During the lockdown, like millions of others, I turned primarily to e-comm platforms to shop. And, it was not just for essentials. Deprived of human contact, and sensory experiences, many of us took to window shopping across these platforms – just checking out new products for later use. The number of new brands putting out innovative products is extraordinary. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the areas of home décor, traditional foods, traditional weaves and wefts, bedding, clothing, electronics, space-saving gadgets, and more.

In the last 4-5 years there has been tremendous growth in e-commerce in India. According to the IBEF, “The Indian E-commerce market is expected to grow to US$ 111.40 billion by 2025 from US$ 46.2 billion as of 2020. By 2030, it is expected to reach US$ 350 billion. By 2021, total e-commerce sales are expected to reach US$ 67-84 billion from the US$ 52.57 billion recorded in 2020.”

The pandemic itself has given a boost to sales. And, as more of us experience the ease of shopping via our phones, the MSME sector seems to be a major beneficiary of the e-commerce boom. A survey by Local Circles revealed that “28% of startups and MSMEs said their digital sales doubled or increased by five-fold in the past year, while another 23% said that their sales through digital channels grew by 50% to 100%.”

At the core of this growth is the role of the major e-commerce players like Flipkart – the large aggregators, the mega malls on the cloud – where many of us spend hours in vicarious window shopping – discovering products that are ‘just what we need’. The bringing together of the buyer and seller has been magic. Suddenly my house has ‘applams’ (south Indian papads) from specialty producers; scented candles from a small producer in Ladakh, filter coffee from Coorg – right from the producer; saris from small handloom collectives and more. All enabled by the big e-tailers.

At the first level, it is the search function that allows us to discover these. Search for ‘scented candles’ or ‘decorative plates for wall’ and you will end up discovering almost a treasure trove. In this, you get to experience – at least visually – the new. Many are run by first-time entrepreneurs who have partnered with Flipkart and showcasing their craft. Many with the exclusives that all of us crave. The very act of being able to discover new businesses, and MSMEs with no instant brand recognition, itself is allowing for growth. When your product comes up, when a shopper searches, half the battle is won.

At the second level is the ability to read reviews by other buyers. That goes a long way to building quality perception. I recently ended up buying a floor cushion for meditation, after reading the reviews. Initially, I wasn’t so sure as to how a specialised floor cushion for meditation would be different from a normal floor cushion – and the reviews made that clear. The converse also works, I have been deterred from buying products because of poor reviews. But, on average, I have discovered more MSMEs and their offerings through good reviews.

The third is the guarantee that large platforms offer in terms of a ‘no questions asked’ returns policy. It helps the buyer take that risk with a new label – be it clothing or décor.

Between discovery, endorsements, and returns – the consumer is given enough assurance that they will be delighted with the offerings.

And finally, from an MSME perspective, the biggest headache that is reaching the end consumer, and providing customer support is taken away by the e-tailer. Giant etailers are focused on both customer service and employee satisfaction. The prompt multi-lingual support customers receive builds a long-lasting bond between the consumer and the MSME.

The bandwidth that is released for the MSME on this count will be huge, and they can use that to grow their business.