KSUM-backed Startup Inks MoU with Arts and Craft Village

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
E-commerce platform Iraaloom, supported by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kerala Arts and Craft Village here to promote eco-friendly handicraft items and handloom products globally.

As per the agreement, Iraaloom will be the first marketplace to showcase the products of Kovalam-based Kerala Arts and Craft Village.

Kerala Arts and Craft Village CEO Sriprasad and Iraaloom founders Harsha Puthussery and Nithin Raj signed the MoU at a function held at the Craft Village.

The agreement will enable to take the handicraft and handloom products of local artisans to the global stage, Harsha Puthussery said. It will also help the uplift of artisans in Kerala by showcasing their potential on an e-commerce platform.

“We promote only innovative eco-friendly products that can be easily composted, recycled or biodegraded. Our aim is to become India’s first-ever and the largest responsible e-commerce platform to represent sustainable brands,” she added.

Harsha, who is hailing from Kozhikode, founded Iraaloom in 2019 along with her younger brother Nithin Raj after giving up her job in IT sector.

Currently, Iraaloom collaborates with several handicraft and handloom units in the state by showcasing the unique products from indigenous artisans on its online marketplace. The startup has offices in Technopark here and Aluva in Ernakulam district.

Iraaloom became one of the ‘Best Social Impact Startups’ among the 11 startups selected from Kerala to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It was also selected to the Indian Institute of Management Live Programme and Women In Startup and Entrepreneurship (WISE) programme by Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K).

KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala Government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.