Providing a stepping stone to the entrepreneurs of India, Amazon announces a special grant which allows aspiring entrepreneurs from under-represented communities to join its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program in India.
The e-commerce giant under the program will assist interested entrepreneurs in starting their own delivery business by providing them access to Amazon’s sophisticated delivery technology, hands-on training, and exclusively negotiated deals on services such as payroll management, insurance, and recruitment technology among others.
Amazon in total has committed nearly $7 million worldwide, supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs through various grant programs. With the special diversity grant, the company aims to enable women, persons with disability, and people from the LGBTQIA+ community who are aspiring entrepreneurs with a financial boost to cover some of the startup costs of setting up the business, Amazon India said in a statement.
Adding further the company said, those with no prior logistics experience are also welcome to apply for the grant and participate in the program.
“Since its inception in India, the DSP program has not only aided Amazon in providing growth opportunities to SMBs (small businesses), but it has also enabled us to expand our delivery network into the country’s hinterlands. We are pleased to offer a special grant to women and other underrepresented communities joining the program to evolve the entrepreneurship ecosystem in logistics,”
Karuna Shankar Pande, director, of Amazon Logistics, India.
“The journey from the corporate sector to a successful entrepreneur as Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner has been an enriching experience for me. Embarking on this journey with my business partner, Priya Junagade in 2018 wasn’t easy but we decided to dream big and chase our dreams. As part of the program, Amazon has provided us with all the required knowledge, training, and skills to build a strong business foundation.”
Rachna Kher, Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner from Pune
Earlier, in 2021, Amazon India, expanded its Delivery Service Partner program in India to support aspiring entrepreneurs to develop and launch their delivery services, even if they had no prior delivery expertise. The e-commerce giant currently has more than 350 entrepreneurs who are part of the program, with more opportunities for diverse partners to build their businesses.
Over the years, the program has helped create a network of over 1,000 delivery stations around the world and has expanded to more than 14 countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Japan, and India, among others.
