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<ul class="summary-list"><li>TikTok just hosted its first summit for its US e-commerce partners.</li><li>The company spent much of the event pushing TikTok Shop partners to test out live selling.</li></ul>TikTok is gearing up for the holiday season on its e-commerce platform <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sell-on-tiktok-shop">TikTok Shop.</a>A couple of weeks ago, around the first anniversary of the product's US launch, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-is-betting-its-future-on-e-commerce-should-it-2024-7">TikTok</a> gathered roughly 300 Shop partners across 200 agencies in a hotel near its Culver City office for its first invite-only partner summit.The group attended panels, participated in feedback sessions with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-bytedance-salaries-jobs-careers-data-product-engineering">TikTok staffers</a>, and shared ideas on influencer affiliate marketing and paid and earned media tactics. But live selling was the clear focus of the event, five partners who attended told Business Insider. Across sessions, TikTok staffers and agency partners talked about how to find studio space for livestreams, as well as what was needed to build up a live selling operation."Probably 60% to 70% of the discussion was around livestream," said Jake Bjorseth, founder of the marketing firm Trndsttrs, who attended the summit.A second partner who attended the event described its content as "live, live, live." This person, as well as several others, were granted anonymity to protect their business relationships with TikTok. Their identities are known to BI.Why was TikTok so focused on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-shopping-livestream-career-change-income-essay-2023-12">livestreams</a> at its first US Shop partner summit?Well, for one, TikTok has had a string of blockbuster live-selling events in the US and UK this year, during which companies like beauty brand P.Louise and Stormi Steele's Canvas Beauty sold more than $1 million in goods in a single stream, according to TikTok.The invite list for the summit may have also played a role in focusing the discussion around live selling. Several of the attendees were partners who had expertise selling on TikTok's China-based sister app Douyin, which generates <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=e54b484532789f314b635c6d0830451432638ce3089beed16d5b0b23d8dfe87c&amp;postID=66fd4dc9d8616474985bae44&amp;postSlug=tiktok-shop-us-partner-summit-live-shopping-and-douyin-ruled-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theinformation.com%2Farticles%2Ftiktok-parent-bytedances-e-commerce-volume-surged-in-2022-internal-data-show">hundreds of billions</a> in sales each year, primarily through influencer livestreams. These partners offered advice on what's worked well for social shopping in Asia, and discussed potential cross-border partnership opportunities, three Shop partners in attendance told BI.A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment for this story.<h2 id="edfdcf23-8819-4c48-80e0-5a19879826a2">What works on Douyin won't necessarily take off on TikTok Shop</h2>Strategies that are successful on Douyin often <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whats-next-for-tiktok-look-at-china-douyin-2022-1">end up on TikTok next</a>, and the two companies, which operate independently under parent company ByteDance, have been sharing ideas a lot lately.Last month, Douyin and ByteDance invited TikTok Shop partners to visit the Chinese cities Shanghai and Hangzhou to meet regional social-commerce partners and see the studios they use to film shopping content. Digital ad firm adQuadrant was among a handful of companies selected for the visit, according to its CEO Warren Jolly, who spoke at TikTok's US partner summit.Of course, live-selling tactics on Douyin won't necessarily translate well to TikTok in the US. Social shopping has been sluggish to take off in North America compared to Asia, as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startups-bringing-social-shopping-into-mainstream-in-the-us-2023-11">bringing consumer shopping behaviors</a> across borders can be difficult."If you've lived in China, you're Chinese origin, you've built this business over the last seven years focused on live shopping and social commerce," Jolly said. But that expertise selling in China may not help US sellers facing a much different e-commerce reality, he added. "Yes, live shopping is important. We understand that it's going to become pervasive in the Western world and the US market. But it's not going to be at the same modality of what's happening in China."Other TikTok Shop partners who spoke with BI agreed that the emphasis on livestreams and comparisons to the Asian market at the event weren't particularly useful when a lot of their TikTok Shop sales currently come from influencer videos rather than livestreams."I can tell you that we walked out of that [summit] and said, 'Oh, that's a cool opportunity in livestream,' but the actual financials don't make sense for most agencies," Bjorseth said.TikTok's ability to replicate Douyin's live-shopping success in the US may be tough, even as the company has been gaining on its e-commerce competitors in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sell-on-tiktok-shop">sales and repeat purchases</a> in recent months. E-commerce in the US is dominated by non-social-media players like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-selling-products-during-prime-day-for-amazon-influencers-2023-7">Amazon</a> and Walmart, both of which work with influencers on livestreams or affiliate programs but predominantly drive sales through other means.Still, there are some signs that livestream shopping is on the rise outside of Asia. Whatnot, a live-shopping platform in North America and Europe, said in an October report that it's crossed $2 billion in gross merchandise volume from livestream sales conducted in 2024.Ultimately, TikTok's e-commerce momentum may be abruptly cut short, however. A US divest-or-ban law passed in April could force a sale or ban of TikTok's app in the US. TikTok is currently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-justice-department-federal-appeals-court-law-ban-expert-2024-9">challenging the law</a> in court. Several attendees said the prospect of a ban wasn't brought up at the company's TikTok Shop partner summit.

