Amazon Announces Propel Startup Accelerator Season 3; Program to Support 50 Indian D2C Startup

Amazon India today announced the launch of the third season of Amazon Global Selling Propel Startup Accelerator (Propel S3) an initiative designed to provide dedicated support to emerging Indian brands and startups to reach customers around the world.

The Propel S3 will support up to 50 D2C startups launch in international markets and create global brands from India. The program offers participants a chance to win total rewards worth over $1.5 million including AWS Activate credits, ads credits as well as logistics and account management support for one year. The top 3 winners will also get a combined $100K in equity free grant. Amazon will also help participating startups connect with Revenue-based-financing firms including Klub and Velocity who will provide curated offers to the participating startups to expand their business at scale.

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The applications for the program open today and will close on April 30, 2023. It will culminate in a demo-day where participants will get a chance to pitch their business propositions to leading VC firms and get a shot at funding to expand their operations. As part of the Propel S3, Amazon has constituted a mentorship board consisting of Amazon leaders from India and across the world, VC partners and senior industry leaders who will engage with emerging brands and provide them tailored resources, 1:1 mentorship and workshops on the global demand patterns and insights on building successful exports business through ecommerce. Amazon will also host sessions focused on peer learning by inviting veteran entrepreneurs and Propel Alumni to help participating startups network and learn from their existing ecosystem.

Bhupen Wakankar, Director Global Trade at Amazon India said, “We had started the Global Selling Propel Accelerator to provide emerging companies an opportunity to bring their business propositions to life and create globally popular brands from India. In the first two seasons, we saw great interest, ideas and entrepreneurial spirit with more than 1500 startups applying for the program. The season 3 is bigger and better with expanded range of benefits and support to help 50 startups from India launch in global markets this year. This program is a key part of our commitment to enable $20 billion in e-commerce exports from India by 2025.” Udit Sood, Co-Founder EcoRight one of the winners of Propel Accelerator Season 2 said, “The program helped us interact with Amazon leaders and other experts which was critical in planning our international expansion.

It is perhaps the most effective program for brands aiming to go global. After winning the season 2, we have set up operations in more than 10 countries with Amazon and are managing it seamlessly sitting in India. We are excited by the response we are getting from global customers and are looking forward to further build on our presence in other markets.