State likely to launch e-commerce platform

Efforts on to market a diverse range of ethnic products under a Kerala brand

In a bid to help traditional industries scale up businesses by tapping new market avenues, the Industries Department has set its sights on creating a common e-commerce platform.

Industries Minister P. Rajeeve has been leading efforts to explore the possibilities of marketing a diverse range of ethnic products under a Kerala brand. He convened a second round of meeting of officials and experts as part of the endeavour here on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, the Minister said the government aimed for nothing less than establishing a professional system that could match up to the customer-oriented business model of corporate giants. He saw immense potential in building a global clientele for handloom, Khadi, coir, reed and other products through the proposed platform. It will involve provision for procurement, delivery and logistics support. Digital University Kerala will spearhead the efforts to launch the platform, he added.

Official sources pointed out that various aspects including product positioning, cataloguing, digital marketing, adopting a central or decentralised store models, logistics partnership and payment gateway models will be factored in while evolving the system.

While agencies like Hantex had their own portals for online sale, it remained to be decided if such ventures need to come under a common platform. The department also hoped to glean from the experience of other States that have embarked on similar ventures.

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