By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Jan. 9: E-commerce, also known as electronic commerce, is now thriving across the world as it makes things, almost worldwide, accessible for buying or selling and to perform the transaction online.
Even in the context of Nepal, a few e-commerce sites, mostly within the Kathmandu Valley, have been providing different services online.
E-commerce has also been a platform for an individual or a group to start their own businesses; people have been earning a handsome profit through e-commerce by creating their own online businesses.
Many Nepalis, especially youths, have also created and utilised the created e-commerce sites to sell things abroad and are earning good money. For some, the e-commerce business has helped them pay their college fees.
"Paying the college fee was a headache for me because my family´s economic background is very weak. Since I wanted to study further, my parents had somehow helped me pay my admission and other fees for the first semester. But there were seven more semesters left," recalled Milan, a fourth-semester B.Sc. CSIT student who only wished to be identified by his first name.
It was during his first semester that he came to know more about e-commerce and decided to try to operate an online business abroad.
"I had to search for a job which could help me pay my fees and would not affect my college hours too. It was difficult to find such job, so I opted for e-commerce. I also found many Nepalis were operating e-commerce sites abroad," said Milan.
According to Milan, he learned a lot before starting his e-commerce business and is now able to pay his fees and even send some money back home to his parents.
"Operating e-commerce business in Nepal was not a good idea because there were not many consumers who bought things online," Milan told The Rising Nepal.
People abroad, including in the neighbouring country India, have been using e-commerce sites for online buying and transaction more and more due to which Nepalis have targeted their businesses in the global powers and European countries.
"E-commerce is a platform which has been expanding globally but, in our country, it is in poor state. People are unaware and many lack knowledge of online banking and transactions. Similarly, it is not fully legitimate for individuals to operate e-commerce in Nepal. It has been a source of income for many and it would be a great initiative if authorities made laws to regulate and strengthen online platforms," said Aditya, a 23-year-old who has been operating e-commerce sites abroad for four years and also wished to be identified only by his first name.
Nevertheless, since the e-commerce sites require regular maintenance, update, investment and proper advertisement for quality operation, people are suggested to be aware and knowledgeable regarding it.
"People like me invest through someone abroad having access to perform transactions of the US dollars online through MasterCard, credit card or Paypal for different purposes including online advertising. If the advertising and product is not good, the investment goes in vain," said Aditya.
Nepalis have been selling different Nepali products through their e-commerce sites and shipping them abroad to the buyers’ location. Likewise, some work as a medium for factories abroad producing different products and selling them through the individuals’ e-commerce sites and shipping the product directly to the buyers from factory.