Walmart’s training to be digital in India

This June 25, 2019, file photo shows the entrance to a Walmart in Pittsburgh.
This June 25, 2019, file photo shows the entrance to a Walmart in Pittsburgh.

Walmart Inc.’s training program for owners of small and midsize businesses in India is adding a virtual component, the company said in a news release Tuesday.

When Walmart introduced Vriddhi in December, the supplier-development program was described as offering in-person instruction to help Indian business owners get their products into domestic and global supply chains. Plans called for 25 Walmart Vriddhi institutes to open across the country over the next five years.

But after the covid-19 outbreak, the Bentonville based retailer “reshaped” the program to provide online learning experiences as well, Walmart said.

The all-digital “e-institute” will initially be available in a region known as a hub for textile, steel and kitchenware production. The online training will progressively reach other regions.

The retailer still plans to eventually open the physical institutes “when conditions are favorable after the pandemic,” a Walmart spokeswoman said. “We envisage that Vriddhi will offer a mix of digital and in-person training, mentoring and network experiences in the future when circumstances allow.”

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