Aims to empower growth of women entrepreneurs in Nagaland
Morung Express News
Kohima | January 23
In line with its vision to transform the way India sells, Amazon India today announced its partnership with the Government of Nagaland and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to empower and enable women entrepreneurs in the state by providing them with a global platform to sell their products at zero initial cost.
Under the partnership, Amazon.in will conduct extensive training & skill development workshops to help women entrepreneurs in Nagaland understand nuances related to online selling and develop skills and capabilities necessary to nurture successful online enterprises. The programme also aims to encourage cottage industries in Nagaland by helping them grow through online commerce. As part of the initiative, a one-stop center equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure will be created to train and equip women entrepreneurs to open their own ‘E-shop’ on Amazon.in.
Towards this objective, the Government of Nagaland in association with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Amazon India is conducting a two day workshop. The workshop was held at Mhachaki, near ISBT, Kohima on January 23.
Richard Belho from Zynorique said that the lack of production is the biggest challenge for the State. Citing that the workshop is a step to create the dream of production economy, Belho mentioned that more than 200 products are expected to go live after the completion of the workshop. The main objective of the workshop is to make sure it is practical and that by the end of the workshop, the products of the entrepreneurs go online for sale.
The speech of chief guest, Temjen Toy who could not attend the workshop, was read by Jesmina Zeliang, Member of HCSSC. “Digital commerce has dissolved geographical boundaries and enabled millions of Indians to be consumers of products and services from all corners not only of the country but also of the world. A massive economic transformation has taken place of which consumers from Nagaland have also been a part,” stated Toy.
While Nagaland has unique products to sell, Toy pointed out the lack of proper marketing platform which has always been a limitation for the entrepreneurs. He hoped that a global player like Amazon will empower women entrepreneurs in Nagaland to actively take part in the global digital market.
Krishan Kumar from the Handicraft and Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC) spoke about the objectives and initiatives of the HCSSC, where 6810 trainees have been certified under the Council provided by the schemes of NSDC.
Nidhi Trehan from Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMHFSSC) informed that it is the second largest employment generator after the Agricultural sector with an export value of 16.84 billion USD in 2015-2016. Out of the 39 training centers in the NE, the Council has only one centre in Nagaland with Assam having the highest number of centers at 26.
Ayush Aggarwal from Amazon gave a brief introduction of Amazon in the global as well as the country level. Stating that the workshop is “a little different from the others,” Aggarwal assured that the company will make sure the products are sold as much as possible. A basic introduction to E-commerce was also presented.
Providing tips on how to sell on Amazon, Lavanya from Amazon mentioned that the workshop is unique because it only exists in India despite the company being lately launched in the country. She advised the entrepreneurs to understand the geography they are working from, while also stating the dangers of selling fake products online.
