Amazon rolls out 'Launchpad' programme in India

The Dollar Business Bureau

Amazon has launched its global 'Launchpad' programme in India to offer a platform to startups in the country to market, deliver and sell products across the world.

India is the seventh nation where e-commerce major has rolled out its ‘Launchpad’ programme and this platform, which is ‘tailor-made’ for startups, is provided at a fee of Rs.5,000 per month.

Amazon Launchpad is already available in the UK, the US, China, France, Germany and Mexico.

With the help of the Launchpad page, entrepreneurs and startups can market their products on a world scale, by overcoming common challenges at the marketplace such as huge investments requirements to get noticed and reduced margins in channels, Amazon said.

The Launchpad programme will provide access to startups and small firms to custom pages where the sellers can display their products via videos and photos, market support to assist product discovery, and gain access to the global customer base of Amazon.

The e-commerce giant has tied up with several partners including Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for its ‘Start-up India’ initiative, NASSCOM’s 10,000 Start-ups programme and Indian Angel Network.

"India is a unique place...The connection to the startup community is rich in India...As a startup comes to us, we will help them launch not just in India but also get access to global markets spanning the US, UK, France, Germany," Jason Feldman, Director Global Innovations, Amazon said at a conference.

The Launchpad platform on Amazon.in has more than 400 products, which ranges from wearable technology, food and beverages, smart homes, health monitoring, educational toys, and many others.

More than 25 Indian start-ups have already joined the Launchpad programme, including Witworks, Ducere Technologies, Leaf Wearables, and Seventh Sense Technologies, the company said.