The Story Of The Success Of Unici Songket, From Silungkang To The International Market With BRI Support

JAKARTA - The beauty of songket cloth, one of Indonesia's cultural heritage, continues to be maintained and developed by the next generation. One of them is Unici Songket Silungkang, a weaving business from West Sumatra that has successfully penetrated the national to international market. Through perseverance and innovation, Unici Songket not only maintains tradition, but also opens up economic opportunities for local craftsmen.

Songket has long been a symbol of luxury and cultural identity, made with complicated techniques using gold or silver threads. In Silungkang, West Sumatra, craftsmen still retain traditional methods in every piece of cloth they produce. From this hereditary expertise was born by Unici Songket Silungkang, a brand founded by Fitri in 2019. Starting from simple marketing on social media, now Unici Songket is growing rapidly thanks to its digital strategy and implemented business innovation.

When he first marketed products online, Fitri saw a positive response from the market. This prompted him to be more serious about developing Unici Songket by recruiting craftsmen and opening physical stores in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra. In fact, in the midst of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to adapt by transferring 70% of his sales to digital platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Entering 2023, Unici Songket is increasingly expanding its marketing reach through e-commerce and live selling features on TikTok Shop. Thanks to this strategy, its monthly turnover is stable in the range of IDR 30-50 million per month.

In order to expand its business, Fitri began to join the MSME EXPO (RT) program organized by BRI in 2023. Through various MSME empowerment programs carried out by BRI, Fitri feels great benefits in business development, both in terms of marketing, sales, and expanding business networks.

"Alhamdulillah, BRI's coaching program really helps us in increasing business scale. Not only through exhibitions, but also training and business matching that opens up wider opportunities for cooperation," Fitri said when met at the BRI MSME EXPO (RT) 2025 at ICE BSD, Tangerang.

BRI MSME EXPO (RT) is an important platform for MSME players to promote their products to a wider market, including international buyers. In addition, BRI also provides facilities for participants, ranging from accommodation to business assistance. Fitri revealed that the experience of participating in this event since 2023 has had a significant impact on the growth of the Songket Unici.

In addition to participating in exhibitions, Fitri also received business digitization training. With directions from BRI, he began to optimize marketing in various marketplaces such as Lazada, Blibli, and Tokopedia. This step further increases the competitiveness and exposure of its products in the online market.

Regarding the MSME empowerment program carried out by BRI, BRI Corporate Secretary Agustya Hendy Bernadi, emphasized BRI's commitment to supporting MSME growth in Indonesia. One of them is through the EXPO (RT) MSME activities which were successfully followed by 1,000 selected MSMEs in February 2025. In addition, BRI also continues to expand access to export markets for its fostered MSMEs through a business matching program with the Ministry of Trade which is routinely carried out twice a month.

"This step is part of our ongoing strategy in encouraging Indonesian MSMEs to become global players. Participation in international exhibitions by BRI customers is also a form of BRI's real support to encourage MSME entrepreneurs to go global which is expected to encourage national economic growth through exports of local products," said Hendy.

With continued support from various parties, it is hoped that more MSMEs such as Unici Songket Silungkang will be able to preserve cultural heritage as well as penetrate the world market. Fitri's success is clear evidence that innovation, perseverance, and synergy with banks can bring MSMEs to a higher level. (ADV)