Ecommerce Going To Unleash Potential Of Indian MSMEs: Experts

Ecommerce going to be the mantra for unleashing the Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) potential, said Rajneesh, Additional Secretary and DC, MSME Ministry on Sunday. 

FISME hosted the 'national workshop on growth of retail and ecommerce in India” to identify the policy obstacles in the way of small businesses and retailers in joining digital retail and ecommerce.

While speaking at the event, Rajneesh said, "India is an aspirational country - we are on our way to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and will soon also be a USD 10 trillion economy. This won't be possible by only relying on traditional ways of doing business." 

He said that ecommerce is a disruptive force for unleashing the potential of MSMEs in India. 

"We, at the government, realise the relevance and importance of e-commerce. We are in line with the recommendations shared by FISME and the MSME representatives present today," Rajneesh added.   

The consultation deep-dived into the reforms required for the integration of offline and online retail channels. 

Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General, FISME, said, “There is an urgent need to educate MSMEs on the benefits of online selling, such as access to a wider audience and nuanced market intelligence."

He added that India needs to establish a level-playing field between online and offline businesses, and limit the additional compliance burden imposed on online sellers.

Meanwhile, some key recommendations tabled during the consultation included GST parity, MSME empowerment, enabling ecommerce policy and driving awareness.