Amazon launches Propel Startup Accelerator Season 3 to boost Gujarat ecommerce exports

Ahmedabad : To help new and upcoming Indian brands and startups connect with customers all over the world, Amazon India has announced the launch of Amazon Global Selling Propel Startup Accelerator (Propel S3). The Propel S3 will help up to fifty direct-to-consumer businesses in India establish themselves in foreign markets and develop into successful global brands.Over $1.5 million in total prizes are up for grabs, and they include things like AWS Activate credits, advertising credits, and account management and logistics assistance for a full year. The top three finishers will also split a $100,000 equity-free grant. In addition, Amazon will facilitate introductions between the startups and revenue-based financing companies like Klub and Velocity, which will provide the startups with curated offers to help them grow their businesses.

Amazon India’s Director of Global Trade, Bhupen Wakankar, has said, “Gujarati is one of the most important markets for our international e-commerce operations.” There has been a remarkable upswing in the number of new sellers and startups in the state that have decided to use Amazon as their primary export platform.With the help of the PropelStartup Accelerator Season 3 program, fifty direct-to-consumer businesses in India will be able to enter foreign markets and establish themselves as global brands.Our goal is to increase India’s exports by $20 billion by 2025, and this programme will help us get there.

Amazon’s Gujarat e-commerce export operation

There are currently over 12,000 exporters operating out of Gujarat who participate in Amazon’s Global Selling Program. In 2022, the number of sellers will have risen by 50 percent. Ahmedabad, Anand, Surat, Kheda, Valsad, Rajkot, and other cities in Gujarat are leading contributors of exporters to the programme. Gems and jewellery made in Surat, clothing and bags made in Ahmedabad, and furniture made in Chhota Udaipur are the most successful categories in the state of Gujarat. In the previous season of the Propel Startup Accelerator, nearly 10% of all applications came from Gujarat. The Ahmedabad company EcoRight was one of three winners in the previous season.

The programme helped us interact with Amazon leaders and other experts, which was critical in planning our international expansion,” said Udit Sood, co-founder of EcoRight and one of the winners of Propel Accelerator Season 2. For brands looking to expand internationally, this is arguably the best programme available. We have offices in over ten countries and are managing them from India after winning Season 2 of Amazon’s second reality competition. The positive feedback we’ve received from around the world has energised us, and we’re eager to expand into new markets.

More about the Propel Startup Accelerator Season 3

The entries for the Propel Startup Accelerator Season 3 will close on 30^th April 2023.It will culminate in a demo-day where participants will get a chance to pitch their business propositions to leading VC firms and get a shot at funding to expand their operations. As part of the Propel S3, Amazon has constituted a mentorship board consisting of Amazon leaders from India and across the world, VC partners and senior industry leaders who will engage with emerging brands and provide them tailored resources, 1:1 mentorship and workshops on the global demand patterns and insights on building successful exports business through ecommerce. Amazon will also host sessions focused on peer learning by inviting veteran entrepreneurs and Propel Alumni to help participating startups network and learn from their existing ecosystem. Top 150 applicants will be inducted into a 1-month bootcamp where they will receive handhold support, marketplace insights as well as compliance and logistics support to launch in at least one global market. The interested startups can log on to http://www.amazon.in/propel and complete their application. Startups in the consumer products space with a vision to expand their business to global markets can apply to be a part of the accelerator program.

 About Amazon Global Selling

Amazon Global Selling is a flagship program that helps lower the entry barrier for Indian MSMEs to start or expand their exports business using ecommerce. The program was launched in India in 2015 to support Indian exporters to reach customers worldwide through Amazon’s international websites and marketplaces. It provides an avenue for businesses of all sizes to build global brands. Today there are more than 1 lakh exporters across India on the program, showcasing millions of Made in India products to customers in 200+ countries and territories across the world. Many of these businesses are first generation entrepreneurs and emerging brands. Amazon Global Selling has been witnessing remarkable growth and Indian MSMEs exporting through the program have surpassed $5 billion in cumulative sales till now. Amazon has pledged to enable $20 billion in cumulative exports from India by 2025.

About Amazon.in

The Amazon.in marketplace is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Ltd, an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon.in seeks to build the most customer-centric online destination for customers to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online by giving them more of what they want – vast selection, competitive prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience; and provide sellers with a world-class e-commerce marketplace.

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About Amazon

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