DGFT, Amazon ink MoU to promote MSMEs’ ecommerce exports

The commerce and industry ministry on Thursday inked a Memorandum of Understanding with e-commerce major Amazon to provide training to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in 20 identified districts to promote exports through e-commerce. As part of the MoU, Amazon and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) will co-create capacity building sessions, training and workshops for MSMEs in districts identified by the DGFT as part of the ‘District as Exports Hub’ initiative outlined in the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, in a phased manner.

Amazon will provide training by making digital catalogues and tax-related issues, among other services.
The capacity building session will allow MSMEs to learn about imaging, digital cataloguing of their products, tax advisory amongst others.

“To enable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and boost e-commerce exports from the country, DGFT is collaborating with the various e-commerce players to leverage the Districts as Export Hubs initiative and promote e-commerce exports from the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Sarangi, Chetan Krishnaswamy (Vice President, Public Policy Amazon), and Bhupen Wakankar (Director Global Trade Amazon India).

“The initiative seeks to link local producers even in rural and remote districts with global supply chains. The collaboration aims to enable exporters/MSMEs to sell their Made in India; products to customers internationally,” it said adding the core objective is to leverage e-commerce platforms to support local exporters, manufacturers, and MSMEs in reaching potential international buyers..

Under the collaboration, Districts will be identified by various e-commerce platforms across India, to undertake various capacity-building and outreach activities in collaboration with DGFT-Regional Authorities.

“Under the MoU with Amazon India, 20 districts have been identified for such capacity building and handholding sessions. DGFT is in discussion with various e-commerce platforms like Flipkart/Walmart, Ebay, Rivexa, Shopclues, Shiprocket, DHL Express to have similar collaboration in other districts of the country under the initiative,” it added.

This will supplement DGFT’s efforts to handhold, and promote new and first-time exporters and other MSME producers to export from India, thereby making substantial strides towards the goal of $1 trillion in goods exports by year 2030.

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