E-commerce giant Amazon India said that more than 9,000 sellers from the Northeast have registered with the company and are doing business on its digital platform.
Amazon India Director (Director External Fulfilment) Kshitij Jain said the company will continue to make investments in empowering sellers to scale up their business, catering to customers anywhere in India and the world using e-commerce.
"Over 9,000 sellers from the Northeastern region are looking forward to benefit from this festive season and will showcase authentic and wide range of products, including raw honey, Santipuri Bengal cotton handloom sarees, handmade wicker accessories and grass and bamboo items," he said.
As part of this exercise, the company is offering a 50 per cent waiver on referral fees for new sellers registering on Amazon.in from August 28 to October 26 to help them kickstart their digital journey, Jain said.
This is a fee that all sellers pay for selling their products on Amazon India and is a percentage of the total sales price that is paid by the buyer, he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Supporting entrepreneurs
The fee waiver includes businesses of all sizes, including local stores, traditional weavers and artisans, women entrepreneurs as well as startups and digital entrepreneurs, who are helping expand the vast selection of products available on Amazon India, Jain said.
To support artisans and weavers, Amazon has partnered with government bodies like Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED), North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corp (NEHHDC) and Manipur Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corp Ltd (MHHDCL).
"So far, we have empowered over 3.5 lakh artisans and weavers from the region through these initiatives," the official said.
Jain further said that more than five lakh women entrepreneurs have benefitted from Amazon Saheli programme, under which the company tied up with various government bodies and NGOs.
"Last year, Amazon launched the Spotlight Northeast storefront, designed to boost the local economy, create jobs, accelerate financial inclusion and empower women across the eight states of the region," he added.