The internet, coupled with advances in mobile technologies for computing and communication, is transforming businesses globally and opening new possibilities for both customers and organizations.
E-commerce is expanding steadily in India. Customers have the ever-increasing choice of products at the lowest rates. E-commerce is probably creating the biggest revolution in the retail industry, and the trend is growing.
The dynamic growing e-commerce environment has led the customer to avail comforts as varied as car service or doctor’s appointment with a simple android app. The buying experience has been freed of the bondage of distance or time multiplying manifold the ease of access. The Indian customers, just like their global counterparts, can shop from the comfort of their homes. Buyers have varied choice with a wider range of products and prices from global vendors. They can use their smartphones from anywhere 24/7 to shop.
Figure 1: Growth of E-commerce
With Amazon prepped up for its first cashier-less shop ‘Amazon Go’ in Seattle, e-commerce is set to witness a paradigm shift. It allows the customer to place the products directly into their bags and get charged for them from their online account saving them the hassle of waiting in the queue or check out. This utopian concept is a result of an amalgamation of cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence. Adopted to Indian markets, the technology can significantly reduce the madding weekend rush in the supermarkets.
As mentioned in The Daily Pioneer dated, 24th Jan 2018, all kinds of retails— big and small— want to leverage the advantages offered by digital retail e-commerce platforms, which enable them to spend less money on real estate while reaching out to more customers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Some of the top e-commerce companies in India are:
Figure 2: Some top e-commerce companies.
Another very recent report in The Economic Times dated 22nd Jan 2018 states that e-commerce companies are emerging as a major driver of commercial vehicle demand, with online sellers and logistic providers consolidating warehousing solutions and opting for hub-and-spoke model. Major commercial vehicle makers, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Mahindra Truck & Bus, report a significant surge in sales to transporters catering to the e-commerce sector.
This stupendous growth in the e-commerce space, needs a huge demand for trained management professional who can expertly handle the challenges. Companies are hiring e-commerce specialists in large numbers. But the demand is outdoing the supply.
Very few B-Schools in India have been able to keep pace with the changing demand in the skills required to handle e-commerce jobs. The jobs would require skills like big data analytics, logistics management, digital marketing, and technology management among other general management skills.
The e-commerce field thrives on interdisciplinary activity that calls for multiple skills to execute tasks. However, due to the lack of interdisciplinary learning in the traditional education, there is a great deficit of professionals who can directly take job roles in this sector. The extensive business prospects combined with the low availability of skilled workers makes this filed a fertile ground for job opportunities.
Since the field of e-commerce involves interdisciplinary concepts, a traditional pedagogical framework cannot deliver the full gist of this challenging field. An interdisciplinary programme in management trains the student in all domains required to become a successful manager in the e-commerce industry. With live projects and internships, the students get ready to take on the challenges of this sector.
(The above article is a summary of recent articles appearing in The Daily Pioneer, The Economic Times and The Forbes Magazine)
References:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/avenues/managing-e-commerce.html
Dr. Jayashree Vispute
Assistant Prof & HoD CM Department, Vishwakarma University
