Lok Sabha Question No. 1260 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Utilisation of Online E-commerce Platform
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1260.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025.

## UTILISATION OF ONLINE E-COMMERCE PLATFORM

## 1260.  SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY: SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  recent  study/survey  regarding  the access  and  utilisation  of  online  e-commerce  platforms  by  rural  bodies, entrepreneurs and self help groups;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  schemes,  programmes  and  initiatives  undertaken  to increase  the  presence  of  rural  entrepreneurs/industries  on  e-commerce platforms in the country during the last five years;
- (c) the details and the total number of beneficiaries especially women and youths who  have  benefited  from  the  above  specified  schemes,  programmes  and initiatives during the such  period, scheme,  State-wise  and  district-wise including Andhra Pradesh;
- (d) the details of funds allocated and utilised for the purposes of such schemes during the such period state and district-wise including Andhra Pradesh and particularly in Eluru district; and
- (e) whether the Government has taken any promotional activities / campaigns to increase awareness of such schemes in the country during the such period, if so the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

- (a) to (e): The Government has taken up several measures for increasing the accessibility and presence of rural bodies, entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups on e-commerce platforms, which are as under:
- (i) The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) through its autonomous organizations, namely National Institute for Entrepreneurship and  Small  Business  Development  (NIESBUD)  and  Indian  Institute  of Entrepreneurship (IIE) has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship  amongst  all  sections  of  the  society,  including  the  rural entrepreneurs.

NIESBUD implemented a Pilot Project for Entrepreneurship Development Program in 10 States supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,  from  January  2020  to  March  2023,  which  aimed  at creating, fostering and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among the target groups through Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Mentoring and Handholding support. NIESBUD has facilitated Training of Master Trainers on Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship Development for 98 Master Trainers from 98 blocks of the 10 aspirational districts and Training of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) on Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship Development in 101 blocks of the 10 aspirational districts covering 1993 participants. Further, the Institute has facilitated linkages of 693 SHGs to Amazon, 744 SHGs to Flipkart and 830 SHGs to Villa mart ecommerce platforms under the project.

MSDE  has  sanctioned  'Empowering  Grassroot  Entrepreneurs  on  Digital Marketing through Capacity Building and Handholding Approach" under Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) in  2024  to  increase  the  understanding  and  knowledge  of  the  targeted beneficiaries about the advantages of e-commerce and to provide comprehensive training and orientation to the targeted beneficiaries on the latest trends, tools, and techniques in e-commerce. As on 31.01.2025, Seven days Capacity Building training on e-commerce has been completed for 3000 trainees by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) under the project.

- (ii) Department  of  Promotion  for  Industry  and  Internal  Trade  (DPIIT)  has pioneered the initiative of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). The initiative  aims  at  democratising  digital  commerce  to  enable  every  seller, MSME, merchant, farmers and consumer to access, participate and benefit through digital commerce. ONDC is engaging in various initiatives to promote digital entrepreneurship in rural areas as below:
-  The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's network of Common Services Centers (CSCs) is being utilised to connect every village in India to the national digital market through ONDC. With their network of 4 Lakh+ Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) - CSC through ONDC  is  unlocking  Assisted  e-commerce  across  rural  India.  This integration allows rural citizens to access a vast e-commerce network, thereby boosting entrepreneurship opportunities and incomes for VLEs.
-  The Ministry of Agriculture is supporting FPOs and making it easier for them to access markets nationwide through ONDC. More than 7000 FPOs have already been onboarded to ONDC-complaint applications, enabling them to sell their produce in 160+ cities across India supported with innovative joint digital demand generation initiatives. This initiative provides farmers and FPO enterprises with digital empowerment and market access.
-  Prasar Bharati is working to bundle broadband services with OTT and e-commerce platforms for rural India riding on BharatNet infrastructure under the Universal Service Obligation fund (USOF) through ONDC.

This  includes  enabling  shopping  on  WAVES,  Prasar  Bharati's  OTT platform,  integrated  with  ONDC's  digital  commerce  framework  to enable sale of products and services, bridging the digital divide for rural sellers.

