Ahead of International Women’s Day, Amazon India today announced scholarships to 500 female students under the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program in India. The scholarship provides access to invaluable resources and opportunities to pursue careers in technology. This initiative underscores Amazon's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech industry and empowering the next generation of women leaders.

Building on the success of the program, the selected students will receive INR 50,000 per year for the duration of their courses in computer science or related fields of study. The program provides financial support, mentorship by Amazon employees and advanced personalized coding boot camps to scholars to help them transition into successful careers in the tech industry, building future women leaders in technology. This year, scholars will also be provided with personal laptops to ensure seamless participation in boot camps, webinars and other engagement exercises.

Akshay Kashyap, Lead, Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon India, said, “As we celebrate International Women's Day, we are proud to reaffirm Amazon's dedication to bridging the gap between talent and opportunity while promoting diversity and inclusion in tech industry. Through Amazon Future Engineer Scholar Intern Program, we are investing in the next generation of female leaders in technology to build a better world for all of us.”

Since its launch in 2022, the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship program in India has made significant strides in empowering female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in technology. The first cohort of scholars, comprising 200 meritorious female students enrolled in first-year computer science engineering programs, represented a diverse group of first-generation learners, many hailing from families primarily engaged in agriculture or manual labour occupations. Each scholar in the first cohort 2021 and second cohort 2022 was respectively granted INR 40,000 and INR 50,000 funding scholarship, access to computer science boot camps, mentorship, participation in Amazon Women of the World (WoW) webinars, and a coveted paid tech internship at Amazon.

In 2023, the program introduced an internship component, offering 68 early and paid tech internships to the highest-performing scholars of the first cohort. This internship opportunity, presented exclusively to Amazon Future Engineer Program scholars at the end of their second academic year, creates a new industry standard to offer early internships, opening a pathway to return internships and potentially full-time employment at Amazon. The program's outreach and application process have been facilitated through strategic partnerships with the non-profit organization Foundation for Excellence (FFE), resulting in significant participation and interest from aspiring females with over 7500 applications received from all across India. 

Amazon India has provided numerous opportunities for women across its ecosystem, including Seller Partners, Operations Network Partners, Community Beneficiaries, Employees, and Associates, all of whom play crucial roles in positively impacting Amazon's diverse customer base throughout the country. The company has made significant strides in introducing various benefits, programs, and initiatives to empower women both within and outside its organization. These efforts reflect Amazon's dedication to women's empowerment and its unwavering commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within its ecosystem culture, thereby enhancing the overall Amazon experience.

In reaffirmation of its commitment to women's empowerment, Amazon India launches the third edition of the #SheIsAmazon campaign on the occasion of the 49th International Women’s Day, under the theme #InspireInclusion. This campaign highlights 49 distinct programs, initiatives, and benefits implemented by various entities within Amazon to empower women both within and beyond the company. These initiatives have played a significant role in advancing women's professional journeys and stand as symbols of Amazon's dedication to their empowerment.