Presented By: 
Taha Mirza 
Vatsal Solanki 
Ullash Kutiyar 
Varuna Singh 
Yudhister Singareddy 
Vaishali Kumar 
CMBA4
Re-Birth of E-Commerce in India 
 India is at the cusp of a digital revolution. 
 Internet has become an integral part of this growing population 
segment. 
 Ernst & Young in their 2012 Report conducted a research study on the 
Indian E-Commerce Sector.
Methodology 
The report focused on the key e-commerce segments- travel, retail and 
classifieds. 
Ernst & Young conducted comprehensive interviews with the founders 
and senior executives of Indian e-commerce companies.
Summary 
 E-commerce grew almost 50% in the last 5 years. 
 Venture Capitalists have demonstrated their faith in the e-commerce 
growth of this country. 
 Online travel- The largest e-commerce sub-sector is expected to grow as 
many travel players are diversifying their offerings. 
 Online Retail Segment has evolved and grown significantly. CoD has 
been the key growth drivers. 
 Classifieds, the earliest entrant is undergoing a shift in their operational 
model
E-Commerce- Overview 
Services provided under the various modes of e-Commerce 
C2C 
B2C 
B2B
Key Stakeholders 
E-Commerce 
Player 
Buyer 
Supplier
Key Stakeholders (Cont.) 
 The three stakeholders coordinate among each other to facilitate the 3 
main flows in an e-commerce transaction: 
Product Flow 
Information Flow 
Monetary Flow
Market Evolution in India
B2B 
Directory 
1st 
Wave 
Online 
Matrimonial 
Online 
Recruitme 
nt 
Online 
Classified 
s 
Online 
Travel 
2nd 
Wave 
Online 
Retail 
SNS 
Group 
Buying
E-Commerce Market Size in India
E-commerce Ecosystem 
Pros – 
 Annual disposable income per household to grow by two-and-a-half times by 2015 
 Discretionary spending expected to form a major portion of expenditure in India 
 Proliferation expected in the sales of PCs, tablets and smartphones 
 More Indians increasing time spent online 
 Probability of growth in internet user base, mirroring that of the voice user base 
 Volume and average value of transactions higher for credit cards than debit cards 
 Increase in the number of payment options Cons 
 Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause for concern 
 Online payment landscape marred by low penetration of credit and debit cards; high failure rate of online 
payment transactions 
Cons – 
 Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause for concern 
 Online payment landscape marred by low penetration of credit and debit cards; high failure rate of online 
payment transactions
First to Second – Fundamental Enablers Falling in place 
Internet is the key to the development of e-Commerce. 
 Internet user base has been growing significantly, with an 
exponential increase in internet usage. 
 The adoption of 3G, coupled with the declining prices of 
smartphones. 
 Improvements on the payment front have brought about the 
increasing use of plastic money by Indian consumers. 
 Payment gateways have now been made more secure through 
multiple levels of authentication via one-time passwords (OTPs) 
and transaction passwords.
Devices 
 Increased PC penetration 
 Increasing smartphone and tablet market 
 Declining PC, tablet and Smartphone costs 
Reasons – 
Increased Disposable Income of Indian Consumer 
Annual disposable income per household is expected to 
increase at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2005 to 2025 . 
 2005 US$2 2015 US$3,823 2025 US$6,790 
 Technological advances increasing the penetration of 
devices
Internet 
 Internet penetration in India among the lowest in the world. 
 Internet penetration in India was 11.4% as of June 2012, one of the 
lowest worldwide. 
 Area of Concern – 
 Places it high on the Government’s agenda 
 The National Telecom Policy–2011 (NTP–2011) is a step toward increasing 
technology adoption in the country.
Statistics 
 More Indians coming online... 
 India crossed the 100 million internet user figure in 2010 and reached 121 
million users by end 2011, making it the third-largest country worldwide in 
terms of its internet population. 
 The number of internet users in India is expected to triple to 300 million by 
2015, growing at a CAGR of 25.5%14. 
 The frequency of internet usage has increased in parallel to the growth in 
internet user base. 
 Time spent by Indians on internet has been increasing over the years. The 
average time spent online per person per month rose from 12.9 hours in 2006 
to 17.4 hours in 2011. It is forecast to increase to 21 hours by 2015.
Graph
Shift In Access Points 
 There has been a progressive shift in access points used to log on to 
internet. Previously, cybercafés were the primary access point and 
accounted for 52% of internet usage in 2003. 
