Semarang Batik Love Reaches International Market Thanks to BRI LinkUMKM

SEMARANG - PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk continues to encourage Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to grow through strengthening business capacity and market expansion.

One of the entrepreneurs who felt the benefits was Cinta Batik Semarang, a batik artisan from the city of Semarang who has been running his business since 2006 and now reaches customers from various regions in Indonesia to foreign countries.

The owner of Cinta Batik Semarang Iin Windhi Indah Tjahjani revealed that his business started from batik training organized by the Regional National Craft Council (Dekranasda) of Semarang City in the context of revitalizing Semarang batik.

Over time, Cinta Batik Semarang is known through natural color batik products that are the mainstay because they use natural dyes that are more environmentally friendly at affordable prices.

The journey of building the business did not start with ideal conditions. Armed with capital of around IDR 50 thousand and batik equipment that is still very simple, Iin started production with limited knowledge.

Various failures in the manufacture of batik did not discourage his spirit to continue to learn. The lack of access to consult on batik techniques encouraged him to actively attend various exhibitions to find inspiration while improving the quality of his products.

"Getting to know LinkUMKM from the BRI State-Owned Enterprise House, one of the reasons that made us join is because there are many activities that are beneficial for the progress of our business," said Iin.

In supporting business operations, Cinta Batik Semarang also utilizes QRIS and BRI savings. Currently, its products are marketed through various channels, ranging from offline sales, marketplaces, exhibitions, to business-to-business (B2B) cooperation, with a customer reach from various regions in Indonesia to abroad. The batik collection is produced in limited quantities so that it has exclusive value for consumers.

Until the end of March 2026, LinkUMKM has been utilized by more than 15.57 million MSMEs as a means of supporting businesses online, ranging from capacity building, market expansion, to accelerating the class upgrade process.

LinkUMKM presents six main features that are integrated, namely UMKM Smart, BUMN House, Media, Community, Digital Showcase, Coaching Clinic, and other services, one of which is NIB registration, and is supported by more than 840 learning modules to strengthen the soft skills and hard skills of business actors.

On a separate occasion, BRI's Corporate Secretary Dhanny said that the journey of Cinta Batik Semarang showed how a business that was initiated from limitations could grow to reach customers from various regions, even abroad. According to him, perseverance in maintaining product quality and adaptability are important factors that encourage business sustainability.

"The love of Semarang Batik shows that locally based products can have strong competitiveness when managed consistently and innovatively. Efforts to present environmentally friendly batik while preserving cultural heritage are examples of how MSMEs can create sustainable economic value.

"BRI will continue to strengthen the role of LinkUMKM as a learning and business development ecosystem so that more and more MSMEs are able to increase their competitiveness sustainably," concluded Dhanny. (ADV)