By 2034, it is anticipated that the Indian e-Commerce market will overtake the US as the second-largest e-Commerce market in the world. Businesses have been encouraged to broaden their reach across the country and broaden the scope of their operations as a result of the rising penetration of this industry and the increased acceptability of online platforms. ODISHA E STORE is one such e-Commerce platform, with a unique proposition. Unlike mainstream e-Commerce platforms, ODISHA E STORE stands out because it is a regional store, providing customers with all things Odia. Odisha E Store was incorporated in July 2022, and is the fastest growing name in the field of Cultural & Ethnic products of Odisha for online across the globe.

Rural E-commerce in the state of Odisha has an expanse of untapped potential due to inadequate infusion of technology limiting its reach to prospective markets. There is inadequate innovation and development in product designing thereby reducing its relative utility and value in the present day market. “To mitigate the issue our constant endeavor is to directly link the primary

producers such as Self Help Groups(SHGs)or Producer Groups (PGs) formed by the Government of Odisha through their various initiatives like ORMAS and MISSION SHAKTI to the end user through the power of e-commerce. We intervene at designing, marketing as well as improving technical threshold levels. We collaborate with various government and non-government agencies for design upgrades and interventions”, shares Debashis Das, Executive Director, ODISHA E STORE.

Consumers that seek to immerse in the Odia culture, or possess things from this region of India, can find a plethora of options on this platform. ODISHA E STORE is also working to promote handicrafts as gifts in the corporate as well as government sector. The group recently persuaded a defense establishment to switch to handmade products from machine cast mementoes as its memorabilia and gifts during a reunion.

ODISHA E STORE started to counteract the lack of Odia books recommendations and search results on the internet. The platform made these books available to the masses, which increased its popularity overall. Pivoting from the niche, the group now visits artisan clusters to spread awareness to get them under the fold of e-commerce, contemporize the products to have modern utility with a traditional flair as also help them in getting bulk B2B offline orders.

Leveraging Technology
ODISHA E STORE is currently an opensource platform, which is working tirelessly to develop the website and application that can offer customers a better shopping experience. In addition to bringing Odisha’s products including books, handlooms, health products, arts and crafts, the company is also working to bring some unique products by amalgamating multiple art types to form a unique product. “Our special endeavor is to promote sustainable products with near zero carbon footprint like jewelry, fabrics and utility items using either recycled or purely organic material sourced ethically. We have been able to open channels of exports for our affiliate artisans by tying up with embassies of India as well as other NRIs. This is why our organization has been invited to Japan to put up a store during a function of Odias settled in Japan", further adds Debashis. In the near future, the company is seeking to expand the existing product portfolio, introduce unique items, as well as improve the online experience to further attract customers.