 Over time, people have increasingly been accessing internet from 
home, with the segment’s share growing by more than 60% between 
2009 and 2011 to account for 37% of internet usage in the country.
The shift in internet access points 
 Convenience 
 Security 
 Consumer analysis
Internet Usage and User. 
 Continuous reduction in the cost of internet access. 
 The tariffs of data plans and prices of data cards/USB dongles are on a 
decline, thus reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an internet 
connection. 
 Internet penetration is growing in towns with population of less than 
0.5 million.
Cons - 
 Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause 
for concern. 
 India ranking low in average speed and peak average speed of 
broadband connections. 
 Solution- 
3G are expected to change this scenario.
Mobiles 
 Consumers becoming mobile – 
The mobile internet user base is growing, aided by the introduction of 3G 
data plans and declining smartphone prices. 
 E-Commerce needs to work on 
 User experience on e-Commerce websites also needs to be improved, since 
most of these sites are not optimized for use on mobile devices. 
Not all e-Commerce sites have developed mobile apps.
Payment Landscape has gone a sea 
Change 
 The number of cards per capita in India is a mere 0.2 and is among the 
lowest in the world. 
 The success rate in online transactions a concern area for e-Commerce 
in India 
 RBI could look at playing a key role in monitoring the performance of 
payment providers ( to keep a check on failed transaction)
Credit Card/Debit Card – Payments 
Mode 
 Usage of Credit cards is declining and debit cards is on the rise . 
 But average value of credit card transactions still higher than that of 
debit card transactions 
 Payment Options Are Increasing 
 The number of internet banking users increased to account for 7% of 
the total number of bank account holders in 2011 as compared with 1% 
in 2007
Conclusion 
 E-Commerce players are banking on the Indian internet growth story. The 
fact that an average online user is spending more time online gives these 
players the opportunity to draw more users to their websites through 
innovative marketing strategies such as those revolving around social media. 
 They should focus on developing mobile-compatible websites and 
applications. 
 E-Commerce players also need to focus on innovation to tackle challenges 
arising from low credit and debit card penetration. 
 The RBI could step in and reduce the number of online transaction failures 
by defining service metric quality and monitoring it at regular intervals.
Online Travel 
Ticketing Hotel Reservations Tour Packages 
Air 
Non-Air 
(Train/Bus)
Online Travel 
 Growth in India’s travel and tourism industry the second largest in the 
world. 
 Online travel- The largest e-commerce sub-sector is expected to grow as 
many travel players are diversifying their offerings. 
 Low Cost Carriers 
 Ticketing sales are the largest in the online travel market.
Complex Tax Structure For Retail Sector In 
India 
• Central Sales Tax (CST) 
• Value-added Tax(VAT) 
Non-uniform VAT rates levied by state governments, 
CST charge on inter-state sales and the retention of 
VAT in case of inter-state stock transfers make it 
challenging to decide warehouse location. In addition to 
these taxes, certain states or local municipalities levy entry 
taxes and Octroi, respectively.
Implementation Of Goods & Service Tax 
(GST) 
Online retailers are looking forward to the implementation of 
Goods and Services Tax (GST), Since it would help iron out 
most of the tax issues. 
CST and VAT will be subsumed in the GST this would ensure: 
1. Uniform rate of GST on a product across all of the states. 
2. GST to be creditable against IGST, which will be levied on 
inter-state transfer of goods.
Challenges Of Online Retail Market 
 Lack of touch-and-feel a mental barrier for online 
Shopping. 
 Increased competition with the entry of global 
Players. 
 Low margins prompting e-Commerce players to look 
at new business models.
Top Categories Driving Online Retails: 
Categories Percentage 
Books 44% 
Clothing/Accessories/shoes 36% 
Airline tickets/Reservation 32% 
Electronic equipment 27% 
Tours/hotel reservation 26% 
Cosmetics/nutrition supplies 22% 
Event tickets 20% 
Computer hardware 19% 
Videos/dvds/games 18% 
Groceries 18% 
Music 16%
Top Reasons Driving Online Retail 
1. Cash on delivery(COD)-A 
Necessary evil. 
2. Discounts, Convenience and 
Value-added services.
Online Classified 
 The online classifieds segment is expected to overtake the 
offline classifieds sector by 2012. 
