In a bid to help small and medium businesses (SMB) across India who have been financially impacted due to the nationwide lockdown, Amazon India has introduced a Partner Support Fund
This Partner Support Fund for small and medium businesses in logistics will be available to Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners (DSP) and select transportation partners in India.
Amazon claims that this fund will help SMBs provide financial aid to close to 40,000 of their staff for the month of April. Additionally, it will help cover some critical fixed infrastructure costs, and support liquidity and cash flow for these businesses as they resume and scale their operations post lockdown, the e-commerce major claims.
“This one-time special Partner Support Fund is designed to enable partners to assist close to 40,000 of their associates through financial hardships, and will help our small business partners in logistics get back on their feet at the earliest when the economy reopens. Our commitment to partners and to India is for the long-term, and this fund, in addition to other measures, aims to support SMBs overcome the situation with relative ease,” Akhil Saxena, VP, Customer Fulfilment Operations, APAC, MENA & LATAM, Amazon, said in a statement.
The Amazon Partner Support Fund follows the recent announcement of the global $25 million Amazon Relief Fund (ARF) in India. ARF can be utilized by qualifying individuals who have been quarantined or diagnosed with COVID-19.
Amazon India has extended the Amazon Relief Fund to eligible delivery associates who are part of the Delivery Service Partner Program, Amazon Flex program and its trucking partners providing transportation support.