TikTok is training its e-commerce partners on what's worked in China as it doubles down on live selling

According to <keyword id="19911893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meesho" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Meesho" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Meesho">Meesho</keyword>'s recent ‘Smart shopper report’, <keyword id="19919711" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gen-Z" source="keywords">Gen Z</keyword> is rapidly embracing <keyword id="19990771" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="keywords">e-commerce</keyword>, with one in every three Meesho users being less than 25 years old. This makes them the fastest-growing demographic on the platform. The report also highlights that mass consumers, who typically make low-price purchases, account for around 80% of the total online shopping population in India. Reports suggest that by 2030, mass consumers, who are constantly seeking value for price, will dominate the retail market, constituting 65% of total consumers. At present, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are leading the way, when it comes to user growth in e-commerce, underscoring the significant untapped potential these states hold. The report also delves deeper into the evolving habits and preferences of mass consumers. Meesho has observed that users from Tier IV and smaller cities are the most frequent repeat shoppers under categories like women’s fashion, footwear, and baby care. Additionally, over 80% of Indian online shoppers now hail from tier-2 cities, and beyond, which include places like Ambur, Rourkela, Sangli, and Zirakpur. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112333596" title="Zomato announces new feature for cash on delivery orders and it can help solve a huge problem" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Influencer-driven <keyword id="3295571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-boom" source="Orion">e-commerce boom</keyword> in North-East</h2>Furthermore, the report reveals that customers in northeastern states of India such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim are increasingly basing their e-commerce purchases choices on content generated by influencers, making up for an impressive 40% of all orders from these states. Meesho has also witnessed greater digital inclusion, with a growing number of content creators emerging from some of the most remote regions of India, like Bazpur (Uttarakhand), Kotputli (Rajasthan), and Pakyong (Sikkim). With the growing popularity of content creators, products like selfie sticks, ring lights, microphones, and tripods have also quickly risen to top the electronics category. Another notable feature Meesho identified was a significant rise in the adoption of vernacular languages and voice search, with rates increasing by 162% and 40%, respectively. This surge reflects mass consumers' strong preference for regional languages and user-friendly features. Tier 2 and other, smaller cities have significantly outpaced Tier 1 cities when it comes to ordering electronic accessories, making double the amount of purchases made by their bigger, urban counterparts. Meesho has also seen substantial demand for products like bluetooth headphones and earphones, power banks, smart speakers, screen magnifiers, and keyboards from diverse Indian cities such as Alwar (Rajasthan), Bettiah (Bihar), Pursurah (West Bengal), Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh), Sindkheda (Maharashtra), and Sirsa (Haryana). Among the fastest-growing categories on Meesho are books, which grew by 148% YoY (year-on-year basis) growth, office supplies and stationery (137% YoY growth), home improvement (112% YoY growth), furnishings (92% YoY growth), and pet supplies (68% YoY growth). There has also been a surge in demand for personal care and grooming essentials. <h2>A shift towards quick draping</h2> In just six months, over 10,00,000 saree shapers and more than 60,000 ready-to-wear sarees were sold, indicating that consumers far prefer a quicker, easier approach to traditional draping. There was a clear penchant for traditional and modern alike, since Banarasi was the most sought after fabric, followed by chiffon and organza. <h2>Self-care on the rise</h2>With increasingly hectic schedules, mass consumers are also prioritising self-care. As a result, there has been a rise in at-home salon treatments, with Meesho reporting sales of 6,00,000 face packs, over 4,00,000 facial kits, 3,00,000 wax strips, 4,00,000 press-on nails, and 4,00,000 nail paints this year. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112364583" title="Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Not just this, yoga also made it to list, when it came to self-care. Meesho reported selling about 20 lakh yoga mats in just 6 months. And not just that, skipping and hula hooping also seems to be coming back in vogue, with consumers buying around 2 lakh skipping ropes and 75,000 hula hoops this year alone. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/article/5-lessons-startup-founders-can-learn-from-tech-mogul-elon-musk/articleshow/112375922.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">5 lessons startup founders can learn from tech mogul Elon Musk</a>

India’s e-commerce boom: Gen Z, small cities, and self-care trends on the rise, says Meesho

