Amazon And CII Join Hands To Benefit MSMEs In 10 States The alliance will work to create a special exports module to make exports simple and accessible for MSMEs across India
By Prabhjeet Bhatla •
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At the 17th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Global SME Business Summit, Amazon and CII signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to bring the benefits of e-commerce to micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in 10 states across India.
Both establishments will work closely with the Ministry of MSME to enable lakhs of MSMEs across these states to leverage technology to reach customers in India and globally.
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led, and industry-managed organization that works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
"MSME are an important job creator and forms the backbone of our economy. In the next 5 years, Technology and e-commerce will play a key role in enabling this growth and ensuring the success of millions of MSMEs in domestic as well as international markets. I am pleased to see CII and Amazon working together on this critical agenda. The combined efforts of government and the Industry will bring us closer to realizing the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat" said Nitin Gadkari, minister for MSMEs.
As part of the MoU, this union will conduct training, workshops, and host masterclasses to enable MSMEs to sell online. The pact will work together to create a special exports module to simplify exports with e-commerce for lakhs of MSMEs across India. This module will have a detailed step by step guide for MSMEs to start exporting using e-commerce.
"The pandemic has made apparent the role that technology will play through meaningful interventions. Given the rapid shift towards the adoption of digital solutions, it is necessary for MSMEs to receive the information and support that will aid in their digital transformation. Education about e-commerce and e-commerce exports will enable MSMEs to identify opportunities that help them access national and global customers. We are excited about our partnership with Amazon that will help bring e-commerce closer to MSMEs and drive their digital transformation," remarked Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII.
The alliance will also publish regular reports that will include market analysis and insights for MSMEs on promising categories, marketing, and branding of their products, logistics, MSME success stories, and information on top-performing products.
"We remain committed to enabling and equipping MSMEs across India with the right knowledge, tools, and technology to build and scale their business in India and globally. This commitment is more important than ever as we continue to work with lakhs of sellers, delivery partners, and other MSMEs, helping them revive and grow their business with Amazon. As we continue to work closely with the government on this important agenda, our collaboration with CII will help bring more and more MSMEs online, help them be part of the growing digital economy and create newer business opportunities for them," added Amit Agarwal, senior vice president, and country head, Amazon India.
In January 2020, Amazon had made three key announcements-digitizing10 million MSMEs, enabling $10 billion in e-commerce exports, and creating 1 million jobs-by 2025.
