EBay, India’s leading online marketplace, has signed an MoU with Delhi Hindustani Mercantile Association (DHMA), a 125 year old association of over 4,000 Indian fabric traders, in an attempt to get more local traders and artisans into ecommerce, Zee news reported.
The attempt to get local traders into the digital world is expected to increase the engagement of the online marketplace with local traders, artisans, and offer niche products to customers.
EBay India head for retail exports, Navin Mistry said that their effort is to bring local and region based sellers on their platform so that they can sell their products to customers in the region, country and even across the globe in over 126 countries.
It will be providing the traders opportunity to expand their business beyond the physical reach of their establishment and connect with EBay’s 152 million active buyers across the globe, he said to a media agency.
DHMA president Suresh Bindal said it will help locals traders selling fabrics from places like Chandni Chowk reach out to customers in the US and Europe and make available to them the best quality products, which is a win-win position for all.
EBay India has tied up with bodies that promote artisans working with traditional arts and crafts like the Odisha State Cooperative Handicraft Corporation Ltd or Utkalika and Ahmedabad-based Caftroots. The company is also in talks with the Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation.
Last year, EBay had signed a MoU with Confederation of All India Traders, which is associated with over 20,000 small trader associations, to encourage small retailers to sell products through its platform.
EBay India, which had around 45,000 sellers then, saw its seller base swell by about 30 per cent following the MoU. (GK)
