In order to help artisans and weavers to sell their handloom and handicraft products directly to customers without any middlemen, the government has launched an e-commerce portal Indiahandmade.com.

The textiles ministry in a statement on Monday said the portal will provide products from more than 35 lakh handloom weavers and 27 lakh handicraft artisans directly to the consumers. The portal currently offers clothing, home decor, jewellery, accessories, and other products handmade by skilled artisans.

“The portal will also provide an opportunity to a total of 62 lakh weavers and artisans to become future e-entrepreneurs,” the ministry said.

Moreover, the portal doesn’t charge any commission from sellers and provides free shipping with a return option to customers along with multiple payment gateways to pay online.

“Integration with multiple logistic partners for smooth order processing, free handholding of sellers from registration till order fulfillment, connecting artisans and weavers directly to the buyers through a common platform,” are other features of the portal, said the ministry.

The portal will likely be another avenue for customers looking to buy handicraft products other than incumbent e-commerce players such as Amazon and Flipkart which have been accused by traditional sellers and traders’ community of predatory pricing.

“With the help of this virtual Indian store, the artisans will get remunerated fairly with no middlemen to manipulate prices and city-dwelling urban Indians will get access to 100 percent authentic & best handcrafts products emerging straight from the heart of India,” the ministry noted.

The launch comes nearly three months after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana (PM-VIKAS) to help train small artisans and craftsmen on the quality, scale and reach.

Image courtesy: India Handmade website