JAMMU, AUGUST 12: The Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), under the aegis of the Industries & Commerce Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, today organized a Virtual E-Commerce Seller Onboarding Drive on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with the objective of facilitating digital market access and enabling MSMEs, artisans, startups, sellers and other business enterprises of Jammu & Kashmir to leverage digital commerce platforms for expanding their market reach.
The virtual programme witnessed the participation of more than 300 stakeholders through the virtual platform and webcast, comprising entrepreneurs, MSMEs, artisans, sellers and other stakeholders interested in expanding their businesses through digital commerce.
The programme was organized as part of JKTPO’s continued efforts towards promoting digital adoption, strengthening market linkages and facilitating greater visibility and market access for enterprises from the Union Territory.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Managing Director JKTPO Sudershan Kumar. He welcomed the participating entrepreneurs and stakeholders and highlighted the importance of embracing digital commerce in the rapidly evolving business environment. He emphasized that digital marketplaces provide enterprises with an opportunity to move beyond conventional geographical limitations and connect with a much wider customer base.
Director Handloom & Handicrafts Jammu Sheikh Nazir highlighted the immense potential of e-commerce in promoting the traditional products, handicrafts and handloom products of Jammu & Kashmir. He emphasized that digital platforms can play an important role in providing artisans and traditional product manufacturers with wider market access, enhanced visibility and opportunities to reach customers beyond the local and regional markets.
The technical and knowledge session was conducted by Nandita Sharma from ONDC, who briefed the participants about the ONDC Network and its functioning and explained how businesses can leverage the network to access digital commerce opportunities. During the session, Ms. Sharma provided an overview of the various tools and platforms available for enterprises to establish and strengthen their digital presence. Particular emphasis was laid on digital cataloguing, with participants being introduced to various tools and mechanisms that can be utilized for creating and managing digital product catalogues. The session highlighted the importance of having accurate, attractive and comprehensive digital catalogues for effectively presenting products to online customers.
The participants were also briefed about Digi Haat and its role in facilitating seller onboarding and strengthening the digital presence of enterprises. They were further introduced to India Post as a logistics partner and apprised of its role in seamless order fulfilment, along with other associated platforms and tools within the ONDC ecosystem. The session thus provided participants with practical insights into digital cataloguing, seller onboarding, logistics and other allied services essential for establishing and operating a successful online business.
The session also provided an opportunity to participating enterprises to understand the practical benefits of joining the ONDC Network and explore avenues for taking their products to a wider customer base through digital channels. Participants were encouraged to make use of the available digital tools and complete the onboarding process to begin leveraging the opportunities offered by the emerging digital commerce ecosystem.
A virtual interactive session and live Q&A were also conducted, providing participants an opportunity to directly interact with the ONDC representative, raise queries and seek practical clarifications regarding seller onboarding, cataloguing, logistics and other aspects of digital commerce.
