Amazon India Launches Entrepreneurship for Enablement Program to Empower Women

By: WE staff | Friday, 21 March 2025

• Amazon India Launches "Entrepreneurship for Enablement" Program
• The three-year program is to empower 30,000 youth and women
• Emphasis in teaching skills related to entrepreneurship and financial management

Amazon India has initiated a three-year initiative, "Entrepreneurship for Enablement," to enable 30,000 women and youth to acquire entrepreneurial skills and help them take control of their personal finances. ACCESS Development Services, a not-for-profit organization committed to enhancing sustainable livelihoods through innovative solutions, will partner with Amazon to implement the program. The program co-designed and supported by Amazon, will be implemented in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

The launch ceremony of March 20, in Gurugram was attended by the major stakeholders, namely Development Department officials, Gurugram, Reserve Bank of India, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and Rural Development & Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI). The stakeholders shared the problems and opportunities of entrepreneurship development.

With a specific focus on women entrepreneurship, the programme will facilitate business skills development training and mentoring support to as many as 3,000 entrepreneurs. The programme will also give digital literacy training to 24,000 people, specifically with a focus on smartphone usage, and education on digital payments platforms to 22,000 individuals.

The program will assist in setting up 1,200 new enterprises, 80 percent of which are likely to achieve INR 1 lakh annual revenue by their third year. Ten model enterprises, half of which will be women-owned, are likely to achieve INR 10 to 25 lakhs annual turnover and generate new employment opportunities. The initiative also provides both offline and online selling opportunities.

Vipin Sharma, CEO of ACCESS Development Services, said that “empowering women entrepreneurs would be crucial for making India's economy stronger. She said that the program will equip women and young people with key skills, funding, and digital capabilities for achieving success”.

Dr. Karuna Shankar Pande of Amazon Logistics India pointed out that “the program would foster economic growth through support for entrepreneurship, resources for self-sufficiency, and increased digital and financial inclusion”.

The project will be rolled out in three states, targeting clusters of 5 to 8 villages, with emphasis on knowledge creation and enterprise development. In Haryana, the project will target Farukhnagar and Taoru clusters, promoting agricultural enterprises, food manufacturing, retail, handicrafts, and beauty services.