 Online recruitment is the largest category in the online classifieds 
segment, followed by online matrimonial. 
 The “big fat” Indian wedding industry is providing new sources 
of revenues to online matrimonial companies. 
 The evolution of the real estate classifieds segment is dependent 
on how well it piggybacks the growth in Indian real estate.
 The online classifieds market in India grew at a CAGR of 29% 
from 2008 to 2011. 
 The major sources of revenues for the online classifieds segment 
depends on the segment and are listed below: 
RECRUITMENT REAL ESTATE 
MATRIMONIAL 
AUTOMOBILES 
B2B 
Market Size And Revenue Source
Online Recruitment classifieds 
 The segment offers various benefits 
 Reduced advertising costs 
 Employees are increasing their budget for online recruitment 
 Job seekers can send salient features through their mobile phones.
Matrimonial classifieds 
 The online matrimonial classified market grew from US$36.9 
million in 2009 to nearly US$63 million in 2011. 
 More than 100 matrimonial sites in the country. 
 It is the second-largest category in India’s online classifieds 
segment.
Online real estate and auto classifieds a small portion 
of online classifieds 
 The online real estate and auto classifieds segments had a market size of US$21.2 
million, with a market share of 14% of the online classifieds sector, in 2009. 
 online real estate classifieds segment has seen slow growth due to real estate 
agents being largely computer illiterate. 
 Demand for real estate is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19% between 2010 and 
2014. 
 Need to provide users a rich experience, e.g., through virtual tours of properties 
and the ability to finalize deals on the online platform. 
 online auto classifieds segment is a recent entrant in the second wave of e- 
Commerce in India. 
 majority of car buyers or sellers prefer to buy or sell cars through used car 
dealers and personal contacts.
Challenges in online classifieds segment 
 Lack of vernacular content:- Majority of the online classifieds content in 
India is in English. But, 58% of the urban literate population in India in 2009 
was non-English literate. 
 Credibility of information:- online recruitment and matrimonial classifieds 
space, there have been plenty of instances of fake profiles and profiles with 
incorrect information. 
 Preference of offline agents:- Due to the high value of transactions involved 
in the property and automobile market, majority of the real estate and car 
buyers take the services of an offline realtor or a car dealer.
Cloud surrounding e-Commerce laws in India 
 e-Commerce is a rapidly growing market in India, and domestic as well as 
international players are looking to tap the opportunity in the sector. 
 No specific e-Commerce laws in India 
 The sector is governed by the IT Act 2000, which regulates the legal obligations of 
sellers and buyers of goods and services in cyberspace. 
 e-Commerce laws in India need to comply with other statutory laws in force in 
the country, e.g., the Indian Contract Act and Foreign Investment Regulations. 
 e-Commerce companies also need to comply with banking and financial laws, 
where applicable.
Low entry barriers leading to reduced competitive 
advantages 
 The rapid growth of the e-Commerce sector is attracting new 
players. 
 Attracting entrepreneurs to secure funds easily. 
 operational aspects such as free shipping of products and COD, 
which were differentiators earlier, have now become hygiene 
factors.
Rapidly changing business models 
 Business models have been changing rapidly in the e-Commerce sector 
due to high competition and price. 
 Some businesses, such as online DVD rentals, have gone into 
obsolescence. 
 providing deals at high discounts, have now begun selling products. 
 players in the e-Commerce space need to adapt to changing business 
models and innovate constantly to sustain their businesses.
Urban phenomenon 
 India’s e-Commerce market is mainly restricted to urban areas. 
 Internet usage in rural areas is limited. 
 Rural areas account for 70% of the country’s population.
Customer loyalty 
 e-Commerce players offer huge discounts to lure people to shop 
online. 
 Indian consumer looks for the lowest price before making a 
purchase. 
 Challenge for players in their effort to develop sound strategies to 
attract and generate repeat customers.
Investments in E – commerce 
 Early stage funding in the e-commerce sector in India has also picked up with 
a few companies providing seed-funding and series A funding. 
 The rapid growth of e-commerce has attracted new players. 
 Companies are looking to acquire customers by selling below the cost price. 
 Mainly competing on price to overcome competition — at the expense of 
investors’ funds. 
 Several VCs are investing in the e-Commerce space because they feel this is 
the right time to invest. 
