OPINION | E-commerce exports emerge as another engine of growth

India’s first wave of e-commerce exports in the mid-2010s was led by a small group of tech-savvy sellers.

India’s export landscape is entering a new phase, powered not only by factories and ports, but by a rising wave of MSME entrepreneurs reaching global markets directly. This shift is unfolding from living rooms, studios, and small workshops, where creators and MSMEs are building global brands with just a laptop, an idea, and an internet connection. Enabling government policies, facilitator ecommerce platforms, exposure to global markets are driving this new phase.

Policy Push for Digital Trade

For the first time, policy frameworks and digital platforms are moving in alignment. The India Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 positioned e-commerce exports as a strategic growth engine, committing to paperless trade systems, faster clearances, and simplified compliance for small exporters. Initiatives like the Export Promotion Mission and DGFT’s Trade Connect have eased access to export markets for MSMEs, enabling them to navigate procedures with greater clarity and speed.

The government seems to be keen to further ease exports compliance requirements through policy interventions. The government is considering allowing FDI in inventory-led e-commerce models exclusively for export operations. If implemented, this could bring global capital into India’s export supply chains, modernise warehousing, and deepen integration with international digital marketplaces.

Momentum on the Ground

The transformation is already visible. According to the Amazon Exports Digest 2025, sellers on Amazon Global Selling have crossed $20 billion in cumulative exports, spanning more than 200,000 MSMEs from across the country, including many Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The MSMEs sell across 18 international marketplaces, with strong traction in categories like ayurvedic wellness, yoga accessories, handmade décor, and contemporary fashion. Amazon’s Propel Global Business Accelerator has helped over 120 emerging Indian brands expand globally since 2021. For MSMEs, Amazon provides support on compliance, onboarding, fulfilment, and operational readiness that are crucial for MSMEs taking their first steps into international trade. This helps MSMEs not only scale domestically but also prepare for international quality benchmarks, packaging standards, and supply-chain efficiency, making their goods globally competitive.

eBay India is also accelerating global access. Through the Global Shipping Program and partnerships with Shiprocket X, it is simplifying cross-border logistics and lowering delivery costs. Programs like Global Xpansion and the MSME-focused Seller Guide offer onboarding, training, and market intelligence, while collaboration with FIEO streamlines compliance workflows.

Another boost is coming from Walmart and Flipkart, which are building export pipelines for Indian MSMEs. Walmart has committed to $10 billion in annual exports from India by 2027, with a strong focus on ‘Made in India’ products ranging from home goods, food and beverages, apparel, and handicrafts to lifestyle categories through its Walmart Marketplace Cross-Border Program.

These efforts are diversifying India’s digital export platforms beyond traditional markets and opening global retail opportunities for thousands of small entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Through the above platforms, Indian sellers can access millions of high value customers in the developed markets like the U.S., Western Europe, Middle East Asia and Japan.

A Decade of Transformation

India’s first wave of e-commerce exports in the mid-2010s was led by a small group of tech-savvy sellers. But affordable smartphones, UPI-enabled digital payments, improved logistics, and pandemic-driven digital adoption dramatically expanded this base. Today, e-commerce exports have become mainstream. Exports now originate not only from industrial hubs but also from small homes, studios, SHGs, and MSME clusters. India’s goal of $200 billion in e-commerce exports by 2030 is increasingly realistic as digital channels deepen MSME participation in global value chains.

E-commerce exports are democratizing access to global markets. One no longer need be a large factory in a metro to export, but can be:

* a Bhadohi weaver

* a Jaipur candle maker

* a Coimbatore skincare entrepreneur

* a Moradabad handicraft artisan

* a Surat apparel manufacturer

and still ship directly to customers in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo or Berlin. Platforms like Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace, and Flipkart are evolving into full-stack global trade enablers providing logistics, compliance tools, cross-border payment systems, analytics, and marketing infrastructure. This is the new face of India’s export engine: decentralized, digital, and entrepreneurial.

The Way Forward

The e-commerce export ecosystem is young but holds immense potential. To achieve the $200-billion milestone by 2030, India must focus on:

# Policy continuity and predictable regulations

# Affordable, MSME-friendly export financing products

# Globally connected logistics hubs and cross-border fulfilment centres

# Simplified export credit, insurance, and documentation systems

# Greater digital integration across customs, ports, and courier channels

If these elements align, India can convert millions of MSMEs into global exporters, creating jobs, accelerating inclusion, and strengthening India’s global brand presence all this while earning precious foreign exchange. This opportunity is bigger than a trade statistic, it is a transformation of livelihoods, aspirations, and India’s position in global commerce. The digital age has opened the door for Indian MSMEs to simply take bold steps forward.

(Shriram Subramanian is the Founder and Managing Director of InGovern Research Services, India’s first proxy advisory firm.)

Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.