Amazon India, GAME sign MoU to boost rural women entrepreneurship

Amazon India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) to promote the digital growth of women entrepreneurs in India, especially from Tier II and III cities, and beyond. 

Through this partnership, Amazon India aims to empower around 25,000 women entrepreneurs and artisans by providing them with the necessary support and resources needed to thrive in the digital landscape.

The MoU is signed under Amazon's Saheli programme, which aims to promote local products made by women entrepreneurs in India.

“It is truly inspiring to witness women entrepreneurs nationwide harnessing the power of ecommerce to build and grow their businesses. Through innovative products, they are catering to customer preferences and establishing scalable enterprises that contribute significantly to societal well-being and the economy. We are honoured to be a catalyst in their entrepreneurial journey through our Saheli programme,” said Gaurav Bhatnagar, Head of Seller Acquisition and Development at Amazon India.

Amazon's Karigar and Saheli programmes will provide workshops, training sessions, onboarding assistance, and ongoing support for sellers without any financial investment.

These women entrepreneurs will be provided with training and support on digital marketing strategies, performance marketing, product listing optimisation, and advertising techniques. They will also be provided with data-driven insights and metrics that will help them understand customer behaviour and market trends.

Meanwhile, GAME will help entrepreneurs in business capacity building and improving digital marketing skills. Additionally, it plans to help them to come together to form collected brands.

In the same vein, Ketul Acharya, President of GAME, shed light on the organisation's Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme, which aims to enhance livelihood opportunities for women entrepreneurs by connecting them with diverse platforms and economic partners.

“Through this partnership, WEE at GAME is supporting Amazon in solving large-scale ecosystem challenges to women's economic empowerment with access to training in the digital marketplace as well as research and data about access to new markets," he added.

Amazon launched its Saheli programme in 2017, wherein it works with partners and women entrepreneurs to digitise their businesses and provide tools that help them to grow in the digital space.

Since its inception, the initiative has digitised over 1.8 million rural, hyperlocal, and urban women-led businesses through its partner network, selling a selection of products such as apparel, jewellery, and groceries, on the ecommerce marketplace.