As India gears up for its vibrant festive season, a notable surge in <keyword id="23052492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="seasonal-hiring" source="keywords">seasonal hiring</keyword> is taking place across various industries, with gig roles leading the charge. According to data from job site Indeed, seasonal hiring is projected to rise by 20% this year compared to last, driven primarily by <keyword id="19990771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="keywords">e-commerce</keyword>, logistics, and retail sectors, as companies prepare for heightened consumer demand. Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India, emphasised, "The festive season is a crucial period for businesses across India, and we're seeing a significant uptick in hiring for seasonal roles as companies prepare to meet heightened consumer demand." <h3 style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:14.0pt;margin-bottom:4.0pt;">What is gig work?</h3>Gig work refers to flexible, short-term, or freelance employment often facilitated by digital platforms. Unlike traditional full-time jobs, gig workers are hired on a project basis, allowing them to work for multiple employers or companies as needed. These roles are popular in industries like food delivery, transportation, and logistics. During India's <keyword id="21015356" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festival-season" source="keywords">festival season</keyword>, when businesses experience a spike in demand, gig workers play an essential role in ensuring smooth operations across sectors like retail and e-commerce. <h3>Gig labour during festival season</h3>The festive season in India, spanning from September to December, is one of the busiest times of the year for businesses. As a result, companies ramp up hiring to cope with increased sales and customer demand. Seasonal roles in delivery, logistics, warehouse operations, and customer support see the highest demand, as businesses focus on timely deliveries, inventory management, and customer satisfaction. Indeed's data reveals that the top gig roles witnessing a rise in hiring this season include <keyword id="21462485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delivery-executives" source="keywords">delivery executives</keyword>, <keyword id="22103182" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="warehouse-workers" source="keywords">warehouse workers</keyword>, <keyword id="23052493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="logistics-coordinators" source="keywords">logistics coordinators</keyword>, <keyword id="23052494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="in-store-sales-executives" source="keywords">in-store sales executives</keyword>, and customer care executives. While major cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi see a steady increase in demand for gig workers (18-20%), tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, and Vadodara are emerging as key contributors, witnessing a hiring surge of 22-25%. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112999246" title="As fast as some jobs are growing, others are losing steam" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h3><keyword id="3480589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="meesho" source="Orion">Meesho</keyword> major contributor</h3>One of the standout examples this festive season is Meesho, a leading e-commerce marketplace in India. According to sources, the platform has enabled around 8.5 lakh seasonal job opportunities, representing a 70% increase from last year. Of these, 5 lakh jobs were created within Meesho's seller network, while another 3.5 lakh jobs emerged in the logistics sector. Sourabh Pandey, CXO of Fulfilment and Experience at Meesho, shared, "This festive season, we are particularly thrilled to have enabled 8.5 lakh seasonal jobs, especially in tier-3 and beyond cities. Empowering SMBs, local manufacturers, and logistics providers to scale their business is resulting in meaningful economic opportunities that are driving financial inclusion in these regions." Meesho has reportedly also partnered with prominent third-party logistics providers such as Delhivery, Ecom Express, and Shadowfax to meet the increased demands of the festive season. These collaborations have not only expanded logistics capacity but also helped generate gig opportunities in first-mile, middle-mile, and delivery associate roles. Abhishek Bansal, CEO &amp; Co-founder of Shadowfax, commented, "We are particularly excited to nearly double our capacity across several value-added services, such as Reverse Quality Check-Based Pickups and Hand-to-Hand Doorstep Exchange. These efforts ensure smooth deliveries and returns during the festive rush." <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112720685" title="If you want to find a job, it&amp;#39;s time to specialize" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h3 style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:14.0pt;margin-bottom:4.0pt;">The future of gig work in India</h3>The rapid rise in <keyword id="23052491" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gig-hiring" source="keywords">gig hiring</keyword> reflects the evolving needs of today's consumers, particularly during high-demand periods like the festive season. The e-commerce industry, which saw a 35% rise in demand for seasonal workers, is expected to continue driving this trend, with logistics and retail sectors close behind. "The industries that are growing — e-commerce, logistics, quick commerce — are doing so because they're aligned with the needs and behaviours of today's consumers,” Sashi Kumar explains. “This is where the future of India's <keyword id="19916569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-market" source="keywords">job market</keyword> could be heading". With a flurry of companies contributing significantly to job creation, particularly in tier-3 and tier-4 cities, gig work is becoming a vital source of employment across the country. As India's job market evolves, gig work is likely to play an even larger role in shaping the future of work, offering flexibility and economic opportunity to millions of workers. (With inputs from agencies)

