At a time when e-commerce has changed the way people do shopping in the country, the Government of India has also taken a plunge in the flourishing trade to promote rural products. However, shopping on the portal may not be a happy experience.Through an online portal (htttps://vlebazaar.cse.gov.in), a number of products “directly” sourced from villages have been made available for sale. The first of its kind public sector e-commerce platform is a part of the CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Government of India.
The SPV has been formed to monitor implementation of the Common Services Centers Scheme under the Digital India initiative. The portal says it is a “platform to promote rural market products. This is the first of its kind e-Commerce website with “authentic rural products sourced directly from rural India.” The website offers a number of products for sale. Some of them include a pair of Pujabi ‘jutti’ for Rs 403.20, a hand-made money bag for Rs 149. 23, a Naga shawl for Rs 1,258.95. But I have noticed there are several issues with the website which may drive any prospective consumer away, defeating the very purpose for which the portal has been started.
First, I wonder how to pay a fraction of a rupee when a product is priced like, say, Rs 1258.95 or Rs 927.81. Second, there is no FAQ section on the website. The help button at the bottom of the site doesn’t say much about the shopping procedure. Third, unlike popular sites like Flipkart and Amazon, when one selects a product and click the ‘buy’ button, it doesn’t immediately take to the shopping cart. A user has to separately click on the small shopping cart button on the top right of the portal. The site also doesn’t say how much time a product may take to reach a customer. Fourth, a toll-free customer care number mentioned on the site also didn’t help even as I tried to call several times. 1
However, the initiative needs to be appreciated for its intention and it does provide authentic information about the products listed on the site.
