Director & GM, Seller Services, Amazon India.
There are several pockets in the country with SMEs that offer a rich variety of offerings from apparels to handicrafts to organic products. With the aim to enable more and more of these SMEs as well as micro entrepreneurs like weavers, artisans and craftsmen to benefit from ecommerce and grow their businesses, Amazon.in launched the ‘Kala Haat’ program in 2016 and through its efforts, Amazon India wants to give these craftspersons’ the opportunity to showcase their products. Amazon India has been relentlessly working in collaboration with its on-ground partner Prione to penetrate into deeper regions in the country and put forward the real ‘Make in India’ offering to its customers. There are various initiatives that the company has taken in this direction through government partnerships and conducting workshops across the country.
All products listed by artisans and weavers are available through the ‘Handloom & Handicraft’ store on Amazon.in. Launched in 2016, the store aims at bringing the rich Indian heritage of handicrafts and handlooms to Indian consumers’ doorsteps. The store has enabled craftsmen from across India to come on Amazon.in from across categories such as sarees, jewelry, handbags, shoes and more. Amazon.in has partnered with various government bodies such as DC Handlooms and Gujrat Tribal Development Dept. to onboard 1100+ weavers/cooperatives/artisans in 11 states through 35+ workshops impacting upwards of 1.5 lac weaver & artisan households.
Amazon.in has signed a MoU with the Telangana government to promote their handloom and handicrafts online. In Telangana, APCO (handloom) and Lepakshi (handicraft) have been launched, while in West Bengal & Orissa Amazon.in is working with Tantuja (handloom), Jute Corporation of India and Boyanika (handloom). In Karnataka & Tamil Nadu, Amazon.in has enabled Cauvery Handlooms and Loomworld (handloom) to sell their products online. Amazon.in has also worked with central government agencies like TRIFED & Craft Cottage Industries Corporation to enable ‘Tribes India’ & ‘CCIE’ on the Amazon.in marketplace and has collaborated with UP Khadi & Handlooms to enable the Khadi societies in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
