<b>Chart:</b> Direct selling under pressure

Heath of e-commerce sector decoded

With the emergence of e-commerce firms, poor consumer demand and growing legal hurdles, direct selling companies in India are witnessing prolonged slowdown in sales. In 2015-16, sales of about more than one-fourth of the firms shrunk. The market, growing at about 20 per cent (y-o-y) between 2009-10 and 2011-12, slowed to a mere four per cent, despite India being the smallest market among major economies. Arnab Dutta decodes the health of the sector.