AKAMAI INDIA ONLINE RETAIL REPORT · B2B vs. B2C THE B2B ONLINE RETAIL MARKET IS HEATING UP. 11 Business Standard, B2B online retail to touch Rs 45 lakh cr by 2020 in India, September

AKAMAI INDIA ONLINE RETAILREPORTCAPITALIZING ON DIGITAL POTENTIAL

CONTENTS

Navigating Market Complexities

Winning Differentiation Strategies and Best Practices

Top 10 Predictions

Executive Summary

Industry Overview

B2C vs. B2B

Satisfy a niche

Optimize for mobile

Scale as needed

Stay customer-focused

Boost shopper engagement with rich online experiences

Lead with security best practices

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Reluctant online shoppers

Pushing for digital transactions

Evolving distribution networks

Accommodating mobile

Cybersecurity leaves many vulnerable

Pro�tability remains elusive

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India Online Retail Report 2018

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India online retail report 2018India online retail report 2018

As an emerging online retail market, India promises to reward those companies that strategically embrace opportunities. The key is to understand the online retail and of�ine retail landscape in India and plan accordingly. This report provides insight into the overall B2B and B2C Indian online retail market, along with the common challenges and the best practices for succeeding.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Industry OverviewOnline retail accounts for a small percentage of retail sales in India, but for a large country like India, even small is significant. The digital economy in India is projected to reach $4 trillion by 2020. Within that, industry experts say explosive online retail growth lies ahead. In fact, according to Forrester, India is the fastest growing online retail market in the world.

Online retail in India is estimated to grow over 1,200% to $200 billion (Rs 13,30,550 crore) by 2026, up from $15 billion in 2016, according to a recent report by financial services firm Morgan Stanley. By then, Morgan Stanley expects India to have 475 million online shoppers, up from 60 million in 2016, and predicts online retail will account for 12% of India’s overall retail market, from just 2% last year.

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1 The Economic Times, Digital economy can reach $4 trillion in 4 years: Tech sector to government, June 18, 2017

2 IndiaRetailing.com, Online Retail Boom in India: Why online shopping is here to stay, May 19, 2017

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

10,000

0

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Sale

s in

mill

ion

USD

Online retail sales in India from 2016 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

16,073

20,059

25,076

31,123

37,979

45,206

52,301

02


SOURCE: Statista, Online Retail and Online Shopping in India - Statistics & Facts

Online Retail Sales (USD in billion)

CHINA JAPAN SOUTH KOREA

AUSTRALIA INDIA

$8612016

$1,2462021

$64

$38

$86

$149

$681 $1,089

$16

$25$46

$93

According to Morgan Stanley, growth is being driven by a combination of rising Internet penetration, a drop in data access costs, a shift to smartphones, and a �ow of credit to consumers and microenterprises. In other words, India’s digital infrastructure, user base, and accessibility are rapidly improving.

All of this ongoing digital transformation in the country is expected to increase India’s total Internet user base to 829 million by 2021 (59% of the total population), from 373 million (28% of the population) in 2016, while the total number of networked devices in the country is expected to grow to 2 billion by 2021.

This is consistent with CB Insights’ assertion that the following key trends are, in part, driving Amazon and Alibaba to aggressively pursue online retail in India:

• Global �nancial systems are going digital and mobile• Internet penetration is increasing

Online retail companies in India can glean some lessons from China. While the Chinese online retail market is far bigger than India’s, the exploits of two local behemoths — JD.com and Alibaba — offer valuable takeaways. As in India, online retail migrated from rural to urban areas, resulting in two distinct markets. Urban China was dominated by young, spendthrift consumers; small towns and villages were dominated by an older, more frugal crowd. As a result, companies found it dif�cult to apply a one-size-�ts-all strategy to China’s online retail market, which is set to grow from $750 billion to $1.7 trillion by 2020, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate.

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3 YourStory, India growing fastest in online retail, says study, February 11, 2017

4 ETCIO.com, Internet users in India to double by 2021: Cisco VNI, June 9, 2017

5 Ibid.

6 CB Insights, Amazon Vs. Alibaba: How The Online Retail Giants Stack Up In The Fight To Go Global, March 2, 2018 03



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That said, India is a more complicated market than China. With thousands of sub-cultures and numerous languages and more than 1.2 billion people, India is a very diverse country. Different regions have their own distinct cultures: 28 states and seven territories, according to the World Health Organization. There is no of�cial language in India, according to a Gujarat High Court ruling in 2010, and the Constitution of India of�cially recognizes 23 of�cial languages and Hindi is the of�cial language of the government. In fact, 59% of India’s residents speak something other than Hindi, according to The Times of India.

