Amazon India announced on Aug 7 that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) and the Cottage and Rural Industries Department of the Government of Gujarat to support the state's e-commerce exports. Amazon will prioritise bringing weavers, artisans, and other micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from Gujarat to Amazon Global Selling, the e-commerce exports programme.

"One of our key priorities has been to boost exports from Gujarat," said Gujarat Minister for MSMEs, Cottage, Khadi, and Rural Industries Balwantsinh Rajput, "and through this partnership with Amazon, we aim to empower lakhs of MSMEs in Gujarat to embrace e-commerce exports."

Through its Hastkala Setu Yojana programme, the Cottage and Rural Industries Department will identify approximately 1,000 artisans in handloom and handicrafts.

Amazon and EDII will hold hybrid (in-person and online) training sessions and workshops on B2C e-commerce exports, educating artisans on how to register and list their products for sale on more than 18 Amazon Global Marketplaces, as well as tools to make exports easier.

Bhupen Wakankar, Director of Global Trade at Amazon India, said the collaboration is a critical step towards assisting lakhs of MSMEs, weavers, and artisans across the state in expanding their businesses globally through e-commerce exports.