 Government made a landmark announcement allowing 51% FDI , an 
announcement applauded by e-commerce players assumed that this would 
attract foreign investments in B 2 C e-commerce
Investments in E – commerce 
 However, the initial euphoria was short-lived, since the 
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), an arm of 
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, later clarified that this 
mandate does not apply to B2C e-Commerce retail and is 
applicable only to retailers with brick-and-mortar operations. 
 Players’ opinion about the government’s decision on not allowing 
FDI in B2C e-Commerce retail is mixed.
Thank You

Re-Birth Of e-Commerce

  • 1.
    Presented By: TahaMirza Vatsal Solanki Ullash Kutiyar Varuna Singh Yudhister Singareddy Vaishali Kumar CMBA4
  • 2.
    Re-Birth of E-Commercein India  India is at the cusp of a digital revolution.  Internet has become an integral part of this growing population segment.  Ernst & Young in their 2012 Report conducted a research study on the Indian E-Commerce Sector.
  • 3.
    Methodology The reportfocused on the key e-commerce segments- travel, retail and classifieds. Ernst & Young conducted comprehensive interviews with the founders and senior executives of Indian e-commerce companies.
  • 4.
    Summary  E-commercegrew almost 50% in the last 5 years.  Venture Capitalists have demonstrated their faith in the e-commerce growth of this country.  Online travel- The largest e-commerce sub-sector is expected to grow as many travel players are diversifying their offerings.  Online Retail Segment has evolved and grown significantly. CoD has been the key growth drivers.  Classifieds, the earliest entrant is undergoing a shift in their operational model
  • 5.
    E-Commerce- Overview Servicesprovided under the various modes of e-Commerce C2C B2C B2B
  • 7.
    Key Stakeholders E-Commerce Player Buyer Supplier
  • 8.
    Key Stakeholders (Cont.)  The three stakeholders coordinate among each other to facilitate the 3 main flows in an e-commerce transaction: Product Flow Information Flow Monetary Flow
  • 9.
  • 10.
    B2B Directory 1st Wave Online Matrimonial Online Recruitme nt Online Classified s Online Travel 2nd Wave Online Retail SNS Group Buying
  • 11.
  • 12.
    E-commerce Ecosystem Pros–  Annual disposable income per household to grow by two-and-a-half times by 2015  Discretionary spending expected to form a major portion of expenditure in India  Proliferation expected in the sales of PCs, tablets and smartphones  More Indians increasing time spent online  Probability of growth in internet user base, mirroring that of the voice user base  Volume and average value of transactions higher for credit cards than debit cards  Increase in the number of payment options Cons  Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause for concern  Online payment landscape marred by low penetration of credit and debit cards; high failure rate of online payment transactions Cons –  Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause for concern  Online payment landscape marred by low penetration of credit and debit cards; high failure rate of online payment transactions
  • 14.
    First to Second– Fundamental Enablers Falling in place Internet is the key to the development of e-Commerce.  Internet user base has been growing significantly, with an exponential increase in internet usage.  The adoption of 3G, coupled with the declining prices of smartphones.  Improvements on the payment front have brought about the increasing use of plastic money by Indian consumers.  Payment gateways have now been made more secure through multiple levels of authentication via one-time passwords (OTPs) and transaction passwords.
  • 15.
    Devices  IncreasedPC penetration  Increasing smartphone and tablet market  Declining PC, tablet and Smartphone costs Reasons – Increased Disposable Income of Indian Consumer Annual disposable income per household is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2005 to 2025 .  2005 US$2 2015 US$3,823 2025 US$6,790  Technological advances increasing the penetration of devices
  • 16.
    Internet  Internetpenetration in India among the lowest in the world.  Internet penetration in India was 11.4% as of June 2012, one of the lowest worldwide.  Area of Concern –  Places it high on the Government’s agenda  The National Telecom Policy–2011 (NTP–2011) is a step toward increasing technology adoption in the country.
  • 17.
    Statistics  MoreIndians coming online...  India crossed the 100 million internet user figure in 2010 and reached 121 million users by end 2011, making it the third-largest country worldwide in terms of its internet population.  The number of internet users in India is expected to triple to 300 million by 2015, growing at a CAGR of 25.5%14.  The frequency of internet usage has increased in parallel to the growth in internet user base.  Time spent by Indians on internet has been increasing over the years. The average time spent online per person per month rose from 12.9 hours in 2006 to 17.4 hours in 2011. It is forecast to increase to 21 hours by 2015.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Shift In AccessPoints  There has been a progressive shift in access points used to log on to internet. Previously, cybercafés were the primary access point and accounted for 52% of internet usage in 2003.  Over time, people have increasingly been accessing internet from home, with the segment’s share growing by more than 60% between 2009 and 2011 to account for 37% of internet usage in the country.
