Everything you want to know about Amazon Smbhav 2024

The countdown to Smbhav 2024—an extraordinary assembly of India’s top industry leaders, policymakers and SMB founders—has begun. Set to be held at New Delhi’s iconic Bharat Mandapam on December 9 and 10, Smbhav 2024 promises to be an unmissable event for India's MSMEs. Since its inception in 2020, Smbhav has become an important summit for MSMEs to explore e-commerce trends, learn export strategies, and stay updated on technological advancements. Every year, the summit brings together industry stalwarts, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and global visionaries. The sessions and interactions designed for the 2024 edition enable MSMEs to gain insights into megatrends and breakthrough opportunities in digitisation, exports, innovation, and sustainability, with a special emphasis on artificial intelligence. Every Smbhav summit reinforces Amazon’s commitment towards its ambitious pledges for India: digitise 10 million small businesses, create 2 million direct and indirect jobs and enable $20 billion in e-commerce exports by 2025.

Amazon Smbhav returns on December 9 and 10

The 5th edition of Amazon India’s flagship summit focuses on innovation, artificial intelligence, ecommerce exports, digitisation, and sustainable growth for SMBs

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This year’s theme—Naye India ki Nayi Raftaar—aligns with the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat, the journey to becoming a developed economy by 2047. It embodies the vision of a digitally transformed nation, showcasing the dynamic spirit of the country’s ongoing digital revolution. There is also an emphasis on exports, innovation, and sustainability, key themes that are reshaping the business landscape for SMBs nationwide.

The two-day summit begins with Smbhav Learning Day, held in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management (Calcutta), and Startup India, under the aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. SMBs will get to attend expert-led knowledge sessions covering a spectrum of topics ranging from exploring AI tools to understanding market dynamics. Participants will also get the opportunity to connect with industry and government leaders. You can also expect industry-shaping announcements and updates from Amazon at Smbhav 2024. Bookmark AboutAmazon.in for the latest updates on Smbhav.

This year’s event will have a Smbhav Pavilion where participating SMBs can witness first-hand the collaborative efforts driving digital transformation. Dozens of interactive booths will cover everything from live demos to AI-powered tools designed for SMB success. Participants will also get an opportunity to visit the Seller Café, a space where Amazon sellers can connect with experts, share experiences, and get guidance and insights. A bunch of innovative and trailblazing SMBs in categories aligned with the pillars of a self-reliant India will be honoured with Smbhav Awards. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement on nominations.

Amazon adds more seller-friendly features to its Multi-Channel Fulfilment service

Multi-Channel fulfillment gives D2C brands the flexibility to use Amazon's network even for non-Amazon orders, eliminating the need for separate warehouses or logistics partners. Over 1,000 D2C brands such as Himalayan Organics, DermaTouch and Satthwa are already using MCF.

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As part of the lead-up to Smbhav 2024, Amazon partnered with Startup India, NIF-India, and NIF-ientreC to launch the Amazon Smbhav Hackathon 2024. It is a nationwide competition (applications are now closed) where innovators were invited to contribute ground-breaking ideas and AI-powered solutions that can significantly impact the growth and success of SMBs in e-commerce. The top three teams will compete for an opportunity to visit Amazon's Seattle headquarters and receive cash prizes worth up to ₹10 lakh. The hackathon winners will be announced on day 1 of Smbhav (December 10). 

The last four editions were attended by over 195,000 participants and focused on helping SMBs unlock growth opportunities, learn about new technologies/innovations, and explore other avenues. Here’s a quick roundup.

Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos headlined the first Smbhav event held in January 2020 by announcing an investment of $1 billion. Amazon also announced, for the first time, its India pledges to digitise 10 million SMBs, enable $10 billion in exports and create 2 million jobs by 2025. (In 2023, Amazon shared an update on its pledges. Read more here.)

Amazon announced the creation of a $250 million Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund to invest in startups focusing on SMB digitisation besides innovation in agriculture and healthcare. Notable speakers at the 2021 edition included Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road Transport and Highways), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Chairperson of Bharti Enterprises), and Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO).

Smbhav 2022 highlighted Amazon’s efforts to support customers, sellers, employees and communities during the pandemic. Notable attendees included Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology of India) and Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia (ex-Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India).

The key highlights at Smbhav 2023 included an expansion of the Amazon-India Post partnership to streamline cross-border logistics for Indian exporters. Also, Amazon and Indian Railways deepened their relationship to speed up deliveries with Indian Railways dedicated freight corridors. Amazon also introduced its Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) services to support direct-to-consumer brands. Key attendees at Smbhav 2023 included Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology; Vineet Pandey, Secretary of the Department of Posts; and Jaya Verma Sinha, Member of Operations and Business Development at the Railway Board.

Amazon, ICLEI launch 75 urban food gardens across Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata

Supported through Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, the initiative will create biodiversity havens that also provide nutrition for children in municipal schools

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Amazon Smbhav 2024 features a dynamic mix of leaders and visionaries across industries. The entrepreneurs/investors lineup includes Aman Gupta (Co-founder, boAt), Vineeta Singh (CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics), Vikram Chandra (Founder, Editorji), and Kanwaljit Singh (Co-founder, Fireside Ventures). Sports icons Sania Mirza, Yuvraj Singh, Abhinav Bindra, and Rohan Bopanna add inspiration, while Dr. Prashant Mishra (Professor, IIM Calcutta) brings academic insights. Amazon’s executives—Amit Agarwal (SVP, Emerging Markets), Samir Kumar (Country Manager, India), and Kara Hurst (VP, Worldwide Sustainability)—will pitch in with their expertise and perspectives. Together, these visionaries embody Naye India ki Nayi Raftaar, empowering MSMEs and fuelling India’s digital transformation. Stay tuned for more updates to the 2024 attendees list.

The 5th edition of Amazon Smbhav 2024 is an invite-only summit that will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Registrations are now open. You can register for Amazon Smbhav 2024 here: https://smbhav.amazon.in/. You can also live stream the symposium on the Smbhav website and the Sell on Amazon India YouTube channel.