With a view to giving resource-poor women a wider market reach, global e-commerce major Amazon has opened an exclusive window, Amazon Saheli. Besides offering a marketplace, it gives them incentives in the form of special fee. It will also train them in skills that help them tap the digital market space on their own.

Amazon on Tuesday signed an agreement with SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association) during the US-India conclave, for leveraging digital partnerships, organised on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017.

It also works with Impulse Social Enterprise to reach out to more women entrepreneurs.

“Their (women) market at present is limited to local areas. But we give a wider reach to their products.

“We are going to rope in more organisations that work with women entrepreneurs,” Gopal Pillai, Director and General Manager (Seller Services) of Amazon Seller Services, told BusinessLine .

Pilot in Nagaland

Before launching the national-level programme, the firm conducted a pilot in Nagaland by roping in 50 women entrepreneurs and equipping them with skills to bring their products online.

The fee for women doesn’t go beyond 12 per cent, against the regular fee range of 3-20 per cent..

The e-commerce player, which started off with 100 sellers four years ago, now has 2.50 lakh sellers over 16 crore products.

‘The Saheli Store’ will feature products of these women entrepreneurs.

“Though it will start off with products like handbags and handicrafts, it will have space for much more wider range of products,” he said.

Besides subsidised referral fees, the firm will offer free imaging and cataloguing during launch, account management and post launch support. The training programme also aspires understand the intricacies of online sales, and the ways of its marketplace.

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