E-commerce company Amazon has announced a grant to enable entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities to participate in its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program in India.

DSP supports entrepreneurs in starting their own delivery business by giving them access to Amazon’s delivery technology and hands-on training. It also offers exclusively negotiated deals on services such as payroll, insurance and recruiting technology.

Amazon said it has committed nearly $7 million worldwide to support hundreds of entrepreneurs through various grant programs. A diversity grant helps women, people with disabilities and people from the LGBTQIA+ community to cover part of the start-up costs. Individuals with no prior logistics experience are eligible to apply for the scholarship and participate in the program.

“Not only has the DSP program helped Amazon provide growth opportunities for SMBs, but it has also enabled us to expand our delivery network into the hinterland of the country,” said Dr. Karuna Shankar Pande, Director at Amazon Logistics, India. “We are offering a special scholarship for women and other underrepresented communities who join the program to further develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in logistics.”

Rachna Kher, Amazon Delivery Partner from Pune, said the journey from the corporate sector to becoming a successful entrepreneur as an Amazon Delivery Partner has been an enriching experience for her. “It wasn’t easy embarking on this journey with my business partner Priya Junagade in 2018, but we decided to dream big and pursue our dreams,” said Kher.

In 2021, Amazon expanded the DSP program in India to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop and launch their delivery services, even if they had no prior delivery experience. Amazon India has more than 350 entrepreneurs who are part of the program.