E-commerce is expected to help seasonal hiring for gig roles surge by 20% this festival season: reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Bolt founder Ryan Breslow proposes returning as CEO with a $2 million bonus and $1 million back pay.</li><li>Breslow left Bolt in 2022 due to investor conflicts and has since run wellness marketplace Love.</li></ul>Bolt's founder and ex-CEO wants to return to the driver's seat — and he's asking for a hefty payday to come back.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bolt-ceo-calls-stripe-ycombinator-mob-bosses-twitter-silicon-valley-2022-1">Ryan Breslow,</a> who founded <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryan-breslow-startup-bolt-raising-new-funding-14-billion-valuation-2022-1">e-commerce software startup Bolt</a> a decade ago, proposed a deal to investors this week, The Information and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.newcomer.co/p/bolts-audacious-letter-to-investors">Eric Newcomer </a>reported Tuesday.The terms of the funding round were highly unusual, including a $2 million bonus for returning and $1 million in back pay for the two years he was away from the company, the outlets reported, citing a private equity partner who was involved in the deal. The partner has since said that his firm is no longer involved.Breslow left the company in early 2022 because of conflicts with investors. The 30-year-old entrepreneur's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahemerson/2024/03/11/the-billion-dollar-unraveling-of-ryan-breslow/">career</a> has been marked by controversy, including lawsuits, a fight with an early investor, and a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bolt-ceo-calls-stripe-ycombinator-mob-bosses-twitter-silicon-valley-2022-1">public spat</a> with competitor Stripe and Y Combinator.Bolt's interim CEO Justin Grooms wrote in a letter to investors reviewed by The Information that the company was raising $450 million in a Series F round that would value Bolt at over $14 billion. According to Newcomer, Bolt's annualized run-rate revenue was $28 million, and its gross profit was $7 million.The deal comes with several other eyebrow-raising clauses that would further benefit Breslow, reported Newcomer and The Information:<ul><li>Breslow would get an option to sell 10% of his shares and the right to purchase Bolt subsidiaries conscious.org and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/four-day-workweek-company-bolt-productivity-jobs-fridays-weekends-2022-3">fourdayweek.com </a>from the company for $1 at any time. Breslow had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-bolt-made-change-4-day-work-week-top-exec-2022-1">championed a four-day workweek</a>.</li><li>He would also get a new equity grant that would be "no less than the 90th percentile of CEO equity compensation packages of similar companies in Bolt's industry."</li><li>If Bolt hits a $50 billion valuation in a $100 million or greater fundraise, Breslow would receive an additional stock grant of 5% of the issued and outstanding Bolt shares.</li><li>The company would partner with Love, a wellness marketplace run by Breslow since he was ousted from Bolt.</li><li>Bolt would invest $10 million into The London Fund, a venture capital firm that appears to be one of the main investors in its current funding round. The Information reported Breslow is a director at the fund, which also invested in Love.</li></ul>Bolt's investors were also told that they would need to chip in more money for this funding round. If they fail to do so, Bolt would buy most of them out for one cent a share, a particularly aggressive "pay-to-play" move in the startup world, reported Newcomer.The proposal requires approval from an investor majority, and shareholders have from late Monday to Wednesday to decide, reported The Information.Bolt's prior investors include BlackRock, Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, and Intuit, per PitchBook. Neither Bolt nor Breslow immediately responded to Business Insider's requests for comment, sent outside standard business hours.

E-commerce startup Bolt wants to raise new money under aggressive terms that could make its once-ousted founder rich, reports say