-  The Ministry of MSME has launched a MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing  (TEAM)  Scheme,  designed  to  onboard  5  lakh  Small  and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) onto ONDC. With 50% of its beneficiaries designated  to  be  women-owned  enterprises,  this  initiative  is  set  to enhance the resilience and growth potential of India's MSME sector, driving a more robust, inclusive digital commerce ecosystem.
-  Funding  agencies  like  SIDBI  and  philanthropic  agencies  like  Bill  & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Grameen, Sattva etc are enabling SHGs to transition to digital platforms and sell their products through ONDC.  BMGF  has  also  initiated  a  program  to  empower  1  million women entrepreneurs through ONDC.
-  Currently, there are around 7 lakh+ sellers and service providers on the ONDC  network.  As  ONDC  is  a  network,  and  not  a  platform  or  a marketplace, it does not collect demographic data on beneficiaries.
-  ONDC has delivered 300+ hours of virtual training on ONDC & 200+ hours of technical training through open digital sessions, attended by 50,000+ startups, students, business leaders, bureaucrats etc.
-  ONDC has developed a Handbook to help sellers (especially first time sellers)  succeed in digital commerce in 14 languages and are being distributed widely
-  ONDC has partnered with Bhashini to improve app development and e-commerce in Indic languages.
-  ONDC  Sahayak  -  Whatsapp  Bot  'ONDC  Sahayak'  launched  in  5 languages, to be extended to 22 languages, to help sellers and buyers get information about ONDC.
-  ONDC  has  launched ONDC  Academy in  partnership  with  UGC  & National  Council  for  Vocational  Education  and  Training  (NCVET) to enable  training  and  capacity  building  around  e-Commerce  adoption across India.
- (iii) For strengthening marketing support for products made by women of Selfhelp Groups (SHGs), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM)  has  launched  eSARAS  mobile  App  in July, 2023 as an e-Commerce initiative for products made by the SHGs. eSARAS, an e-commerce mobile app, is used as a more effective platform for marketing of the products made by women of SHGs. This initiative of Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) aims for promotion of the marketing of the best, authentic handicrafts and hand-looms.

National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in collaboration with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) have taken other e-commerce initiatives to promote curated products covering food products, handicrafts and hand- loom etc. from SHGs and SHG members' entrepreneurs through multiple channels  such  as  linkages  with  e-Commerce  platforms  like  GeM,  Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho and JioMart. The  SHG  products  from  31  States/UTs  have  been  on-boarded  on  the eSARAS platform. eSARAS is also live as a Seller Network Participant on Open  Network  for  Digital  Commerce  (ONDC).  A  two  days  Training  of Trainers (TOTs)  for integration of women SHGs with ongoing marketing initiatives  was  held  on  7th-8th  August  2024.  88  Master Trainers from  all States/ UTs were trained. State/UT-wise no. of SHG members on-boarded on e-commerce platforms

is attached as Annexure-I.

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## ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION 1260 FOR ANSWER ON 11.02.2025.

State wise no. of SHG members on-boarded on e-commerce platforms.

| S. No.   | State             |   *No. of SHG Members on-boarded on e-commerce platforms |
|----------|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                                                     6462 |
| 2.       | ASSAM             |                                                     1276 |
| 3.       | BIHAR             |                                                      350 |
| 4.       | GOA               |                                                     1200 |
| 5.       | GUJARAT           |                                                      250 |
| 6.       | HARYANA           |                                                      126 |
| 7.       | JAMMU AND KASHMIR |                                                      116 |
| 8.       | JHARKHAND         |                                                       98 |
| 9.       | KARNATAKA         |                                                      800 |
| 10.      | KERALA            |                                                     3000 |
| 11.      | MAHARASHTRA       |                                                    10803 |
| 12.      | MANIPUR           |                                                      156 |
| 13.      | NAGALAND          |                                                       16 |
| 14.      | SIKKIM            |                                                     3000 |
| 15.      | TAMIL NADU        |                                                     2289 |
| 16.      | TRIPURA           |                                                       30 |
| 17.      | UTTARAKHAND       |                                                      110 |
| 18.      | UTTAR PRADESH     |                                                     2253 |
| 19.      | WEST BENGAL       |                                                      102 |
| Total    | Total             |                                                    32437 |

*As reported by the States/UTs

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