There is a vast opportunity for e-commerce in India which can have a couple of players like Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba if the Government is successful in rollout of its Digital India project, union minister for communications and information technology (IT), Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad said at an ASSOCHAM event in New Delhi.“As Flipkart is growing so big, as we see the success of Alibaba and as we see the aspirational India evolving with great enthusiasm particularly in rural areas, I see a vast opportunity for e-commerce,” said Mr Prasad while inaugurating 10th national summit on ‘E-governance & Digital India: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,’ organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
“I see almost an explosion of various kind of availability of services through e-commerce, particularly you will have warehouses,” said Mr Prasad.“We can have couple of Alibaba in coming future if we are able to rollout this programme very well,” added the union minister for IT and telecom.He further informed that the Digital India programme has been conceived recognising India’s great deficit in terms of broadband and the core element of this programme is digital infrastructure as a utility to every citizen, governance and service on demand and digital empowerment of citizens.“We wish to reach every gram panchayat of India within a defined period upon government costs and the government user network is here to ensure connectivity,” said Mr Prasad. Highlighting the poor rural telecom penetration of 44 per cent, the minister said, “Rural India needs more coverage of 44 per cent plus, we need to bridge that gap.”
