Ecommerce in India
Electronic commerce is presently an important part of India’s trade facilitation policy. Last few years we
have witnessed a technological revolution accompanied by the widespread use of the Internet, web
technologies and their applications. As part of the information technology revolution, electronic
commerce (e-commerce) has become widely used in global trade in general and the Indian economy. E-
commerce represents the cutting edge of success in this digital age as a sign of globalisation, and it has
transformed and continues to revolutionise the way business is conducted around the world. As a result,
as people increasingly turn to the internet to buy items and demand the best pricing, the Internet's rise has
resulted in a slew of new changes, including decreasing margins for businesses. Amazon, Flipkart,
Snapdeal etc. are the biggest giants of the Indian online market.
In June 2013, Amazon was launched in India. Amazon had little infrastructure in India three years ago,
but now it controls the Indian markets. Amazon Business is one of the largest B2B ecommerce platforms
in India. Amazon India has vigorously adopted a “GLOCAL” strategy to increase its presence in
customers’ mind. In this manner, the company's well-known branding ads such as "Try tokar," "Aur
Dikhao," "Kya Pehnu," and "Apni Dukaan" intended to capture Indian consumers' ambivalence and
anxiety of online purchasing. Amazon's management is investigating if these "culture-specific" branding
methods can help Amazon to become India's number one online shopping destination soon. Driven by the
Initial success and growth opportunities in India Amazon decided to launch Prime video services in India.
They also launched Amazon music in 2018. The prime video service is rolled out in many different
languages and local titles. They also started one day delivery service for the customers who owns a prime
service. Amazon Fresh is a new grocery store designed from the ground up to offer a seamless grocery
shopping experience, whether customers are shopping in-store or online. Amazon Fresh offers
consistently low prices and free same-day delivery and pick-up for Prime members .
In January 2020, Amazon announced an investment of $1 billion in India and committed to digitally
enable 10 million micro, small, and medium enterprises, drive ecommerce exports worth $10 billion, and
create 1 million additional jobs in India between 2020 and 2025. Since then, Amazon has added 300,000
direct and indirect jobs in India and added 250,000 new sellers, putting it well on track to fulfill these
commitments. We also actively work to help communities by responding to urgent needs like disaster
relief and they invest in education for children and young adults.
Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka. The online
venture, founded by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, began as an online bookstore, but as the
firm's fame grew, it grew and expanded its activities such as consumer electronics, fashion, home
essentials, groceries, and lifestyle items. Since 2010, the company has made a few acquisitions
including Letsbuy, Myntra, Jabong, eBay India, etc. The platform began selling a variety of other
products, including music, mobile phones, and movies. With e-commerce gradually revolutionising the
retail world and gaining traction in India, Flipkart expanded at a rapid pace, steadily adding new item
categories to its collection. Currently, the company facilitates over 80 million+ products from mobile
phones and accessories, computers, laptops, books and e-books, home appliances, electronic goods,
clothes and accessories, sports and fitness, baby care, games and toys, jewellery, footwear, and so on. The
country's largest e-commerce player opened its doors to sellers in the summer of 2013, giving them the
opportunity to taste success in an online marketplace. The online marketplace, on the other hand, was
uncharted territory for sellers.
Flipkart anticipated that a growing consumer base would result in increased product demand and a need
for variety. The shift from an inventory-based model to an e-commerce marketplace meant that all three -
the customer, the seller, and Flipkart - had a good chance of winning big. The launch of the Flipkart
marketplace saw a slew of innovations and one-of-a-kind initiatives that would go on to become industry
best practises as the industry evolved, inspiring and emboldening competitors as well as new start-ups
entering this space. Flipkart launched a series of disruptive initiatives in the months that followed,
beginning in the summer of 2013. These were some examples:
Persuading sellers that selling online made 'business sense'.
Providing sellers with the tools they need to meet customer demands for speed of delivery and
dependability of service.
Retaining and rewarding sellers for selling online while continuously improving efficiency.
Flipkart began acquiring sellers to provide customers with a broader product selection. The steps in the
process of enlisting sellers were as follows:
Flipkart initially reached out to sellers through advertisements.
A dedicated team communicated with the sellers and educated them on online selling.
The team addressed sellers' concerns about timely payments and the security of personal
information.
