These 3 startups prove Northeast’s e-market potential

E-commerce is booming in India, and states across the country are contributing to online sales, including states in the northeast. In fact, these states are seeing double-digit growth after last mile delivery issues were resolved in these states. Recently, Ashish Chitravanshi, vice president of operations at Snapdeal, said the North East region has the potential to be on par with other metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai in terms of business potential.

What problems existed previously in the North East region?

The North East region is known for its beautiful hilly terrain. However, the region’s rugged terrain has proven to be a huge obstacle for e-commerce businesses as they have limited road and air connectivity. This has created a barrier for businesses to expand in these regions. However, with the improvement of the logistics services of courier companies like VRL, and eKart, connectivity to the remote location has improved on a large scale. As a result, the North East region has become one of the fastest growing markets in India. In addition to SnapDeal, even other ecommerce companies like Flipkart, Myntra, Bluestone.com and ShopClues.com are seeing huge sales in these regions. In addition to these large e-commerce companies, the region itself is experiencing a huge growth of start-ups to meet the demand and supply of various products. Here is a list of three such Northeastern start-ups that prove the region’s potential.

Northeastern startups that mark their presence in eCommerce

My3DSelfie is a Guwahati based startup that creates 3D figurines of any phone. The company was founded by Harsha P Deka in 2016. Deka is an alumnus of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Previously, he also founded Myware Solutions, his first start-up. He realized the enormous potential of the 3D industry and decided to be a pioneer in this industry in North East India. The company works in both B2B and B2C models and serves not only in different states of the country but also in other foreign countries and it ships its products with the help of domestic and international logistics companies like TCS. So far, the start-up has raised funds from IIMCIP and the government of Assam and has also partnered with the Northeast India Fund Fest. Even during COVID, the business has seen tremendous growth.

It’s a Shillong-based start-up that deals with spices and herbs. Zizira started with the vision of providing better employment opportunities for young people in the North East. Herbs and spices produced by farmers in Meghalaya are delivered across the country to health-conscious customers. The start-up works directly with farmers to deliver its products all over India. The company’s target audience is mainly from metropolitan cities who are looking for pure spices and herbs. The company was founded in 2015 with the vision of making farmers famous. Zizira faced some hurdles during the Covid lockdown, but he used the hurdles he faced to further develop the business.

Runaway Nagaland was founded in 2012. It is a platform that allows local artisans in Kohima to showcase their handicrafts. The handmade products available at Runaway Nagaland are created using indigenous techniques and designs to preserve Nagaland art. From furnishings to jewelry, there are many artisanal products available in the area. This start-up is a popular name in the fashion industry and has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Much like Zizira, even Runaway Nagaland ran into trouble during the Covid lockdown and during that time worked to increase his social media presence to resume operations.

It is no longer a hidden fact that businesses large and small faced huge problems during the Covid lockdown last year. It would be interesting to see how these companies come up with innovative solutions to improve their business in the times to come. With improved logistics services in the Northeast region, the Northeast region has enormous potential for the expansion of small and large e-commerce businesses. There are many unexplored markets in the region which, when tapped with care, will generate huge profits for many businesses. For starters, companies need to improve their logistics service to take advantage of potential customers in the region.

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