New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), on Monday, October 7, signed a deal with e-commerce giant Amazon to sell textbooks through their e-commerce platform Amazon.in.
NCERT will triple its textbook output and print 15 crore books this year, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Monday.
“NCCERT has been shaping India’s education landscape by publishing textbooks since 1963, with a total of about 220 crore books and journals. NCERT is a major think tank for the country. These books will be made available in almost 20,000 zip codes across the country. Books should be available at MRP,” Pradhan said.
Emphasizing the importance of making learning joyful for the 300 million Amrit Kaal students, Pradhan called for the development of e-books that are interactive and AI-driven, incorporating innovations such as talking books.
According to officials, NCERT textbooks of all grades will be made available on the Amazon NCERT storefront, which was also launched today.
Textbooks are sold at retail for no more than the price printed on the textbooks. Only genuine NCERT textbooks will be retailed on this platform, thus helping to curb the sale of pirated NCERT textbooks.
“Amazon will help NCERT monitor and remove unauthorized sellers who are distributing fake or expensive books. Through Amazon’s extensive delivery network, students and schools, even in the most remote areas, will be able to purchase textbooks at the prescribed prices.
“This will address the challenges of supply gaps, delayed availability and regional textbook shortages, ensuring equitable access to education,” said a senior education ministry official.
In addition to serving individual customers, Amazon will work with NCERT to simplify bulk ordering for government agencies and schools, making it easier for institutions to supply large quantities of textbooks.
To help with this, NCERT has appointed designated distribution vendors who will work with Amazon sellers to ensure timely and efficient deliveries.
“Amazon is trusted by millions of Indians across the country every day because it makes essential products easily accessible, and we believe that quality education should be no exception,” said Saurabh Srivastava, Vice President, Categories, Amazon India.
“By ensuring that original NCERT textbooks are available at fair prices, Amazon is playing its part in building a more transparent and trusted education ecosystem.
“This effort will make it easier for students, parents and educators to access the resources they need, supporting their uncompromising learning,” he added.
