Women and Child Development Ministry, eBay partner for online platform for women entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs will soon be able to market their products globally using an accessible online platform to be created by the Women and Child Development Ministry of India in collaboration with eBay. The Ministry along with the e-commerce giant is all set to launch a new brand called ‘Women of India’ for online promotion of goods made by women entrepreneurs.

eBay has offered to market these products at concessional rates, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard is expected to be signed next month. “We are starting something called ‘Women of India’ though which we will help market any product made by any woman any where in India, in collaboration with eBay,” a senior official from the Ministry said.

Under the initiative, women will be trained in pricing and designing to open ‘E-shops’ for their products on eBay. This will provide an e-platform to various women enterprises and women self-help groups to sell their product at better prices, the official said.

The official said self-help groups have taken off very well in some states like Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where they are producing a large variety of products, but they are all confined to a given market. “Through this brand, they will have a bigger market access. It will also fetch them higher prices for products like handicrafts, handlooms etc,” he said, adding, it will also empower economically-weak women groups by eliminating the role of intermediaries and increasing the share of profit.

“Currently women have to go through a lot of intermediaries. Through this initiative, a major portion of the profit will go to them directly which will boost their confidence,” the official said.