Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 20 (ANI): Gujarat is looking to deepen its partnership with Walmart to expand global market access for the state's MSMEs and small artisans, with the state government and the retail giant set to explore sector-specific opportunities ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit-2027.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who arrived in Washington, DC on Wednesday after concluding his San Francisco visit as part of his week-long US-Canada tour, held a one-to-one meeting with Walmart Executive Vice President Dan Bryant.

Given Gujarat's large MSME base, Patel and Bryant discussed ways to improve product quality and expand export opportunities for local enterprises.

Patel also discussed joint workshops with Walmart and relevant state government departments to identify sector-specific opportunities for MSMEs. The two sides also explored collaboration over the next three to four months to identify global opportunities for MSMEs and small artisans.

Additionally, Bryant said Walmart's Vriddhi programme has trained over 1.15 lakh MSMEs since 2019 and aims to train 1.70 lakh by 2028.

Launched in 2019 to empower 50,000 MSMEs over five years, Walmart Vriddhi trained over 70,000 MSMEs in its first phase and aims to support another 1 lakh by 2028 in partnership with Ideas to Impact Foundation. It is a free-of-cost supplier development program for MSMEs that combine digital learning with business tools to empower entrepreneurs across India to modernize, scale, and grow their businesses.

Patel also discussed joint workshops with Walmart and relevant state departments to identify sector-specific MSME opportunities and explore global opportunities for MSMEs and small artisans over the next three to four months.

'Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, Shri Bryant and the delegation also held fruitful discussion on announcing a clear roadmap in this regard at the upcoming Vibrant Summit-2027,' the release said.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel led the State Government delegation in one-on-one meetings with representatives of leading global companies in semiconductors, deep tech, artificial intelligence, startups, skill development and cybersecurity in San Francisco. As per a release, the meetings included detailed discussions on strengthening Gujarat's position as India's leading semiconductor and advanced technology hub. (ANI)

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