1.2 BILLIONPOPULATION28 STATES23 OFFICIALLANGUAGES

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7 Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook8 World Health Organization, WHO’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)9 The Times of India, There’s no national language in India: Gujarat High Court, Jan 25, 201010 Ibid.

At a high level, online retail in India can be broken down into business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). By 2020, India’s B2B online retail market is projected to grow by 2.5 times to Rs 45 lakh crore. This growth is much bigger than what is anticipated for India’s B2C commerce, estimated to be about Rs 1.86 lakh crore by 2020. B2B online retail is more lucrative than B2C in India because of larger sales volumes and the ability to sell without heavy discounting.

Both B2C and B2B online retail in India are dominated by a handful of players. However, within those top-level categories are many sub-categories.

MarketplacesBecause the Indian government has allowed 100% foreign domestic investment (FDI) in B2B online retail, global companies such as Walmart and Alibaba are showing interest. In fact, Amazon and eBay, among others, compete against domestic marketplace operators like Flipkart and Snapdeal. According to CB Insights, Amazon’s marketplace revenue in India grew by 105% for the year ending March 31, 2017.

Domestic online retailThis refers to native Indian brands and online retail players such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and TataCliq. India-based retailers such as Shoppers Stop and Croma have also expanded to sell online.

Cross-border online retailThis category is reserved for Indian shoppers purchasing from countries other than India. The U.S. is one of the top ten countries for this type of shopping. Businesses outside India selling to Indian shoppers must address high shipping costs, import duties and the complexities associated with returns and exchanges.

Vertically focused marketplaces include the likes of ShipServ for the maritime industry and MFG.com for the manufacturing industry.

Marketplaces enabled or run by Farfetch, Zalando, Mirakl and others are also proving to be popular in B2C.

Strict rules apply to these marketplaces. The entity running a marketplace cannot own any of the inventory or allow more than 25% of all sales from one vendor to its group companies. Conditions also restrict discounting.

Inventory-based online retailIn this model, the online retail provider must own the inventory and run all aspects of the online retail business. Alibaba of China operates under this model.

Single-brand online retailThis refers to a company that owns (or manages) and sells a single brand in its brick-and-mortar stores and expands to also sell through its online retail store (think Sony, Nokia, IBM, Maruti, Mother Dairy).

Multi-brand online retailIn this model, an online retail store sells more than one brand provided by multiple manufacturers. Examples include Planet Fashion, Bata, Jumbo Electronics and Car Bazaar. This could also fall under the marketplace model.

B2B vs. B2C

THE B2B ONLINE RETAIL MARKETIS HEATING UP.

11 Business Standard, B2B online retail to touch Rs 45 lakh cr by 2020 in India, September 4, 201512 Ibid.13 Quartz India, Amazon and Alibaba are battling it out for India’s $300-billion B2B online retail market, September 27, 201614 CB Insights, Amazon Vs. Alibaba: How The Online Retail Giants Stack Up In The Fight To Go Global, March 2, 201815 Quartz India, India’s startup ecosystem is �nally going beyond just online retail and cabs, November 3, 2017

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Nearly 50% of the �rms founded in India in 2017 operate in the B2B space. In total, B2B startups now comprise about 40% of the Indian startup ecosystem.”


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NAVIGATINGMARKETCOMPLEXITIES

Reluctant online shoppers

India’s retail landscape tends to be dominated by small, independent stores that are oftenfamily-run. In turn, India’s consumers have been reluctant online shoppers due to a strong personal connection with these small local retailers that can’t always be replicated digitally.

Characterized by a wide range of demographics and technology awareness and comfort, India cannot be approached in a one-size-�ts-all manner. The hinterland (aka small towns and villages) is dominated by less sophisticated consumers. Their lack of online retail experience drives them to insist on cash-on-delivery payment, forcing retailers to keep local warehouses stocked. Cash on delivery accounts for 70% of the online retail industry’s orders, and costs Rs 40 per delivery and even more in the hinterland.

Conversely, a signi�cant portion of India’s population now travels the globe, exposing them to more brands and stores.

