New Delhi, Dec 13 (KNN) In line with its vision of transforming the way India buys & sells, Amazon India today announced a partnership with FISME (The Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises) to empower Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to leverage growth opportunities in the e-commerce sector. As per the MoU, Amazon.in in collaboration with FISME will conduct various events and workshops across the country that will enable and encourage the MSMEs in India to sell their products to millions of consumers from India and across the globe by leveraging e-commerce marketplace solutions.

Through these events, Amazon.in and FISME aim to educate MSMEs on the nuances of online selling domestically and also B2C exports to enable them to sell across multiple international locations. Through the collaboration, MSMEs will get access to experts from Amazon, FISME and various service providers to help them understand the procedures and requirements related to areas such as logistics, cataloging, imaging, taxation and will guide them through the entire process of selling through the e-commerce marketplace route. Furthermore, MSMEs will be educated on digital business opportunity, brand building, documentation, listing methodology and services such as Fulfilment by Amazon & Sponsored Ads.

In his keynote address, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Dr A K Panda said it is a very good initiative and FISME and Amazon should take it to every state.

Handholding support needs to be given to the MSMEs upto the block level to help them join digital platforms, said Dr Panda.

FISME can use its vast network to reachout to the MSMEs and get them on digital platform, said Dr Panda.

Mr. Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General at FISME said, “Amazon.in and FISME share the vision of empowering the MSME ecosystem in India and make them inclusive in the growth journey of the Indian economy. Partnership with Amazon India gives us the opportunity to use our extensive network for the development of Indian MSME’s. Through this partnership, we aim to empower our members and partner associations on various trade related opportunities that are present in the market. We believe that our partnership with Amazon.in will promote entrepreneurship and facilitate the creation of a competitive environment thus improving the market access for Indian MSME’s in India and abroad.”

Gopal Pillai, Director & GM, Seller Services, Amazon India said, “The MSME sector plays a critical role in the growth of the Indian economy. In-fact, a large selection on Amazon.in is brought by these small and medium sellers. To enable their growth further, we are excited to partner with FISME. Through our partnership, we will work closely with FISME members to develop innovative business models that will help MSMEs to accelerate their growth further by leveraging the opportunities in the e-commerce sector - positively impacting the Indian economy. Furthermore, unique products sold by the MSMEs will also empower our customers to have access to increased selection.”

To smoothen the selling experience for MSMEs, Amazon offers fulfilment services that allow manufacturers and exporters to focus on their products and pricing, and also makes available imaging and cataloging support by getting their photo shoots done as per Amazon standards at nominal costs. Amazon also provides references of independent third party service providers who can provide tax guidance services, and access to other export related modalities by connecting potential exporters to the relevant independent advisory agencies.

To enable MSMEs familiarize themselves with the tastes & preferences of the customers, Amazon also gives guidance on how to improve discoverability of products, type of deals or advertisements they may choose to run and how they can drive awareness about their listings on the marketplace.

About Amazon.in

The Amazon.in marketplace is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Limited, an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon.in seeks to build the most customer-centric online destination for customers to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online by giving them more of what they want – vast selection, low prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience; and provide sellers with a world-class e-commerce marketplace.