Amazon India’s SMB Exports Reach $2B

Amazon India's SMB Exports Reach $2B

Online giant Amazon is increasing its drive to build its business in India.

The company said that total exports from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in that country has hit the $2 billion level, Reuters reported.

“It took us three years-plus to hit the first billion dollars, [and] today we are able to hit the next billion dollars; 100 percent growth in the last 18 months,” noted Gopal Pillai, vice president for seller services at Amazon India.

Amazon’s “Global Selling” program was launched in India in 2015. The company said the program has helped more than 60,000 Indian sellers to export products through Amazon.

In January, the company said it expected to spend $1 billion on bringing Indian SMBS into the 21st century. Per the Reuters report, Amazon plans to boost its exports of Indian-made goods to $10 billion by 2025. The U.S. is currently the biggest market for such sales.

Therefore, annual sales events — such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday — are key times of the year, Abhijit Kamra, head of global trade at Amazon India, told Reuters.

Clothing, leather products, jewelry and home items are big sellers, he said. Amazon said it has worked with Indian banks to offer inexpensive loans to its small sellers.

In June, Amazon launched a new “Smart Stores” initiative in India aimed at expanding its reach into the country’s massive retail market. The company said it is giving out QR codes to retailers ranging from village shops to big retail chains like Big Bazaar and More Supermarkets.

Shoppers can actually remain outside the store while scanning the QR code and then looking over merchandise virtually. Next, buyers can purchase the items they have selected using Amazon Pay. This ties into the worldwide trend of consumers using touchless technology.

Last month, Amazon India expanded its Amazon Flex delivery network to 35 cities across the country. The delivery service, which includes two-wheel delivery workers, was started last year in three cities.