Cinta Batik Semarang Develops Eco-Friendly Batik Business with BRI's LinkUMKM
Jakarta (ANTARA) – PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk continues to encourage Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to grow by strengthening business capacity and expanding market reach, with Cinta Batik Semarang being a notable example.
The Semarang-based batik artisan has been operating since 2006 and now serves customers from various regions across Indonesia and abroad. The owner of Cinta Batik Semarang, Iin Windhi Indah Tjahjani, revealed that her business began through batik training organised by the Semarang City Regional National Craft Council (Dekranasda) as part of a batik revitalisation initiative.
Over time, Cinta Batik Semarang has become known for its hand-drawn batik (batik tulis) using natural colours, which serves as its flagship product due to its eco-friendly dyes and affordable pricing.
Equipped with only approximately Rp50,000 in capital and very basic batik tools, Iin began production with limited knowledge. Various failures in the batik-making process did not dampen her spirit to continue learning. The lack of access to batik technique consultations prompted her to actively attend various exhibitions to seek inspiration and improve product quality.
“Learning about LinkUMKM from BRI’s Rumah BUMN, one of the reasons we joined was because there are many beneficial activities for our business progress,” said Iin.
To support business operations, Cinta Batik Semarang also utilises QRIS and BRI savings accounts. Currently, its products are marketed through offline sales, marketplaces, exhibitions, and business-to-business (B2B) partnerships. The batik collections are produced in limited quantities, providing exclusive value to consumers.
As of the end of March 2024, LinkUMKM has been utilised by more than 15.57 million MSMEs as an online business mentoring tool, ranging from capacity building and market expansion to accelerating the process of scaling up. LinkUMKM provides six integrated main features: UMKM Smart, Rumah BUMN, Media, Community, Digital Showcase, Coaching Clinic, and other services such as NIB (Business Identification Number) registration, supported by over 840 learning modules to strengthen entrepreneur skills.
In a separate statement, BRI Corporate Secretary Dhanny menyampaikan that the journey of Cinta Batik Semarang demonstrates how a business started from limitations can grow to reach customers across various regions and even internationally. According to him, perseverance in maintaining product quality and the ability to adapt are crucial factors driving business sustainability.
“Cinta Batik Semarang shows that products based on local wisdom can have strong competitiveness when managed consistently and innovatively. The effort to present eco-friendly batik while preserving cultural heritage serves as an example 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 MSMEs are able to increase their competitiveness sustainably,” concluded Dhanny.