Increasing Halal Fashion And Beauty Business, NATURAL Sharia Fintech Nets 4,423 Muslim Entrepreneurs

Photo: Doc. EXPERIENCE

JAKARTA - ALAMI, a sharia-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lending fintech company, seeks to capture opportunities from the size of Indonesia's halal product industry, which reaches USD 114 billion. One of them is by attracting Muslim entrepreneurs.

This step was taken by ALAMI by holding the 2022 ARQAM Accelerator program. This virtual training and mentoring program has succeeded in attracting 4.423 Muslim entrepreneurs since last year.

ALAMI Group CEO Dima Djani said that the ARQAM Accelerator program was ALAMI's commitment to encouraging Muslim entrepreneurs to improve business quality. These include training in professional business skills (business management), the opportunity to gain access to investors (capital), as well as opportunities to expand the network (marketing) in developing their business in the future.

Dima said that one of the industries that contributed greatly to the consumption of halal products was fashion. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data in 2021, the growth of the clothing industry will reach 19.59 percent.

"ARQAM from ALAMI Group is here to motivate entrepreneurs on the right way to grow the fashion and beauty product business," said Dima in his statement, Monday, July 18.

Therefore, continued Dima, ARQAM raised the theme Fashion and Beauty Care 2022 so that fashion entrepreneurs can increase their business growth rapidly. ARQAM Accelerator in July is the third time that ALAMI is being held.

Previously, this program has succeeded in involving more than 3.000 entrepreneurs in Indonesia, accompanied by 80 experienced mentors, and reaching more than 40 communities in its entire series of activities.

On the same occasion, Deputy Director of the Department of Economics and Sharia Finance of Bank Indonesia (BI) Diana Yumanita emphasized that this is the time for Muslim entrepreneurs to collaborate with each other in facing challenges in the halal fashion and beauty product industry. Therefore, Bank Indonesia together with other stakeholders formed the Sharia Creative Industry (IKRA) which became a platform to bring together sharia business actors in the Muslim fashion sector as well as halal food/beverage.

"Various challenges are in front of us to compete in halal fashion products such as brand DNA, product development, business management (HR division), marketing, market access, and financing. Therefore, we strongly support ALAMI's efforts to become a bridge for Muslim entrepreneurs to meet investors and to expand the market through the ARQAM Accelerator program," he explained.

Meanwhile, Director of Culinary, Craft, Design and Fashion of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Yuke Sri Rahayu, explained that the potential and opportunity for the global market for modest fashion is very high, reaching 402 billion US dollars in 2024. Indonesia's move to become the World's Modest Fashion Center also needs to be followed by synergies from various stakeholders.

“The ARQAM Accelerator program by ALAMI is a form of support that can increase the creative value chain in the form of creation, production, distribution, consumption, and conservation. We are also currently preparing the Guidebook for Mentoring Modest Fashion Creation as a form of support to improve product quality, provide an overview of development directions, and strengthen the strategic and targeted modest fashion creative chain in Indonesia.” Yuka said.

The President of the Global Modest Fashion Week Association, Nur Asia Uno emphasized the importance of bringing the fashion industry in Indonesia to continue to be developed. With that, entrepreneurs can bring modest fashion with Indonesian characteristics to the international scene.

"I really support and appreciate ALAMI who have collaborated to organize ARQAM Fashion and Beauty Care Accelerator 2022. Because this program can provide opportunities for MSMEs in this field to learn to develop local halal products and services in Indonesia," said Nur.