New Delhi: <keyword id="21530712" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Founder-Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="keywords">Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> is placing bold bets on new-age technologies with a view for <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> to be at the forefront of the current global <keyword id="22912054" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tech-transition" source="keywords">tech transition</keyword> led by AI, and build <keyword id="22912488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jobs-of-the-future" source="keywords">jobs of the future</keyword> in the country. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, he said the private sector has to do the bulk of job creation, step up and do more, while creating an enabling environment and correcting imbalances, such as that of trade, are the responsibility of the government. Aggarwal also supported the government's move to offer fiscal incentives to global EV makers, including Tesla, through the new EV policy saying it is important for India to attract all kinds of investment, and globally established players will help in the development of the EV ecosystem in the country. The group's newly-listed entity <keyword id="19945904" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Ola">Ola</keyword> Electric aims to make India a global electric vehicle (EV) hub but the country has to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself based on its needs as the world cannot achieve a sustainable future without India, he added. "There is a global technology transition happening and AI is a very important technology of the future, and we in India need to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I think we are still adopters of somebody else's technology paradigms, especially in the digital world," Aggarwal said, explaining why the Ola group had set up AI start-up Krutrim last year. One of the things in Krutrim is to build AI models on Indian data, which is more attuned to Indian use cases, Indian paradigms, he said, adding, "We are making our own AI, on our own cloud, on our own chip." Despite India producing 20 per cent of the world's digital data at present, he lamented that the country does not fully own the data, as 80 per cent are stored outside, which are then processed into AI and "brought back into India and sold to us in dollars". When asked about concerns over AI leading to job losses, he allayed the apprehension saying that the IT boom created jobs in India when people feared that computers would take away jobs, and AI is a similar tool. "AI is not going to replace anyone. Maybe that future is a few decades away... We don't need to get anxious about that future right now. We need to, as a country, see that AI is going to amplify productivity. If we don't get onto the bandwagon, we will be left behind...," he asserted. In his view, Aggarwal said the way forward is for India to become experts in future technology. "Future technologies bring with it jobs of the future, supply chain of the future. And if we are global leaders, we are the fastest adoptive market of future technologies (then) jobs of the future will be built in India, supply chains of the future will be built in India. This is the only way... If we focus on protecting the past, you remain uncompetitive," he added. Sharing his take on employment generation in India, Aggarwal said, "I actually believe the private sector has to do the bulk of the job creation. The government's job is to create the enabling environment, create the fundamentals, help correct imbalances wherever they are, be it trade imbalances, etc and incentivise wherever it needs to be incentivised, like the PLI schemes." The government's steps such as the employment-linked incentives will also encourage private industry, he said, adding "But fundamentally the private sector has to step up and do more". Asked if the government is doing enough to create that ecosystem for the private sector, Aggarwal said, "I'm not in the government, so I want to put the limelight on ourselves. Is the private sector doing enough? I think we all can do more, and I'm on the same page. We all need to do more." In response to a query on his views over the government in extending the fiscal concession that companies like Tesla have been demanding from India, he said, "It is very important for India to attract all kinds of investment, especially (from) world leading companies. "Tesla is a best in class company. The more companies like these invest into India, the better it is for India, in a broad sense as well for the industry." He further said, "The (EV) ecosystem, including my company, will benefit from it, because it will raise the bar on expertise, on excellence, on talent, everything..." About the newly-listed entity Ola Electric, he said, "Our mission at Ola electric is to really make India a global EV hub." The company will build products such as electric two and three-wheelers that Indians need for the country to be able to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself, different from the current global solution for sustainability that is focussed on electric luxury cars, Aggarwal added. On Ola Consumer, he said the ride-hailing mobility vertical is fairly profitable, while it is investing into the new e-commerce for which it has partnered with ONDC.

India needs to lead global tech transition, build jobs of the future: Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal

New Delhi, Banking issues like reluctance to process <keyword id="6358355" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="forex" source="Orion">forex</keyword> received through alternate channels and high processing fees are hindering the growth of <keyword id="7848945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-exports" source="Orion">e-commerce exports</keyword> from India, and there is a need to bring mindset change to unlock the sector's potential, a report by think tank GTRI said on Monday. Unlocking India's e-commerce export potential to USD 350 billion by 2030 requires addressing banking issues that hinder growth and increase operational costs, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. "To initiate change, both the RBI and banks must shift their mindset towards treating small-value exports differently from larger ones. This shift is essential to prevent misuse while streamlining processes. Without this fundamental change, any reforms attempted by the RBI and banks will fall short," it said. Small e-commerce businesses often face challenges because banks are not equipped to handle low-value transactions efficiently, it added. The key issues include reluctance to process forex through alternate channels, high processing fees, incorrect purpose code allocation, and limitations in the RBI's EDPMS (Export Data Processing and Monitoring System). The Reserve Bank of India tracks export payments and reconciliation through its Export Data Processing and Monitoring System. "Banks are happy to process forex received through bank transfers but reluctant to process forex received through foreign currency cheques, payment gateways like PayPal, credit cards, <keyword id="151105" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="western-union" source="Orion">Western Union</keyword>, cash receipt when a buyer selects item live in the retail shop," it said. Banks delay crediting forex received in a firm's account when payments are received through such channels, and this affects cash flow and hampers business operations, the report noted. Banks charge money multiple times at different stages for the same small-value shipment, it added. Elaborating this, it said that essential charges include charges for submitting shipping bills (Rs 80 to Rs 2,000) at the time of forex realisation (1-to-2.5 per cent of value), intermediary bank charges during forex transfers (USD 10 to USD 55 per transaction), penalties for bills pending at EDPMS (Rs 100 per shipping bill per month). "Most charges are fixed for a transaction irrespective of value. Bank charges can exceed 50-60 per cent of the shipment value. This makes e-commerce exports commercially unviable," it said, adding banks allocate purpose codes for each remittance but frequently issue incorrect codes. For example, purpose code P0103, meant for advance payments, is often assigned even when exports have already occurred and the firm has submitted proof. Incorrect allocation of purpose codes by banks leads to reconciliation problems, EDPMS pendency issues, and issuance of notices and fines on exporters. The RBI issues notices to exporters for EDPMS defaults but does not give them direct access to view their records, as per the report. "Exporters must rely on banks/DGFT for critical data, leading to unnecessary delays and complications," GTRI co-founder <keyword id="504704" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ajay-srivastava" source="Orion">Ajay Srivastava</keyword> said. The report suggested eight action points, such as the creation of a single window platform for e-commerce and small-value shipments, standardise bank charges, defining a time limit for banks to complete all small export-related requests by the RBI, and exempting shipment value up to USD 1,000 per shipment from monitoring till the single window is implemented. It also pitched for an extension of the timeline for EDPMS closure from the current nine months to 24 months and redesign the courier shipping bill to reflect correct payment terms. On the single window, Srivastava called for integrating the RBI, banks, Customs, DGFT, India Post, courier companies and exporters. "This platform should cover all realisation methods other than bank transfers. The exporter should be able to conduct all transactions online. SW will automate the EDPMS reconciliation process," he added. He said that high processing fees and multiple charges at different stages of exporting hurt small businesses the most, and the banks should charge a one-time fee for each shipment instead of further charges at various stages. "The government could subsidise these fees to ease the financial burden on small exporters," the report said, adding there is a need to raise the export realisation variation limit from 25 per cent to 100 per cent.

