Delhi: Amazon India today announced Auric, ISAK Fragrances, and Fix My Curls as the winners of the Amazon Propel Global Business Accelerator Season 4. These three innovative Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands will collectively receive a $100,000 equity-free grant from Amazon to fuel their international growth ambitions through e-commerce exports.
Auric, founded by Deepak Agarwal
ISAK Fragrances, founded by Vidushi Vijayvergiya
Fix My Curls, founded by Anshita Mehrotra
Building on the program’s significant success in helping over 120 Indian D2C brands launch globally, Amazon India also announced the launch of Propel Global Business Accelerator Season 5 (Propel S5). Applications for Propel S5 are now open and will close on July 15, 2025. Season 5 aims to support up to 100 high-potential D2C brands.
Program Impact and Future Vision
“I would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists of Propel Global Business Accelerator Season 4. It’s inspiring to see such innovation and ambition to build global brands from across India, a testament to the rapid adoption of e-commerce exports,” said Srinidhi Kalvapudi, Head, Amazon Global Selling India. “Propel began with a vision to help emerging companies create globally recognized brands; over four years, we’ve supported over 120+ Indian D2C brands including Minimalist, Sirona, Shumee, PLIX, Butterfly edu, Confect amongst others. With Propel S5, we plan to support up to 100 Indian D2C brands launching globally this year, a key part of our commitment to drive $80 billion in e-commerce exports from India by 2030.”
Propel Global Business Accelerator Season 4, launched in May 2024, saw an overwhelming response with over 900 applications from D2C and emerging brands across more than 15 Indian cities. Fifty-four D2C brands were selected as finalists. The program was run in association with leading VC firms including Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund, Peak XV Partners, Fireside Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, IPV, V3 Ventures, and Elevation Capital.
Mentorship and Support for Season 5
For Propel S5, Amazon has assembled a dedicated mentorship board comprising Amazon leaders, VC partners, and seasoned industry experts. This board will offer personalized resources, one-on-one mentorship, and workshops covering global demand trends and strategies for building a successful e-commerce exports business.
The program will also feature peer learning sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and Propel alumni, fostering a supportive network for participating D2C brands. The accelerator will culminate in a demo day, where participants can present their business ideas to top venture capital firms for potential funding.
Participant Perspective
Vidushi Vijayvergiya, Founder of ISAK Fragrances, one of the Season 4 winners, shared, “Amazon’s marketplace has been crucial to our vision in India, and the Propel program was the perfect guide for our global expansion. It truly has been the most wonderful opportunity to take our products worldwide. Propel helped us navigate every aspect of global selling, connecting us with industry leaders, VCs, and peers. These invaluable insights into global business and diverse customer preferences have given us the confidence to scale into multiple new international markets in the coming years.”
How to Apply for Propel Global Business Accelerator Season 5
D2C brands in the consumer products space with global expansion ambitions are encouraged to apply. Entries will be evaluated by an Amazon-led cross-disciplinary panel based on business idea, scalability, strength of the business plan, business metrics, and founding team credentials.
The top 100 applicants will be inducted into a two-month mentorship program, receiving marketplace insights, compliance, and logistics support for global market launches. This cohort will receive 1:1 account management support from Amazon, covering key product identification, inventory planning, demand forecasting, ads optimization strategies, and preparation for global sale events. Participants will also interact with senior leaders from Amazon and the industry on “Go to Market” approach and “Product Market Fit.”
The program will conclude with a Demo Day, where the top D2C brands from the finalist cohort will pitch their business propositions to a panel of leaders from Amazon, VC partners, and others. The panel will select the top three winners, who will receive the combined $100,000 in equity-free grants from Amazon.
