Amazon Launchpad introduced in India
A year-and-a-half after launching it in the US, which was followed by its introduction in other Western countries, Amazon today introduced the Amazon Launchpad programme in India. The programme will help startups launch, market, and distribute their products to Amazon customers across India and around the world through a dedicated store.
“This is the seventh location around the world where we have introduced Launchpad. We have introduced the programme in India which will give opportunity to startups to get discovered nationally and internationally and give customers access to a broader array of products,” says Jason Feldman, Director Global Innovations, Amazon.
The store, which can be found on Amazon.in, features over 400 innovative products ranging across categories like wearable technology, health monitoring, food and beverages, educational toys, and others. Even before its launch, over 25 Indian startups have already joined the programme, looking to leverage the platform’s marketplace expertise and infrastructure to create awareness and drive sale.
Feldman adds that using the Amazon Launchpad store gives Indian startups the chance to reach out to 300 million users around the world and make a name for themselves.
DIPP’s Startup India is one of the initiatives operating in the ecosystem that Amazon Launchpad has tied up with.
Talking about the partnership, Ramesh Abhishek, DIPP secretary, says, “We aim to build a compatible business environment in the country and we are partnering with every stakeholder in the ecosystem to build it.”
Amit Agarwal, VP and Country Head, Amazon India, also shares his views on the launch, saying that the company’s aim is to support the amazing innovations in India and take it across the world.
“It’s been three years since the launch of Amazon in India and so far it’s been an amazing journey for us. We feel proud to be part of the online infrastructure in the country. Now, with Amazon Launchpad, a global product, we would be able to further encourage innovations from the Indian startup community,” he says.
Launchpad is already available in the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Mexico.