eBay’s Success Lies In Success Of Its Sellers: Vidmay Naini, Country Manager, India, eBay

Can you talk about eBay’s emphasis on Cross Border Trade in India? 

eBay’s focus in India is to enable Cross Border Trade (CBT) for Indian sellers. eBay is one of the leading players in the CBT space and has been in operation in India for over a decade. It provides a robust platform for Indian sellers to list and sell their products to over 182 million buyers who shop on various global platforms of eBay. 

Efforts at eBay INCBT are largely driven towards building a convenient ecosystem for sellers, like the eBay Global Shipping which is a single-window shipment solution designed for benefit of Indian CBT Sellers and is supported by reputed Logistic Service Providers. It has also been expanding the business development teams aggressively across the country to onboard new sellers looking to expand their global portfolio. eBay INCBT not only offers a true partnership but also a dynamic marketplace with substantial global reach to the SMBs, MSMEs & Artisans located in metros and non-metro cities. eBay’s success lies in the success of its sellers. Hence, it ensures that they are equipped with all the requisite support and solutions needed to nurture and flourish. 

To know more you can visit eBay’s Seller center - https://sellglobal.ebay.in/ 

How many sellers are associated with eBay as of today? What are the focused categories, and markets?

There is a diversity of sellers on eBay who is cashing in on the benefits of retail eCommerce export. The eBay INCBT seller portfolio comprises a collective of over 10,000 active entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and large enterprises who leverage its platform to sell their products in over 190 countries. These sellers are based everywhere – metros, non-metros, and smaller cities and towns.  

eBay INCBT is aiming to build up on the Gems & Jewelry category, one of the most significant categories in Indian exports. Currently established as one of the largest categories on eBay INCBT, a wide array of products like diamond jewelry, loose diamonds, and fashion jewelry are listed under it on the eBay marketplace by sellers located in key markets like Jaipur, Surat, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, etc. Meerut and Jalandhar are hubs for Sporting Goods. Likewise, sellers based out of Indore, Panipat, Mumbai, and Coimbatore export products in the Home & Décor category in huge numbers. Another category in focus for the year 2020 is the 4-Wheeler & 2-Wheeler Auto Components Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Hosur, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR. All in all, the categories in focus for eBay INCBT is pretty diverse supporting sellers across India. 

What kind of support does eBay provide to the sellers once they are on board? 

eBay has a set mechanism to ensure the seamless onboarding of sellers. Teams at eBay INCBT handhold the sellers at every step of the way, for a hassle-free selling journey. Once the seller is on-board, he or she is trained and equipped with prerequisite knowledge and skillset about various aspects of online retail. Sellers are acquainted with the process of listing products online, shipping policies, secure payments through payment partners, and product descriptions amongst others to undertake transactions with audiences across the globe. Moreover, eBay also facilitates product promotion and availability of up-to-date insights on market trends and customer demands for the sellers. 

Which are the top countries importing products from Indian sellers through eBay? 

Sellers at eBay INCBT receive orders from buyers across the globe and across continents, starting from America, Europe, and Australia among other countries. 

What are some of the recent initiatives taken by eBay to enable the MSME’s, sellers, and local artisans in India to expand their global footprint through its platform? 

eBay INCBT is committed to fostering the culture of entrepreneurship in India and is working towards bringing India on the global e-commerce retail map. In recent times, it has undertaken certain initiatives to encourage homegrown businesses to start selling globally. eBay INCBT signed an MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh for its initiative ‘One District One Product’ which aims at encouraging the growth of the rare crafts native to the region to over 190 countries. Through this partnership, eBay will support the ODOP sellers in UP to take Indian Handicrafts to the world. 

eBay INCBT also introduced the Gems and Jewelry Certification program (GJCP) In association with the International Gemological Institute (IGI), which is available only to the Indian domiciled eBay sellers. eBay strives to provide the sellers with avenues to win more customers and to get global customers the best quality of products. Its association with IGI is a step forward in that direction. With IGI certification, customers can purchase their jewelry online, validated as per internationally acclaimed grading standards and practices. Moreover, it liaises with relevant government bodies, industry, and trade associations to ease the norms for e-commerce retail exports in India 

How is eBay engaging with the government on the policy side of cross border e-commerce?

eBay INCBT is cognizant of the innumerable opportunities available for the Indian sellers in the international markets and has been working closely with the industry, trade, and government bodies, in its capacity, to ease the norms and push for the growth of retail e-commerce exports in India. Leadership at eBay has also been pushing forward the exports for the gems and Jewelry sector and its inclusion in the foreign trade policy. eBay INCBT worked with the government and India Post to ensure that a congenial environment was created for the MSMEs to overcome COVID-led challenges and restart their businesses smoothly. It also facilitated a seamless shipment of goods for sellers. 

Can you talk about the potential of e-commerce exports in the post-COVID-19 scenario and the readiness of Indian MSMEs?  

The overall global e-commerce business ranges around $4 trillion (Global eCommerce sales numbers based on emarketer.com). According to various estimates, the pure B2C cross-border e-commerce potential for Indian sellers is approximately $1 billion now (Global eCommerce sales numbers based on emarketer.com). This brings an unequivocal opportunity for Indian MSMEs, both for existing as well as potential businesses to take advantage of the rapidly expanding B2C e-commerce marketplace. Moreover, considering the rapid rise in the number of internet users, evolving shoppers, and increase in the trust in purchases outside domestic e-commerce, retail e-commerce export is flourishing. An immense potential lies ahead of the Indian sellers which can be unlocked through building a retail export-oriented efficient low-cost trackable shipping, retail exports friendly policies and ease of customs clearances, retail export awareness among MSME’s, manufactures & brands, and the Made in India product awareness promotions in host markets, the opportunity could exceed more than two-fold In the current context, COVID-19 has brought about a marked change in consumer buying behavior, leading to a drastic eCommerce penetration worldwide. The opening up of global markets is a golden opportunity for the SMBs, MSMEs, and artisans to cash in this e-commerce boom and seamlessly transform challenges into opportunities for themselves to establish a global footprint. 

How is eBay supporting sellers in preparation for the upcoming festive season?  

The festive season has officially begun and the sellers at eBay INCBT have amped up preparations in full swing. It presents a significant opportunity for the sellers in India to connect and engage with their customers located overseas. 

Every category on the eBay marketplace caters to a unique festival and likewise the target audience. Hence, it enables the sellers to create multiple campaigns curated specially for a particular festival and the respective category. For e.g. they can list an exclusive set of jewelry suited for the occasion of Diwali and Dhanteras. Some sellers are already live with new designs and competitive prices. 

Sellers with products in categories like electronics, gifting & toys, jewelry & fashion, home & décor, and beauty witness a sharp uptake in sales during popular International festivals like Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and Christmas. For effective promotion of products, eBay assists these sellers with forecast & inventory planning, shares inputs on giving fair pricing to the buyers. In addition to this, it equips them with insights on trends about the demand across target markets. As a means to provide fast and trackable shipping, eBay IN recommended that the sellers utilized eBay global shipping to ensure timely deliveries during the festive season which witnesses a heavy surge in orders.