Banking issues hinder growth of exports through e-commerce: GTRI report

Hitting a hattrick of 6’s to dazzle the crowd hasn’t been the only cool thing <keyword id="6354832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MS-dhoni" source="Orion">MS Dhoni</keyword> has been up to of late. The Indian cricketing legend continues to make waves off the pitch in many ways, one of which involves investing in interesting and impactful <keyword id="20067715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="start-up" source="keywords">start-up</keyword> projects. His latest venture involves an undisclosed investment in <keyword id="20656950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-cycle" source="keywords">electric cycle</keyword> manufacturer <keyword id="20835176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EMotorad" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="EMotorad" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="EMotorad">EMotorad</keyword>. In addition to his financial backing, <keyword id="19896463" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoni" source="keywords">Dhoni</keyword> is set to serve as the <keyword id="21321553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="brand-endorser" source="keywords">brand endorser</keyword> for the company, further solidifying his role in shaping its future direction. Expressing his excitement for this venture, Dhoni commented: “The future is in our hands. We are in an era where innovation plays a huge role in shaping sustainable solutions, and I’m a fan of new-age companies that build these. EMotorad stands at the forefront of shaping the future of mobility, and I am thrilled to be a part of this journey!” <keyword id="20835175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kunal-Gupta" source="keywords">Kunal Gupta</keyword>, founder and chief executive of EMotorad, expressed confidence that MS Dhoni's association with the brand will significantly boost awareness and trust in the e-biking sector. He told ET: “There is no one better and more reliable than Dhoni who resonates with what our brand stands for, an avid biker himself.” <div type="twitter" handle="e_motorad" handlename="e_motorad" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1776119471704608843"></div> This Pune-based startup now joins a growing list of startups that are part of Dhoni's diverse portfolio, which includes ventures spanning various sectors such as fitness, technology, automotive and digital solutions. As per The Economic Times, notable among his investments are Bengaluru-based fitness startup Tagda Raho, digital lending platform Khatabook, and Gurugram-based used car retailer Cars24. Founded in 2020 by Kunal Gupta, Rajib Gangopadhyay, Aditya Oza and Sumedh Battewar, EMotorad has rapidly gained traction in the Indian e-cycle market, capturing a 65% share. With a focus on cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships, the company aims to revolutionise transportation by offering high-quality and value-driven solutions. Back in November 2023, EMotorad demonstrated its growth potential by securing substantial funding worth Rs 164 crore in a Series B round led by Panthera Growth Partners. It has raised a total of $20 million in equity thus far. The company boasts a network of more than 350 dealers nationwide, along with over 10 experience centres. Despite its strong foundation in India, its reach spans across eight countries, demonstrating its global presence and influence. Offline dominance aside, EMotorad also leverages online platforms to reach a wider audience, including e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. In the fiscal year ending March 2024, EMotorad reported sales of Rs 140 crore, a notable increase from Rs 115 crore the previous year. Looking ahead to FY25, the company targets sales of Rs 270 crore, with approximately Rs 130 crore stemming from domestic markets and the remainder anticipated from regions like the US and Europe. With plans underway for a new factory and the development of innovative e-cycle designs, EMotorad is poised for further expansion. By diversifying its product range, expanding its market reach, and now partnering with one of the most beloved sporting figures in the country, the company is fully committed to solidifying its position as a leader in the evolving mobility landscape. (With inputs from The Economic Times)

Dhoni goes electric: Former team India captain invests in affordable e-bike start-up EMotorad

