In a bid to help small and medium business partners (SMBs), e-commerce giant Amazon India on Wednesday introduced a ‘partner support fund’ which will provide financial aid to such businesses in logistics that are adversely affected by the lockdown.

In a statement, Amazon India said that “through the one-time disbursement, the fund will support the partners in multiple ways, which includes enabling them to provide financial aid to nearly 40,000 of their staff for the month of April 2020.”

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“Additionally, the fund will help cover some critical fixed infrastructure costs, and support liquidity and cash flow for these businesses as they resume and scale their operations post lockdown,” it added.

This fund is for those SMBs who are heavily reliant on the etailer.

Amazon India has extended the Amazon Relief Fund to eligible delivery associates who are part of the Delivery Service Partner Program, Amazon Flex program and its trucking partners providing transportation support.

Amazon had previously launched a similar fund in the U.S. to support its delivery and other partners.

The fund will be available to delivery service partners and select transportation partners in India to help adjust their business model to the “new realities” posed during the lockdown, it said.

AWhile speaking about the fund and company’s commitment to help its partners the Akhil Saxena, VP, Customer Fulfilment Operations, APAC, MENA & LATAM, Amazon said it is “invested in helping our partners overcome the unforeseen disruption in business. Our commitment to partners and to India is for the long-term, and this fund, in addition to other measures, aims to support SMBs overcome the situation with relative ease.”

The Amazon Partner Support Fund follows the recent announcement of the global $25 million Amazon Relief Fund (ARF) in India. ARF can be utilised by qualifying individuals who have been quarantined or diagnosed with COVID-19.