Pushing for digital transactions

At the same time, government initiatives such as “DigiShala” are intended to build a cashless economy. Supported by other initiatives like the National Optical Fibre Network and the introduction of Uni�ed Payments Interface, DigiShala is intended to drive a fast transition to digital payments. Complementing this is the fact that India is moving from an archaic and complicated tax system to a uni�ed and completely digital system (Goods and Services Tax – GST).

As of November 8, 2016, “demonetization” urged people to use smartphones to make payments. Since then, digital wallets and credit cards have gained traction. As of Feb 2017, according to the RBI, there were 330 million debit cards and 30 million credit cards in India, together facilitating 44 million digital transactions per month (across all retail transactions). Most of this shopping happens in urban areas, covering around 80 million Indians, half of whom shop on online retail websites.

People prefer to pay Cash on Delivery [CoD].

67%

11 Business Standard, B2B online retail to touch Rs 45 lakh cr by 2020 in India, September 4, 201512 Ibid.13 Quartz India, Amazon and Alibaba are battling it out for India’s $300-billion B2B online retail market, September 27, 201614 CB Insights, Amazon Vs. Alibaba: How The Online Retail Giants Stack Up In The Fight To Go Global, March 2, 201815 Quartz India, India’s startup ecosystem is �nally going beyond just online retail and cabs, November 3, 2017

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16 YourStory, A year after demonetisation, e-commerce customers continue to take CoD route, November 9, 2017

17 IndiaRetailing.com, The resurgence of shopping malls in India, March 6, 2018

18 IndiaRetailing.com, Online Retail Boom in India: Why online shopping is here to stay, May 19, 2017

When it comes to some of the challenging aspects of conducting online retail in India, wary shoppers, complex logistics, and inefficient payment systems top the list.

of the total online retail transactions in India are CoD.”


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Evolving distribution networks

At the same time, distribution networks tend to be weak, partly due to low adoption of the kind of technology needed to support a modern supply chain network. The trucking industry is fragmented, and there are few providers of organized logistical services. Add in a complex tax structure, and the supply chain challenges can be overwhelming and costly.

Note that Amazon India — with $5 billion in backing from its parent — spent much of 2017 �guring out how to extend its reach into the hinterland. That expansion included a broader network of delivery centres combined with third-party partnerships for last-mile delivery and more products. Today, Amazon India derives 85% of its business from the hinterland.

Similarly, Flipkart gets 60% of business from areas outside the metro cities. In May 2017, it announced plans to build 100 new delivery centres. It also pioneered a light mobile web application to manage transactions on spotty networks from the hinterland.

Flipkart and Amazon by the Numbers

Accommodating mobile

India has the world’s second-largest number of smartphones and it continues to grow. About 23% of Indian Internet users stated that they used a mobile phone for making a purchase in 2016, making India one of the leading digital markets for mobile online retail penetration. About 27% of the digital buyers in the country said they made an online purchase via their smartphones/mobiles on a monthly basis, and 24% said they purchased online goods and services weekly.

However, retailers must contend with numerous challenges when delivering websites and applications to mobile devices: They must ensure optimal viewing on multiple devices, multiple screen types, and different operating systems. It’s nearly impossible for companies to overcome these issues on their own since mobile sites and apps are dependent on public Internet, which is fraught with bottlenecks, latency, and security issues.

India is dotted with patchy telecom networks and, overall, a poor infrastructure. Limited network connectivity leads to problems such as low use of digital wallets and debit and credit cards.

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19 The Economic Times, A rough road awaits e-commerce companies as they race to the

Indian hinterlands, January 21, 2018

20 Ibid.21 Ibid.

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21

Total users:

Transactions per month:

Revenue per transaction:


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Despite these challenges, it’s critical to deliver rich, dynamic experiences at lightning-fast speeds. We’ve seen, however, that meeting smartphone users’ high expectations can be exceptionally challenging. In fact, Akamai’s Consumer Web Performance Expectations survey found that mobile users have the least satisfying online retail experience.

As revealed in Akamai’s Q1 2017 State of the Internet − Connectivity Report, India and the Philippines once again had the lowest average connection speeds among surveyed Asia-Paci�c countries/regions, at 6.5 Mbps and 5.5 Mbps respectively.