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Prime is a crucial way Amazon encourages consumers to keep spending money on its platform. </li><li>Prime growth has for years spurred investors to pile into Amazon stock. </li></ul>In 2018, Amazon founder <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-richest-man-world-career-life-story-2017-7">Jeff Bezos</a> said he expected his company to be scrutinized by regulators because big tech had become so large. On Wednesday, he was proved right. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/federal-trade-commission-act">Federal Trade Commission</a> sued Amazon, accusing the e-commerce behemoth of luring unwitting customers into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-is-investigating-prime-team-gender-bias-allegations-2021-6">Prime</a> subscriptions, and creating a "labyrinthine" process to cancel it. The company "knowingly duped millions of consumers," the FTC said <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.323520/gov.uscourts.wawd.323520.1.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">in its complaint</a> filed in federal court in Washington state.The suit was the result of an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-ftc-probe-customer-complaints-sign-ups-internal-documents-2022-3">Insider investigation</a> in early 2022. Citing internal Amazon documents, reporter <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/eugene-kim">Eugene Kim</a> and then-editor Graham Starr revealed that the company had been concerned since at least 2017 that user interface designs on Amazon.com led customers to feel manipulated into signing up for Prime. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-day-2-culture-first-year-ceo-2022-8">Amazon</a> was aware of these complaints for years but did not take serious action, according to the previously unreported internal documents and six current and former employees who spoke to Insider.Even worse: In several cases, fixes for these issues were proposed and considered, but resulted in lower subscription growth when tested, and were shelved by executives, the documents showed. After the story ran, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ftc-deepens-amazon-prime-probe-sending-subpoenas-issuing-warnings-2022-8?op=1">FTC revived a dormant probe</a> into the issue, according to the regulator's complaint on Wednesday."On March 14, 2022, Business Insider published information leaked from current and former Amazon employees regarding the problems with Amazon's Prime checkout enrollment flow and the Iliad Flow," the FTC wrote in its suit. "The Commission quickly ascertained that Amazon had failed to disclose much of the now-leaked documents and information to the Commission, despite the fact that at least some of it was responsive to the outstanding CID. Amazon withheld the information."In an email to Insider on Wednesday, Amazon's spokesperson said the FTC's claims are "false.""The truth is that customers love Prime, and by design we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership," the statement said. "We also find it concerning that the FTC announced this lawsuit without notice to us, in the midst of our discussions with FTC staff members to ensure they understand the facts, context, and legal issues, and before we were able to have a dialog with the Commissioners themselves before they filed a lawsuit."<h2>Civil Investigative Demand</h2>Around the spring of 2022, the regulator reached out to current and former Amazon employees and sent out subpoena letters in some cases. One of those letters, reviewed by Insider, said the FTC made a Civil Investigative Demand to Amazon in March 2021. A CID is a legal document enforceable in court that seeks documents or other information related to an FTC investigation. The agency sends CIDs to get information from companies it thinks may have violated the law, according to the FTC website.In April 2022, the FTC sent more correspondence about the issue to Amazon lawyers, according to the letter, which cited Insider's original story from March 2022.At that time, an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement that "we continually listen to customer feedback and look for ways to improve the customer experience.""Customers love Prime and by design we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership," the Amazon representative added.<h2>Harassment accusation</h2>Later in 2022, the FTC ramped up its probe. The regulator asked Amazon to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ftc-requests-jeff-bezos-amazon-executives-disappearing-messages-prime-investigation-2022-8">dig up any relevant disappearing messages</a> sent by the company's executives, including Bezos and CEO Andy Jassy. Other Amazon executives subpoenaed in the investigation included former retail boss <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-consumer-ceo-dave-clark-resigns-missteps-2022-6" rel="">Dave Clark</a> and his successor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-of-amazons-new-retail-ceo-doug-herrington-2022-7" rel="">Doug Herrington</a>, SVP of international Russ Grandinetti, and former Prime VP Greg Greeley.Amazon's law firm <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-accuses-ftc-harassing-jeff-bezos-andy-jassy-prime-investigation-2022-8">accused the FTC of harassing</a> the company's top executives. The firm argued that the FTC should "quash or limit" the subpoenas due to "unworkable and unfair" procedures that it described as a "one-sided effort to force Amazon to meet impossible-to-satisfy demands."It looks like that argument has failed so far. Do you work at Amazon? Are you concerned about the company's behavior? Reach out to reporter Eugene Kim via the encrypted messaging apps <a href="https://signal.org/download/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Signal</a> or <a href="https://telegram.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Telegram</a> (+1-650-942-3061) or email (ekim@insider.com). Use a non-work device.

