e-Commerce is a fast growing business in India. And therefore requires a thorough business approach. That was the topic for the 19 participants at the two-day e-Commerce Summit organized by Women on Wings in Delhi. On 25th and 26th May, the participants took on a journey by expert Ellen Oord and guest moderators Amit Gupta and Shilpa Sharma showing them the chances and challenges of starting an online business.
Sharing creates partnerships
Expert Ellen Oord: “Working in teams was inspiring for all. Some already have an online business, some have only just begun thinking about it. So there was a lot of sharing. After the two-day summit, it was clear that there are huge online sales opportunities in India.” Ronald van het Hof, Managing Director of Women on Wings India, adds: “Our business partners are often dealing with the same issues. During our last Summit on Trends in September, they themselves suggested we should organize a summit on e-commerce. It was really great to see that some of our business partners found each other as a partner too.”
Keys for success
Ellen Oord shared a lot of insights from a Dutch market leader’s point of view. Such as how to manage e-commerce and how to even manage the customer journey in your online store.
Amit Gupta shared his views on the specific Indian market and the technical issues that involves e-commerce. Shilpa Sharma shared her experiences of starting a social e-commerce platform. Their key messages for a successful online business: “Don’t start if your back end is not perfect. And invest in the content and photography of your online store. Plus don’t forget your call to action!”
Valuable feedback
Abhishek Pathak, Head of Operations for Textile Initiative Drap at Drishtee: “This workshop is so important for us. We now realize how we should profile our company online. And I guess we shall start to sell some products via one of the hosting companies before setting up an online business for ourselves.” Vidit Ajmera, Sr. Program Coordinator at Ode to Earth by ACCESS Development Services: “The workshop was an eye opener for me. It’s a booming business, not only for sales but also for visibility. I really look forward to Women on Wings’ next workshop. It’s learning fun!”
The e-experts
Ellen Oord is Category Manager at Wehkamp, one of the leading online retailers in the Netherlands. Amit Gupta is Director at Eperium India, specialist in e-commerce solutions. Shilpa Sharma is managing founder of Jaypore, a social e-commerce platform in India.
