Key Highlights:

Walmart Vriddhi and i2i Foundation will skill another 100,000 Indian MSMEs by 2028 via free digital skilling, mentorship, and market access.

Over 70,000 MSMEs have enrolled since 2019 with ~55% average growth, and new partnerships in position are Haryana state and international platforms.

Key Background :

Walmart Vriddhi, a strategic program that Walmart and Flipkart initiated in 2019, aims to empower India's micro, small, and medium business ecosystem. It has been created with the vision to provide small businesses with scalable and cost-effective growth enablers in the shape of free capacity development programs. The agenda for the program is in harmony with India's economic big transformation agenda but even more of the sense of urgency of digitization and small business transformation to bring them at a global level of competition.

With the use of e-learning modules and one-on-one mentoring, Walmart Vriddhi trains in key areas of business like financial management, e-marketing, human resources, logistics, and green sustainability. It is unique in that it employs a hybrid delivery mechanism. It not only transfers knowledge and tools through the cloud through portals but also conveys locally through grassroots outreach and ground facilitators.

Program impacts have actually been quantifiable and significant. Year by year, program MSMEs have a mean annual revenue increase of about 55%. These numbers indicate the value of programmatic e-enablement and mentoring in generating outcomes. The program is not so much one of training per se—it's getting things done, with MSMEs putting training into action.

Walmart Vriddhi also provides a meritorious access to huge online bazaars. With Flipkart and Walmart's global marketplace transactions, registered MSMEs receive exposure to more customers. Being exposed to the global market gives them competitiveness and closes spatial gaps. It is consistent with the vision of a unified and inclusive Indian MSME ecosystem.

Collaborations with regional governments further enhance the program’s outreach. For instance, a Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed with the government of Haryana to extend Vriddhi’s support to MSMEs in the state. More such partnerships are in development, underscoring the program’s commitment to regional empowerment and economic inclusivity.

Walmart Vriddhi will continue to expand in the coming years, with a vision of empowering yet another 100,000 MSMEs by 2028. By empowering MSMEs through mentorship, digitalization, access to the marketplace, and institutional partnerships, it is developing a future-proof pool of MSMEs for India. By not only building a robust local economy, it is building an implementable model that can be replicated to small businesses across the world.