Amazon India declares special diversity grant for logistics entrepreneurs


Amazon India declares special diversity grant for logistics entrepreneurs
Amazon has announced a special grant to help aspiring entrepreneurs from under-represented communities to join its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) programme in India.
Under the programme, the company assists interested entrepreneurs in starting their own delivery business by providing them access to Amazon’s sophisticated delivery technology, hands-on training, and exclusively negotiated deals on services such as payroll management, insurance, and recruitment technology among others.
In total, Amazon has committed nearly $7 million worldwide, supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs through various grant programmes. With the special diversity grant, the company aims to enable women, persons with disability and people from the LGBTQIA+ community who are aspiring entrepreneurs with a financial boost to cover some of the startup costs of setting up the business, Amazon India said in a statement.
Those with no prior logistics experience are also welcome to apply for the grant and participate in the programme, the statement added.
“Since its inception in India, the DSP programme has not only aided Amazon in providing growth opportunities to SMBs (small businesses), but it has also enabled us to expand our delivery network into the country’s hinterlands. We are pleased to offer a special grant to women and other underrepresented communities joining the program to evolve the entrepreneurship ecosystem in logistics," said Karuna Shankar Pande, director, Amazon Logistics, India.
Rachna Kher, Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner from Pune, said, “The journey from corporate sector to a successful entrepreneur as Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner has been an enriching experience for me. 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. As part of the program, Amazon has provided us with all the required knowledge, training and skills to build a strong business foundation."
In 2021, Amazon expanded the Delivery Service Partner programme in India to support aspiring entrepreneurs to develop and launch their delivery services, even if they had no prior delivery expertise. Amazon India now has more than 350 entrepreneurs who are part of the programme, with more opportunities for diverse partners to build their own businesses. 
Over the years, the programme has helped create a network of over 1,000 delivery stations around the world, and has expanded to more than 14 countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Japan, and India, among others.