In a move that could have a significant impact on Indian commerce, US based ecommerce platform Amazon has announced a new ‘sell globally’ policy for Indian sellers. In a press release issued on 9th June, Amazon has said that Indian manufacturers can now ‘make in India, and sell globally’. According to the release, two Amazon services for its sellers, Sell on Amazon (SOA) and Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) are being extended to the international market.
SOA allows Indian sellers to sell their products through Amazon.in. The sellers can list their products on Amazon for free, and are charged when they get an order. There is a monthly subscription fee as well. Sellers can either directly send the product to the buyers, or tie up with Amazon to pick up the packed goods from their place and deliver it to the customers for a fee. Amazon is currently running an offer of zero monthly subscription fees for SOA until 30th June, 2015.
Sellers can also opt to sign up for FBA. Under FBA, the seller can store the products in Amazon’s warehouses, and whenever there is an order, Amazon will pack and ship the products to the buyers with no hassle for the seller. Amazon charges a fee for this service as well. FBA also has a promotional offer till 30th June, 2015.
As of now, these services are being extended to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Indian sellers can list Apparel, Home Furnishing (including Indian Handicrafts), Jewellery, Books, Collectibles, Sporting Goods, Handbags, Shoes and Health and Beauty products. This is a great leap for Indian manufacturers and sellers. This move puts Indian products on the global map.
Amazon is particularly helping small and medium enterprises (SME) with this policy. By simplifying the export process for SMEs with limited means, Amazon has taken India a step closer to attaining its Make in India dream. With SOA, sellers can leverage Amazon’s high-end infrastructure and technology to extend their reach. Now that these facilities are extended to include the global buyer base, small scale Indian sellers stand to gain a spotlight.
The spotlight will also be trained on Prime Minister Modi’s ambitious Make in India scheme. Online marketplaces have already begun to provide international selling opportunities to Indian artisans (read IOS article on this). Ecommerce websites have even started dedicated sections for products made in India. Sites like Shopclues and Happily Unmarried have created separate sections for Make in India.
Indian online sellers could not have had a better time to expand their reach. With support from the government and facilities that online platforms like Amazon easily in their grasp, online sellers should make best use of these opportunities.
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