New Delhi, Jun 10 (KNN) Apparel exporters’ body, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has sought special costing proposals from e-commerce giant Amazon for selling masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits through the portal of the company. 

“PPE kits are used for Health Purposes and they should work out special rates for masks and also for PPE kits for our AEPC members,” AEPC Chairman Dr A Sakthivel said in a webinar on ‘How to start exporting through B2C ecommerce’ organized by the Council and Amazon, on Tuesday.

Dr Sakthivel said that there is a huge market for masks across the world and all the fashion brands have started asking for it.

''While Indian players have already started exporting non-medical and designer masks, they have also started preparing for getting the international certifications needed before exporting to these countries,'' an official statement quoted him as saying.

While expressing hope that the ban on export of PPE kits may be lifted later this month by the government, the chairman said, “the government is seriously considering to allow the export of PPE kits. It’s a big opportunity for the Indian exporters. Already, more than 400 manufacturers have got their products tested and approved by the government.”

Dr Sakthivel further said that the Council has requested the government to help exporters get the accreditation from the European lab, that is, Conformité Européene or CE marking, and a certification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to export PPEs to the European Union and US market, respectively.

Sumeet Swapnil, Category Lead, Apparel, Amazon Global Selling, India, said, “Signing up on Amazon Global Selling is extremely easy and seamless. With three simple steps - registration, listing of products, and selection of delivery options - one can get started or expand their exports business.”

The webinar discussed the opportunities presented by e-commerce exports for Indian MSMEs focusing on how AEPC members can leverage online exports to expand their business.