Amazon India to empower over 62,000 women entrepreneurs

"In line with our vision to transform how India buys and sells, we launched 'Amazon Saheli' last year to focus and address challenges faced by Indian women entrepreneurs and help them gain visibility and access to resources. We believe that e-commerce and specifically the e-marketplace model is a great avenue for women entrepreneurs to benefit from the fast-growing digital economy. We are excited to partner with organisations such as Mann Deshi and COWE, who share the same vision of supporting women entrepreneurs and help them become more economically robust. With the help of our notable partners, we can truly bring a change in the lives of thousands of women entrepreneurs," Gopal Pillai, director & GM, seller services, Amazon India said.

Launched last year in November with SEWA and Impulse Social Enterprise, Amazon Saheli currently has over 900 products such as kurtis, sarees, dupattas listed by women entrepreneurs. Through the programme, Amazon will be conducting extensive training and skill development workshops for its partners to help women entrepreneurs understand nuances related to online selling and, develop skills & capabilities necessary to grow their business on Amazon.in. The training workshops will comprise of sessions on listing of products, imaging & cataloging, packaging & shipping, inventory & account management and customer service to name a few. The workshops will be free of cost and will offer several exclusive benefits including assisted onboarding and mentorship programmes.

"We have always believed that access to finance isn’t the only factor for success. Building business skills and access to markets unlocks the true potential of rural women entrepreneurs. This is where we believe that e-commerce can provide the right reach to these women entrepreneurs through newer markets across the country. Mann Deshi Foundation is happy to join hands with Amazon India to train and enable our women entrepreneurs to sell online and boost their businesses through Amazon Saheli," Chetna Gala Sinha, founder, Mann Deshi Foundation said.

"We are happy to collaborate with Amazon India for helping women entrepreneurs explore the arena of e-commerce. This partnership will help our members showcase and sell their products to the massive and loyal Amazon customer base across the country.  Amazon is known worldwide for their rich experience and deep understanding of consumers. By imparting relevant training, counseling and handholding to enhance their skills, we are confident that through this partnership we will be able to positively impact hundreds of women entrepreneurs," Sandhya Reddy, national vice president, COWE. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India