eCommerce will help empower women: Experts

Evolution of the e-commerce sector in India will help in empowering women as it will provide opportunity for them to work from home and it will also be instrumental in removing social inequalities, experts here said on Friday.

"e-commerce will provide a big opportunity for job-seekers. This will also help towards empowerment of women," Khalid Isar, country general manager, Alibaba.com, said.

He was speaking at the 4th National Conclave e-commerce India organised by industry body Assocham.

Echoing his views, K.C. Tyagi, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on industry said e-commerce is becoming a part of daily life in India.

"It is an important tool to remove all social inequalities. We cannot think of life without e-commerce now."

Isar also mentioned that India has an edge over many other supplying countries in e-commerce, as the country has overcome the language barrier and most of the people doing business can speak English.

"India is one of the most innovative countries in the world when it comes to handicrafts, apparels and machineries," he said, adding that Indian product quality has a good reputation.

The digital commerce market in India has grown steadily from $4.4 billion in 2010 to $13.6 billion in 2014.

"It is expected to touch $16 billion in 2015," Hemant Joshi, partner, Deloitte India's TMT leader said.

The experts, however, mentioned that cyber security remains an area of concern for all.