Technology for MSMEs: Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing subsidiary of e-commerce company Amazon, on Wednesday announced the launch of its programme AWS Lift in India to get small and medium businesses (SMBs) to adopt the various cloud solutions offered by the company. AWS said the new and existing SMB customers that join the programme will receive a starter pack of AWS promotional credits over 12 months, getting access to all 200 cloud services available on AWS “without worrying about associated costs”.
“Their first dollar billed on AWS services will unlock $750 (Rs 62,000) of AWS promotional credits in their account and increased usage of AWS services is rewarded with AWS promotional credits to offset their bill, up to a maximum of $83,500 (Rs 69 lakh) over 12 months,” the company said in a statement.
Also read: What’s stopping MSMEs to get SaaSy if not intent or awareness
The programme, AWS said, will not have any lock-in periods or hidden fees and would help alleviate cost pressures for SMBs amid the current economic environment that has increased financial pressure on all businesses, particularly SMBs with limited finances to weather the rising inflationary pressures. The announcement comes in the backdrop of Amazon
Puneet Chandok, President of Commercial Business, AWS India & South Asia said, “Our SMB customers are already seeing business results by leveraging the cloud to enhance their productivity, increase customer acquisition, and expand into new markets. We look forward to empowering more customers to adopt the cloud with AWS Lift, in collaboration with our partner network, as India realizes the vision to become a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.”
Also read: Communications platform-as-a-service market to reach $29B by 2025, driven by SMEs: Report
According to the company, AWS has invested over $3.7 billion in India between 2016 and 2022 while its Asia Pacific (Hyderabad) Region, launched in 2022, is estimated to support more than 48,000 full-time jobs annually through a planned investment of more than $4.4 billion in India by 2030. At AWS, a region is a physical location in the world with multiple ‘Availability Zones’ consisting of one or more data centers.
As per a Microsoft’s global SMB survey, which included 301 SMBs from India, in October last year, 35 per cent respondents said they are planning to be mostly or all in the cloud while 39 per cent SMBs said they look at technology to help them grow their customer base while 38 per cent look at it to improve customer retention.