New Delhi: Calling it a "Diwali gift" for businesspersons across Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced the launch of a web portal 'Dilli Bazaar', where shop owners across popular markets such as Lajpat Nagar, Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar and many more will be able to showcase their products and conduct business through.
The umbrella portal encompassing all famous shops and their products in the city is hoped to be ready by August next year, CM Kejriwal said in a press conference on the eve of Diwali.
"Businessmen, traders, manufacturers, markets and shops will not only be able to display their products on this portal but also sell them in the city, country and even abroad," he said. The portal will host virtual exhibitions in addition to virtual markets where people can go through shops, identify products of their choice and buy them.
"Dilli Bazaar will be a path-breaking, state-of-the-art portal that will give a global online identity to every trader, businessperson, professional, service provider and shopkeeper of Delhi. The shoppers will be able to go on virtual walkthroughs of Delhi's markets, buy any product they like from their home itself," said the Chief Minister, asserting that the all-encompassing e-marketplace will lead to a "monumental rise" in Delhi's GDP, tax revenues, employment and overall economic activities.
Saying that the portal will open up the global market for Delhi's business owners, shops, traders and service providers, the CM said local businesses will get heavy promotion on the portal and one will be able to explore all products of all shops on it.
"From Lajpat Nagar-Sarojini Nagar markets to local DDA markets, every shop in Delhi will be able to sell its products online. The portal will support both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business ventures and startups will benefit greatly from the exposure made available by it," he said.
Showcasing Delhi's unique markets on a platform, creating an ecosystem for Delhi's consumers to buy locally, and providing a credible and affordable e-commerce platform to small and medium enterprises are the key objectives behind the "Dilli Bazaar" concept, officials said.
"The product delivery part of the e-marketplace enabled by Dilli Bazaar portal will be handled by the sellers. Work has started to materialise the concept and operational guidelines for it are being decided," said a senior Delhi government officer.
"Imagine the kind of experience consumers will have when they can virtually visit any market, find a shop on it and shop from the retailer directly through the portal. This portal is going to bring even the smallest of the businesses of Delhi to a global scale. Even someone sitting in America will be able to virtually walk around the Hauz Khas market and buy something from the shops there. This will all be direct to the consumer, you can search for a certain shop or a product and all options will be there in front of you."
There is also a business-to-business side to it where traders from other countries can buy Indian goods and products in bulk through the portal for further sale in their countries.