Consider that Reliance Jio — an Akamai partner — is working to create the most extensive and future-proof network in India, providing next generation digital services over an end-to-end all-IP network. It has laid more than 2.5 lakh kilometres of �bre-optic cables, covering 18,000 cities and over one lakh villages, with the aim of covering 100% of the nation’s population by 2018. Its initial end-to-end capacity is intended to enable it to serve in excess of 100 million wireless broadband and 20 million Fibre-to-Home customers. Reliance Jio has also built nearly half-a-million square feet of cloud data centres and a multi-terabit capacity international network. The infrastructure is being built in partnership with some of the world’s most technologically advanced companies.

Optimizing the online shopper experience is hard in a fast-changing and increasingly fragmented mobile world.

22 Statista, Internet users in selected countries in Asia-Paci�c who have made a purchase via mobile phone in 4th quarter 2016

23 Statista, Online shopping channel usage among digital buyers in India from 2013 to 2015


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Cybersecurity Leaves Many Vulnerable

Finally, it’s essential to consider one of the more complex, deeply entrenched issues impacting online retail in India. Proper cybersecurity measures aren’t in line with India’s digital push, leaving many companies vulnerable to cyberattacks. According to the Akamai State of the Internet report, India was one of the top 5 source countries for DDoS attacks in Q2 2017. It was also one of the top 10 source countries for web application attacks worldwide and second for web application attacks in the Asia-Paci�c region, Q3 2017. The retail industry worldwide falls prey to the largest bot traf�c and credential abuse attempts. Retail organizations on the Akamai platform saw about 1 billion credential abuse attempts in November 2017 alone!

India ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index, and ranked the �fth most vulnerable country for cyberbreaches by Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report of 2017.

Cyberattack cases in India are usually under-reported because people tend to rely on software rather than cybersecurity agencies to protect them from a breach. Moreover, India does not legally require the reporting of an incident, nor is there a legal obligation to let victims know that their data has been compromised.

That said, we know India was the third most affected country by the WannaCry ransomware attacks. Moreover, the number of security incidents in India has also been increasing gradually year-on-year. According to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), almost 11,000 networks in India were victims of probe-scanning between March 2016 and May 2017. Probing and scanning are usually the initial steps used by a hacker to monitor a system before the malware or ransomware is installed on the network.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India witnessed over 27,000 cybersecurity threats in the �rst half of 2017. These threats include ransomware attacks, website intrusions or defacement, phishing attacks, and data breaches.

That's not all. Professional web scraping has become a big business. Legitimate websites create value in the form of content, which can be spoofed on fake sites or used by competitors in competitive pricing. The website www.80legs.com will index and scrape websites of the attacker’s choosing, for a fee.

24 India Brie�ng, Massive Data Breaches and Cyber Threats in India, October 24, 2017

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On June 28, 2017, the Petya global cyberattack disrupted cyberservices in Russia, Ukraine, India, and Australia. India’s largest port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), near Mumbai, had to be temporarily shut down as a result of the

attack; the virus affected computers running Microsoft software for the second time after the WannaCry attack.

JUNE 282017

While all countries are vulnerable to cyberthreats, India is especially vulnerable as hackers take note of India’s growing prosperity, weak cybersecurity infrastructure, and huge de�cit of cybersecurity professionals.


0

20

40

60

80

100

60%

80%

40%

100%

Key Reasons forSecurity Incidents

Lack of user awareness levelsdue to varied user pro�les

Endpoints/devices being used for digital payments are notsecured (such as mobile phones,desktops, etc.)

Concentrated attacks on usersthrough infected apps/malwares

Lack of adequate redressalmechanism post incident

Source: KPMG, Digital payments – Analysing the cyber landscape, April 2017

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Pro�tability remains elusive

While the festive season drives signi�cant purchases, India’s online retail �rms are struggling to achieve pro�tability due to advertising costs and high discounts. Hyper-funded startups with overpaid staff spend millions on advertising and Bollywood endorsements, while offering deep discounts.

Per capita income plays a major role in India’s online retail growth. 85% of the Indian working population, 300 million middle-class workers, cannot spare even 1% for online retail. Instead, most are saving their money. According to the Ministry of Statistics, the savings rate in India is 31.3% of the GDP.

In recognition of this growing threat, the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Center, CSK, established in February 2017 and operated by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, focuses on desktop and mobile device security. It’s a part of the government’s “Digital India” initiative.