  • 20.
    The shift ininternet access points  Convenience  Security  Consumer analysis
  • 21.
    Internet Usage andUser.  Continuous reduction in the cost of internet access.  The tariffs of data plans and prices of data cards/USB dongles are on a decline, thus reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an internet connection.  Internet penetration is growing in towns with population of less than 0.5 million.
  • 22.
    Cons - Low average broadband speed and flat average internet speed cause for concern.  India ranking low in average speed and peak average speed of broadband connections.  Solution- 3G are expected to change this scenario.
  • 23.
    Mobiles  Consumersbecoming mobile – The mobile internet user base is growing, aided by the introduction of 3G data plans and declining smartphone prices.  E-Commerce needs to work on  User experience on e-Commerce websites also needs to be improved, since most of these sites are not optimized for use on mobile devices. Not all e-Commerce sites have developed mobile apps.
  • 24.
    Payment Landscape hasgone a sea Change  The number of cards per capita in India is a mere 0.2 and is among the lowest in the world.  The success rate in online transactions a concern area for e-Commerce in India  RBI could look at playing a key role in monitoring the performance of payment providers ( to keep a check on failed transaction)
  • 25.
    Credit Card/Debit Card– Payments Mode  Usage of Credit cards is declining and debit cards is on the rise .  But average value of credit card transactions still higher than that of debit card transactions  Payment Options Are Increasing  The number of internet banking users increased to account for 7% of the total number of bank account holders in 2011 as compared with 1% in 2007
  • 26.
    Conclusion  E-Commerceplayers are banking on the Indian internet growth story. The fact that an average online user is spending more time online gives these players the opportunity to draw more users to their websites through innovative marketing strategies such as those revolving around social media.  They should focus on developing mobile-compatible websites and applications.  E-Commerce players also need to focus on innovation to tackle challenges arising from low credit and debit card penetration.  The RBI could step in and reduce the number of online transaction failures by defining service metric quality and monitoring it at regular intervals.
  • 27.
    Online Travel TicketingHotel Reservations Tour Packages Air Non-Air (Train/Bus)
  • 28.
    Online Travel Growth in India’s travel and tourism industry the second largest in the world.  Online travel- The largest e-commerce sub-sector is expected to grow as many travel players are diversifying their offerings.  Low Cost Carriers  Ticketing sales are the largest in the online travel market.
  • 33.
    Complex Tax StructureFor Retail Sector In India • Central Sales Tax (CST) • Value-added Tax(VAT) Non-uniform VAT rates levied by state governments, CST charge on inter-state sales and the retention of VAT in case of inter-state stock transfers make it challenging to decide warehouse location. In addition to these taxes, certain states or local municipalities levy entry taxes and Octroi, respectively.
  • 34.
    Implementation Of Goods& Service Tax (GST) Online retailers are looking forward to the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Since it would help iron out most of the tax issues. CST and VAT will be subsumed in the GST this would ensure: 1. Uniform rate of GST on a product across all of the states. 2. GST to be creditable against IGST, which will be levied on inter-state transfer of goods.
  • 35.
    Challenges Of OnlineRetail Market  Lack of touch-and-feel a mental barrier for online Shopping.  Increased competition with the entry of global Players.  Low margins prompting e-Commerce players to look at new business models.
  • 36.
    Top Categories DrivingOnline Retails: Categories Percentage Books 44% Clothing/Accessories/shoes 36% Airline tickets/Reservation 32% Electronic equipment 27% Tours/hotel reservation 26% Cosmetics/nutrition supplies 22% Event tickets 20% Computer hardware 19% Videos/dvds/games 18% Groceries 18% Music 16%
  • 37.
    Top Reasons DrivingOnline Retail 1. Cash on delivery(COD)-A Necessary evil. 2. Discounts, Convenience and Value-added services.
  • 38.
    Online Classified The online classifieds segment is expected to overtake the offline classifieds sector by 2012.  Online recruitment is the largest category in the online classifieds segment, followed by online matrimonial.  The “big fat” Indian wedding industry is providing new sources of revenues to online matrimonial companies.  The evolution of the real estate classifieds segment is dependent on how well it piggybacks the growth in Indian real estate.
