A national association for Indian eCommerce companies has been announced under the official name of Confederation for Indian eCommerce (CIE). Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Indian eCommerce is now a 38 billion dollar industry and still rapidly growing. It comprises of large scale businesses as well as MSMEs and startups. The eCommerce space is a large network of e-retail companies, export markets, policy makers, and of course, online consumers.
Wouldn’t it be great to have an association that includes every section of the Indian eCommerce space and advocate for their needs? In fact, this has now become a reality. An apex association of eCommerce companies called Confederation of Indian E-commerce (CIE) has come into existence.
The CIE is a non-profit organisation based out of Delhi. Therefore, it aims to provide a neutral voice of the Indian eCommerce industry by bringing the companies, government, policymakers, as well as consumers on a single platform.
Who will be in the association?
As per a recent statement, top e-retail companies, MSMEs, startups, and farmers associations are being invited to become active members of the CIE. Additionally, the association will include export agencies, policymakers, and the government.
Who are the Founders?
This initiative was founded by a group of industry veterans, including Amitabh Singhal (former CEO and founder of National Internet Exchange of India) and Ajay Sharma (two decades of experience at India’s top business associations).
What does CIE aim for?
“CIE is a body of the industry and by the industry. CIE intends to be the neutral voice of the industry by bringing the government, industry, policymakers and consumers on one platform,” a statement says.
This means, the CIE will be an association dedicated to the well-being and prosperity of e-retail companies in India. The confederation will backup members by catering to different needs. CIE is perhaps the biggest association in India exclusively for eCommerce sellers.
The statement further elaborates the aims of the association. Here are the key takeaways:
- CIE will provide a platform for e-retailers to take up economic or policy issues with the government and other agencies.
- Support to small businesses
- Encourage traditional retail to enter eCommerce
- Easy access to export markets and promote exports
- Easing regulatory compliance for export
Another main feature is that the CIE will be a powerful association that works with the state governments to build agendas that support the needs of eCommerce companies and local MSMEs. They will also work for integrating the small businesses with digital retail by familiarising them with the e-retail market.
Related Read: Top eCommerce Advantages and Disadvantages
Another aim of the confederation is to build the ecosystem for the agriculture sector and promote technologies to empower the farming community. This makes it a good platform for the FMCG sectors.
The organisation will also focus on industry research and other activities to collect relevant data. Some of them include consumer research, capacity building, thought leadership, and representing members’ concerns and issues to the government.
To Conclude
The creation of such a big organisation for eCommerce points to the fact that Indian e-retail industry is becoming a huge part of the market. Therefore, as an online business owner, you need to make sure that your business stays at the top and make good use of this opportunity.
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