Indian bedsheets with their colorful designs have been adapted in the US as beach towels, throws, and wall hangings. Our desi shudh ghee is being recognized by coffee connoisseurs around the world and is being used as a supplement to enhance coffee blends. Copper utensils are increasingly being used as tumblers to serve beer and cocktails in the US and Europe. The humble Chandrika soap is being heralded as a 'lather inducer for shaving' by virtue of its all-natural nourishing qualities.
These are just some examples of praise that Made in India products are now being showered with all across the world. Amazon's Global Selling Propel program has lowered the entry barrier for businesses of all kinds -- from Indian couture to indigenous craft, to Ayurvedic products, jewellery, and STEM toys -- to reach a global audience. It's no wonder then that over 1,000 Indian exporters in 2021 have crossed over Rs 1 crore in sales thanks to the AGS program.
Indian businesses go global
Today, hundreds and thousands of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can grow their business outside of India without having an offline/local footprint on foreign shores and without intermediaries. Mumbai-based Taha Nabee, founder of cosmetic brand Aromatan, says, “Amazon enables us to serve our customers across the world with its international tools. Thanks to Amazon, we now deliver aromatic experiences with a digital-first approach, which helps us reach consumers faster than ever.”
Speaking about the the overwhelming response he received from global customers during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Honey Twigs founder Paras Fatnami says, “I spent most nights refreshing the sales dashboard every few seconds because orders were pouring in. We became the bestseller in the honey category for two days – a moment that our entire team will remember for a long time. This success on Amazon.com encouraged us to launch in four more international marketplaces.”
Shanthi Srinivasan, Managing Director, Westbrooke Linens, says that this program meant identifying opportunities that e-commerce exports offer to meet the demand for Indian home textiles. Shanthi, who registered with Amazon Global Selling in 2018, says, "Our first stint was with the US marketplace, and there has been no looking back since. In the last three years, we’ve seen a 2X year-on-year growth rate thanks to Amazon. We now export over 97% of our products."
Connecting with Indian diaspora through craft
Noopur Sahu, founder of Indo Tribe, was inspired by a greater purpose — to make the diverse culture of India accessible to the world, along with making a tangible difference to the women in her community. She founded Indo Tribe — a budding business that relies on a network of rural female artisans — to realize her dream of taking her business to international shores. Says Sahu, “We work closely with a network of rural artisans to take their unique craft to international markets. Most of our women artisans specialize in festive products like clay diyas, rangolis, pooja thalis, and rakhis — a favorite among Indian diaspora during festival season."
Turning adversity into an opportunity
For many Indian sellers, the Global Selling Program helped revive businesses that were seeing gloomy days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Says Fatnami of Honey Twigs, “The pandemic disrupted the F&B category dramatically, impacting 60% of our revenue source. In our quest to find newer models, we turned to Amazon and saw increasing interest from international customers for our nutritive honey. It has only been onwards and upwards since then. The Amazon team supported us to set up and make our products available in the US.”
Adds Sahu of Indo Tribe, "The artisan community I work with was highly impacted owing to the dramatic fall in local sales. That’s when we explored the opportunity that Amazon Global Selling offers across markets like the USA, Canada, and the UK. In the last two years, our products have been sold out by becoming category bestsellers during festive seasons like Rakhi and Diwali. We have grown 3X since our association with Amazon.”