Major Buying Holidays

RAKHI FESTIVAL[AUGUST]


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DUSSEHRA[OCTOBER]

DIWALI FESTIVAL[OCTOBER or NOVEMBER]

CHRISTMAS[DECEMBER]

WINNING DIFFERENTIATIONSTRATEGIES ANDBEST PRACTICES

To capitalize on the promise of online retail in India, businesses must put in place a solid strategy that addresses the uniqueness of the Indian market. According to Nishi Suri, COO, Cheil SWA — a digital and marketing agency in India — companies are “moving beyond traditional digital solutions, looking for new ideas, products, and innovations leveraging technology solutions to drive business growth.”

Varun Jha, head of Cheil online retail, adds, “India is ready to adopt the next wave of 100 million online shoppers and hence it’s equally important to tap into new and existing users through a host of innovative online retail solutions. This calls for businesses to look for new digital channels, create new products, enhance the existing web offerings, and create new systems at scale.”

LESSONS

AMAZONFROM

Amazon operates the biggest store in India with over 100 million products, of which nearly 2.4 million are available for next-day delivery. As it seeks to dominate the Indian market — online and increasingly of�ine — the retail giant has invested in infrastructure and technology, and pushed the envelope on logistics and innovations.

For example, it launched the concept of guaranteed one-day delivery within six months of its

India-based operations.

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25 The Economic Times, Indian ecommerce turns into a two-horse race as smaller players face likely wipeout, August 25, 2017

Satisfy a niche

To encourage brand loyalty, smart retailers can cater to a speci�c sub-culture to �ll a niche, track and respond to customer behaviors, and encourage and reward new behaviors (e.g., pay online rather than CoD). At the same time, they are �nding ways to satisfy increasingly sophisticated consumers who are demanding access to a greater array of products.

Optimize for mobile

Another must-have is mobile optimization, as India is a mobile-�rst country. Mobile opens new revenue streams and new ways of engaging customers, but comes with development and operational challenges around performance.

While major online retail players in India have experimented with a mobile-only version, they must plan for both. Conversion rates can be 2.4% lower on desktop when customers have to wait 2.8 seconds for the page to load, and 7.1% lower for smartphones. A two-second delay in page load can bring your session’s length to about half.

Consider that Flipkart, one of India’s largest online retail websites, and its business unit Myntra, drive the bulk of site traf�c from mobile apps. As of Jan 2018, 78.65% of the 481 million Internet users in India access the Internet most often via a smartphone.

Retailers can deliver a mobile-ready website and applications by using advanced capabilities like pre-fetch, asynchronous loading, adaptive image compressions, and cellular network optimizations to achievethe following:

• Optimize native application delivery via API operations, API acceleration, API response, and media support

• Optimize mobile website performance by simplifying development, accelerating content, and reducing infrastructure investment

• Overcome challenges of cellular network-based agency through content acceleration

• Automate the image work�ow, and intelligently deliver the best image to every end user

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26 Akamai, The State of Online Retail Performance, Spring 2017

27 Livemint, Flipkart, Myntra users go mobile; desktop still key for online travel firms, September 4, 2015

28 The Economic Times, Number of Indian Internet users will reach 500 million by June 2018, IAMAI says, February 20, 2018


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UCWeb’s web browser, UC Browser, is India’s most popular with over 40% of the market share. In January 2018, the browser claimed 130 million monthly active users and became the sixth most downloaded app in India. UC Browser has distinguished itself from peers like Google by emphasizing curated and personalized content for individual users. 29

Scale as needed

If done well, advertising and marketing efforts will successfully drive traf�c to online channels — sites, mobile apps, and APIs. Retailers need to invest in infrastructure capacity to sustain peak traf�c and avoid shutdowns.

This traf�c may be domestic or global and can come from a myriad of devices, browsers, and network conditions. It is important to ensure web properties are fast and responsive regardless of planned capacity or physical presence of servers and the relative presence of buyers around the globe.

29 CB Insights, Amazon Vs. Alibaba: How The Online Retail Giants Stack Up In The Fight To Go Global, March 2, 2018

Stay customer-focused

As they seek to continually improve the user experience and boost pro�tability, retailers should track the following key metrics:

• Page resolution speed• Checkout speed• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)• Customer retention cost (CRC) • Customer repeat rates (CRR)

At the same time, it’s a given to enable cash on delivery. That said, make more modern payment options available to support the country’s migration to a cashless society.


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Boost shopper engagement with rich online experiences

Retailers must meet the heightened expectation of millennial shoppers. That means they need to provide descriptive product details and reviews, personalized item recommendations, and interactive media formats such as high-de�nition images, videos, and multi-angle photo viewers. Moreover, they must deliver all of this regardless of the device, browser, or network connectivity situations of each unique visitor.