Amazon Prime FTC suit: How Insider's investigation led to a crackdown on the e-commerce giant

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12153591" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fedex" source="Orion">FedEx</keyword>'s CEO and founder, the legendary <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-fedex-new-class-leaders-fred-smith-step-back-2021-7">Fred Smith</a>, is stepping aside as CEO.</li><li>He will be replaced by company veteran Raj Subramaniam.</li></ul>FedEx CEO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-fedex-new-class-leaders-fred-smith-step-back-2021-7">Fred Smith</a>, who founded the company more than 50 years ago, is stepping aside. Smith will be replaced as chief executive on June 1 by President and Chief Operating Officer Raj Subramaniam, according to a company press <a href="https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/raj-subramaniam-to-become-president-and-ceo-of-fedex-corporation-frederick-w-smith-to-serve-as-executive-chairman/">release</a> on Monday. Subramaniam has been at FedEx in various capacities since 1991. Smith will transition to the role of executive chairman."[Smith] founded one of the world's greatest and most admired companies, and it is my honor and privilege to step into this role and build upon what he has created. As we continue to transform as a company and reimagine what's next, we will keep our people-service-profit philosophy at our core," Subramaniam said in the release.Subramaniam was not a surprise pick. In December 2019, the 77-year-old Smith <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-23/fedex-s-smith-says-he-has-one-big-job-before-mulling-retirement">told Bloomberg</a> he had recommended Subramaniam to the board as his successor if he retired or was incapcitated. Smith also told Bloomberg at the time that he wanted to get the company in a good place before stepping down as CEO. "As we look toward what's next, I have a great sense of satisfaction that a leader of the caliber of Raj Subramaniam will take FedEx into a very successful future," Smith said in the release.In June 2021, Smith also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-fedex-new-class-leaders-fred-smith-step-back-2021-7">announced he would take a step back from quarterly earnings calls</a>, passing the burden of updating investors and analysts to top leaders at the company, including Subramaniam. Smith is a high-profile American entrepreneur. He was briefed, along with other business leaders, about the Russian-Ukrainian war at the White House last week, <a href="https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2022-03-21/here-are-the-ceos-who-were-briefed-by-the-white-house-on-the-war-in-ukraine">per NPR</a>, was friends with former President George W. Bush, wrote <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fedex-delivers-billions-to-the-taxman-11574294109">op-eds</a> for the Wall Street Journal, and served as chairman of the US-China Business Council. He founded FedEx in the 1970s. Back in 2019, when Subramaniam was named as Smith's preferred successor, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-fedex-new-class-leaders-fred-smith-step-back-2021-7">times were rough for the company</a>, Insider reported tariffs hurt international movement of packages, the company was dealing with its Amazon breakup, and margins were down. But the pandemic's <keyword id="11894549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="Orion">e-commerce</keyword> boom boosted FedEx's fortunes.

FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith plans to step down in June, as the company names COO Raj Subramaniam to the top job

Cars24 founder, Kunal Mundra on skipping the recent IPO frenzy

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce platform <keyword id="2615037" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="carousell" source="Orion">Carousell</keyword> has laid off about 110 employees, or 10 per cent of its total workforce, in an effort to reduce costs. Siu <keyword id="15698547" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rui-quek" source="Orion">Rui Quek</keyword>, co-founder and CEO of Carousell, said that he takes responsibility for the "decisions that have led us here". The Singapore-headquartered company operates in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword>, New Zealand and Canada. "Emails will be sent to everyone in affected business units, clarifying if your role was impacted," he said in a statement. "Parting with teammates, whom we are grateful to for joining us on this mission, is a very difficult decision. We will be sure to treat everyone impacted with compassion and to lend as much support as we can to them," said the CEO. The company will offer 1 month of salary for every year of service, rounded up to the nearest half year, to each impacted employee. "We will ensure that every impacted teammate will have at least 3 months of compensation, topping-up the difference where necessary," said <keyword id="310516" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="quek" source="Orion">Quek</keyword>. The CEO said as we emerged from the Covid lockdowns of 2021 across key markets of the group, "we were optimistic about the recovery to come and eager to reignite growth in our core classifieds business". "Looking back, I'd made critical mistakes: First, I was too optimistic about the pace of our impact versus our increase in investments. Second, while it is easy to blame market conditions, I also underestimated the impact of growing our team size too quickly," he admitted. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/oil-prices-rise-after-g7-nations-cap-the-price-of-russian-crude-at-60/barrel/articleshow/95996679.cms">Oil prices rise after G7 nations cap the price of Russian crude at $60/barrel</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/italy-home-to-highest-number-of-unofficial-chinese-police-stations-says-a-spanish-civil-rights-group/articleshow/95996001.cms">Italy home to highest number of unofficial Chinese 'police stations' says a Spanish civil rights group</a>

You Searched For "E commerce founders" and got 12 results

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Amazon Prime FTC suit: How Insider's investigation led to a crackdown on the e-commerce giant

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