The Ministry of Cooperatives appreciates the private sector's involvement in developing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the batik industry. Hanung Harimba, Deputy for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises at the Ministry of Cooperatives, acknowledges the vital role of the private sector in supporting batik MSMEs, from business management mentoring to marketing and partnerships. Hanung commends Tokopedia and Shop | Tokopedia's "Melokal dengan Batik" campaign for its contribution to incubating batik MSMEs, providing business development consultations, and fostering local batik businesses on e-commerce platforms. He underscores the importance of a conducive ecosystem in the digital market for batik, given its significant contribution to Indonesia's exports. According to the Central Statistics Agency, Indonesia's batik exports amounted to USD 17.5 million or approximately IDR 283 billion in 2023. Despite not reaching pre-pandemic levels, these figures demonstrate the immense potential of the batik industry. The majority of Indonesian batik exports are destined for the United States (74.75%), followed by Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada.
Desey Muharlina Bungsu, Shop Tokopedia's Fashion Category Lead, explains that the "Melokal dengan Batik" campaign aims to support the development of the batik industry and introduce batik to a wider audience. This program facilitates local batik MSMEs in marketing their products and provides access to business capital from affiliated financial partners. Moreover, Desey highlights that local batik MSMEs participating in the "Melokal dengan Batik" program are exempt from commission fees. They receive assistance in funding through connections with financial institutions. Tokopedia and Shop Tokopedia collaborate with the Indonesian Institute of the Arts to create attractive designs for local batik MSMEs. The success of the "Melokal dengan Batik" campaign is evident in the significant increase in orders for local batik MSMEs, nearly doubling their sales. Oki Dwiyanto, Marketing Manager at Batik Arkanza, praises the campaign for enabling the transformation of Batik Arkanza from a small garage-based business to an online presence, employing 50 staff members. Riesta Karentina, Head of Micro Business at the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, emphasizes that 60% of the 64.5 million batik MSMEs fall into the micro category. These micro batik MSMEs require assistance to build ecosystems for further growth, addressing challenges related to legality and managerial aspects. Riesta expresses gratitude to enablers like Tokopedia for their support of local batik MSMEs.
