To further drive the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into the mainstream workforce, Flipkart, India's homegrown e-commerce marketplace, signed an MoU with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) and Skill Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD).

The MoU was signed in the presence of Secretary of DEPwD Ms Anjali Bhawra at Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan in New Delhi.

As part of the tripartite agreement/MoU, Flipkart will work with DEPwD and SCPwD to jointly create structured skill development interventions and enabling mechanisms for bringing PwDs into the mainstream economy and e-commerce sector in particular over the next two years. Flipkart will provide easy access to learning opportunities for PWDs to acquire relevant skills through the National Skill Qualification Committee and skills for supply chain operations through Flipkart's Supply Chain Operations Academy. In its commitment to building an inclusive supply chain, Flipkart today employs over two lakh workforce with a structured diversity program that includes employing women and People with Disabilities (PwDs).  With several initiatives to drive their inclusion and development, Flipkart has been recognised as a top fair work employer by Fairwork Foundation for several years.

Commenting on this occasion, Shri Virendra Kumar, Hon'ble Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, said, "Divyangjan or Persons with Disabilities need support and not sympathy. This MoU between DEPwD, SCPwD and Flipkart will open up opportunities for them and play a major role in equipping them with the right skill sets to enhance their employability."

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Flipkart, said, "As a committed corporate citizen, Flipkart is focused on building an inclusive supply chain workforce by including people from different walks of life. We are proud of the fact that we have men, women and people with disabilities working together in our supply chain, helping break the stigma around their participation in the mainstream workforce and we are committed to increasing their participation. Our MoU with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Skill Council for Persons with Disability will enable Flipkart to use its expertise and learning over the years in upskilling PwDs and creating an ecosystem for their employment."

Through its initiative Ekartians with Disabilities (EDAB), which started in 2017, Flipkart has created job opportunities for thousands of people with disabilities (PwDs) for varied roles across its supply chain. It aims to provide career opportunities for PwDs in its supply chain for sustainable economic growth and contribute positively to society. In July last year, Flipkart established the first-ever PwD-run delivery hub in New Delhi, managed end-to-end by PwDs, working in various roles, including delivery executives, cashiers, and team leaders. Flipkart today employs close to 1,500 people with disabilities across its supply chain.

Employees are given training in workflows, including sensitization sessions, special classroom training and on-job training with the help of sign language interpreters. Employees in consumer-facing roles, such as wishmasters (delivery executives), are provided with customer interaction cards to help any hearing-impaired employees communicate with ease.  While delivery executives have SOS-enabled smartphones and special badges and flashcards to communicate with customers, employees with disabilities on the warehouse floor are identified with a differentiated color jacket as a security measure. Flipkart also provides sign language training to its existing employees to make the PwDs feel comfortable.