Amazon sets up grant for Indian entrepreneurs to build logistics business

Programme will help women, persons with disability, and people from the LGBTQIA+ community

E-commerce firm Amazon has announced a grant to empower entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities to join its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) programme in India.

DSP assists entrepreneurs in starting their own delivery business by providing them with access to Amazon's delivery technology and hands-on training. It also provides exclusively negotiated deals on services such as payroll management, insurance, and recruitment technology.

Amazon said it has committed nearly $7 million worldwide supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs through various grant programmes. A diversity grant assists women, persons with disability and people from the LGBTQIA+ community with covering some of the costs of setting up business. Those with no prior logistics experience can apply for the grant and participate in the programme.

"The DSP program has not only aided Amazon in providing growth opportunities to SMBs, but it has also enabled us to expand our delivery network into the country's hinterlands,” said Dr Karuna Shankar Pande, director at Amazon Logistics, India. “We are offering a special grant to women and other underrepresented communities joining the program to evolve the entrepreneurship ecosystem in logistics.”

Rachna Kher, Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner from Pune said the journey from the corporate sector to a successful entrepreneur as Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner has been an enriching experience for her. “Embarking on this journey with my business partner, Priya Junagade in 2018 wasn’t easy but we decided to dream big and chase our dreams,” said Kher.

In 2021, Amazon expanded the DSP programme in India to support aspiring entrepreneurs to develop and launch their delivery services, even if they had no prior delivery expertise. Amazon India has more than 350 entrepreneurs who are part of the programme.