New Delhi, May 9 (KNN) Federation of Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME) in partnership with IKDHVAJ Advisers LLP on Tuesday released a study on ‘Expanding India’s E-Commerce Exports: Focus on SMEs’.

Some of the key recommendations of the report are Green Channel for e-commerce exports with easier documentation and tripartite awareness raising campaign.

“Over 90 per cent of e-commerce exporters in India are MSMEs (most of them micro and small enterprises). Hence a strategy for e-commerce exports must focus on MSMEs spread across the nation to sell their products to global markets,” as per the study. 

FISME recognises that raising the current low levels of e-commerce exports towards the anticipated levels requires a huge push through policy initiatives based on detailed research. 

The report provides specific information on several key policy steps required to increase Business to Consumer (B2C) e-commerce exports from India.

It acknowledges that E-commerce exporters and within them particularly the MSMEs, face two types of concerns, those faced by conventional or offline exporters and others only by online exporters.

However, the report provides a number of major areas which still need to be addressed, discusses the practices in several nations as well as the options suggested by exporters that could provide useful suggestions for the way ahead. 

The study also indicates  that solutions in some priority areas require different Government Departments or agencies to work together, and existing solutions in specific sectors could be applied to other sectors as well (such as the solution notified by Customs for addressing the problem of returns in the case of jewellery exports).

Solutions suggested include a tripartite awareness raising campaign involving Industry and SME associations such as FISME, government and platform owners to facilitate information on end-to-end e-commerce export process.

It has called for a facilitative mechanisms for processes such as the issue of mandatory licenses and registration at the Port.

The report also suggests a Green Channel for e-commerce exports with easier documentation and Customs process simplification, for timely delivery.  (KNN Bureau)