  • 39.
     The onlineclassifieds market in India grew at a CAGR of 29% from 2008 to 2011.  The major sources of revenues for the online classifieds segment depends on the segment and are listed below: RECRUITMENT REAL ESTATE MATRIMONIAL AUTOMOBILES B2B Market Size And Revenue Source
  • 40.
    Online Recruitment classifieds  The segment offers various benefits  Reduced advertising costs  Employees are increasing their budget for online recruitment  Job seekers can send salient features through their mobile phones.
  • 41.
    Matrimonial classifieds The online matrimonial classified market grew from US$36.9 million in 2009 to nearly US$63 million in 2011.  More than 100 matrimonial sites in the country.  It is the second-largest category in India’s online classifieds segment.
  • 42.
    Online real estateand auto classifieds a small portion of online classifieds  The online real estate and auto classifieds segments had a market size of US$21.2 million, with a market share of 14% of the online classifieds sector, in 2009.  online real estate classifieds segment has seen slow growth due to real estate agents being largely computer illiterate.  Demand for real estate is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19% between 2010 and 2014.  Need to provide users a rich experience, e.g., through virtual tours of properties and the ability to finalize deals on the online platform.  online auto classifieds segment is a recent entrant in the second wave of e- Commerce in India.  majority of car buyers or sellers prefer to buy or sell cars through used car dealers and personal contacts.
  • 43.
    Challenges in onlineclassifieds segment  Lack of vernacular content:- Majority of the online classifieds content in India is in English. But, 58% of the urban literate population in India in 2009 was non-English literate.  Credibility of information:- online recruitment and matrimonial classifieds space, there have been plenty of instances of fake profiles and profiles with incorrect information.  Preference of offline agents:- Due to the high value of transactions involved in the property and automobile market, majority of the real estate and car buyers take the services of an offline realtor or a car dealer.
  • 44.
    Cloud surrounding e-Commercelaws in India  e-Commerce is a rapidly growing market in India, and domestic as well as international players are looking to tap the opportunity in the sector.  No specific e-Commerce laws in India  The sector is governed by the IT Act 2000, which regulates the legal obligations of sellers and buyers of goods and services in cyberspace.  e-Commerce laws in India need to comply with other statutory laws in force in the country, e.g., the Indian Contract Act and Foreign Investment Regulations.  e-Commerce companies also need to comply with banking and financial laws, where applicable.
  • 45.
    Low entry barriersleading to reduced competitive advantages  The rapid growth of the e-Commerce sector is attracting new players.  Attracting entrepreneurs to secure funds easily.  operational aspects such as free shipping of products and COD, which were differentiators earlier, have now become hygiene factors.
  • 46.
    Rapidly changing businessmodels  Business models have been changing rapidly in the e-Commerce sector due to high competition and price.  Some businesses, such as online DVD rentals, have gone into obsolescence.  providing deals at high discounts, have now begun selling products.  players in the e-Commerce space need to adapt to changing business models and innovate constantly to sustain their businesses.
  • 47.
    Urban phenomenon India’s e-Commerce market is mainly restricted to urban areas.  Internet usage in rural areas is limited.  Rural areas account for 70% of the country’s population.
  • 48.
    Customer loyalty e-Commerce players offer huge discounts to lure people to shop online.  Indian consumer looks for the lowest price before making a purchase.  Challenge for players in their effort to develop sound strategies to attract and generate repeat customers.
  • 49.
    Investments in E– commerce  Early stage funding in the e-commerce sector in India has also picked up with a few companies providing seed-funding and series A funding.  The rapid growth of e-commerce has attracted new players.  Companies are looking to acquire customers by selling below the cost price.  Mainly competing on price to overcome competition — at the expense of investors’ funds.  Several VCs are investing in the e-Commerce space because they feel this is the right time to invest.  Government made a landmark announcement allowing 51% FDI , an announcement applauded by e-commerce players assumed that this would attract foreign investments in B 2 C e-commerce
  • 50.
    Investments in E– commerce  However, the initial euphoria was short-lived, since the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), an arm of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, later clarified that this mandate does not apply to B2C e-Commerce retail and is applicable only to retailers with brick-and-mortar operations.  Players’ opinion about the government’s decision on not allowing FDI in B2C e-Commerce retail is mixed.
  • 51.