Guj: CM inaugurates Amazon's digital centre in Surat

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Thursday virtually inaugurated a 'Digital Kendra' of the e-commerce giant Amazon in Surat city.

The company in a release said it is the first such center by Amazon in India and has been launched to guide MSME (micro, small and medium enterprise) units about various aspects related to online trade, such as shipping, logistics, digital marketing, taxation, and third party services.

In his virtual address, Rupani thanked Amazon for choosing Surat for starting their first 'Digital Kendra' in the country.

Rupani expressed confidence that the center would prove beneficial for around 41,000 MSMEs operating in Surat city.

He said small and medium units engaged in textiles, diamond, and embroidery business in Surat would now get a global platform with the help of this center.

Noting that the coronavirus has adversely affected business activities in the state, Rupani said it is in the genes of Gujaratis to bounce back, and such centers would help them in reaching out to the world market.

Rupani also exuded confidence that the digital center would open new avenues of opportunities for locally made handicrafts and other traditional products made by tribals.

On the occasion, Amazon India's Country Head Amit Agarwal informed the audience that the company has already digitized 25 lakh MSME units and helped in creating around 10 lakh employment opportunities in India till now.

''The 'Digital Kendra' at Surat is one more step by the company to fulfill its commitment to digitize 10 million (one crore) MSME units of the country, for which the company would invest USD 1 billion,'' he said.