High-quality videos and images have been shown to increase customer engagement leading to higher conversion, but both can be a large performance liability. According to a recent report by SOASTA (now part of Akamai), 53% of mobile site visitors abandon a page that takes more than three seconds to load.

Retailers need to leverage Digital Performance Management tools that provide real-time actionable insights into their user engagement metrics and how that impacts conversion rates. This also helps to �nd and �x performance bottlenecks ranked by priority of impact on conversion.

Lead with security best practices

The online retail industry sees widespread web security attacks trying to take down sites using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that overwhelms the origin infrastructure with large amounts of malicious HTTP requests. Other attacks use automated bot scripts to overtake inventory, scrape prices, or try to steal credentials from online retail sites.

Knowing this, retailers need to embrace stringent cybersecurity. Consumer trust is already low, so online retail companies need to take measures to ensure the security of their websites and applications, and protect sensitive customer data associated with online transactions. It’s essential to safeguard data with robust and well-maintained cybersecurity infrastructure. Otherwise, the promise of Digital India might be eclipsed by hackers, ransomware, and data breaches.

Mainstream retailers in India such as FabFurnish and Pepperfry have been able to implement a strong security strategy by leveraging web application �rewall and DDoS protection solutions to protect their business brand and ensure continuity.

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30 Akamai, The State of Online Retail Performance, Spring 2017


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TOP 10PREDICTIONS

While it’s impossible to say with certainty what the future holds, here are our predictions for the future of Indian online retail based on today’s trends.

Online retail in India will keep gaining momentum, fueled by a combination of government and economic reforms, infrastructure investments, a young and growing consumer class, and improved shipping and logistics.

1Mobile commerce will outpace other forms of online retail, since India is a mobile-�rst country. 2

International powerhouses will establish a presence in India to capitalize on the burgeoning Indian online retail market and the popularity of cross-border online retail.

3Marketplaces and digital platforms will dominate, since they reduce merchant risk by addressing complexities, such as facilitating transactions.

4Companies that move beyond deep discounting to truly differentiate the customer experience — using data analytics and personalization — will drive purchases and loyalty that translate to sustainable pro�tability.

5 The online retail ecosystem will expand, creating new jobs for Indian citizens in support of supply chain logistics. With this expansion, online retail companies will successfully penetrate rural areas (aka Tier II and Tier III cities or the hinterland).

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India online retail report 2018

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Online retail companies will invest in areas that drive measurable results, including data-driven campaigns and branded mobile applications.

7Consumers will crave digital content (think gaming, OTT, etc.), spurred by falling data prices, growing data speeds, and huge uptake of smartphones.

8As the market evolvesand digital paymentcontinues seeing anupsurge in adoption,online retail companies need to address cybersecurity measures. Companies will betargets of sophisticated attacks as these attacks will be more pro�table. From individual fraudsters, there could be a transition to a group operatingon a regular/seasonal basis. Marketplaces will have to �nd mechanisms to counter these threats.

9Emerging trends, suchas enabling immersiveshopping via virtualreality and augmentedreality, will gain tractionas consumers becomemore comfortable withonline shopping.

10


Clearly, the Indian online retail market holds much potential. As with any strategic initiative, the key to online retail success is about understanding the landscape and planning accordingly.

The winners will be those companies that approach the market with the right offerings, tailored to their audience and delivered in a way that best serves their needs. While this touches many areas, online success in India hinges upon addressing the needs of mobile shoppers in a scalable and secure way.

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31 The Wire, The Economics and Future of E-commerce Fraud in India, April 17, 2017

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It’s only a matter of time before online retail businesses in India feel the impact of emerging technologies like Arti�cial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and even the Internet of Things (IoT). Those companies that put a solid foundation in place today to address current and future online retail trends in India will be well positioned to succeed.

At Akamai, our customers include the top 20 global online retail sites and 95 of the top 100 U.S. online retailers. Within India, we are proud to call these top online retail companies our customers:

Akamai’s “always on” web protection is delivered far from the data center at the edges of the Internet, so content and transaction information is secure and protected from cyberattacks. Plus, whether you want to improve the customer experience, grow your business, or prevent credential stuf�ng attacks, you can count on Akamai to help manage bots simply and effectively.

If you would like to �nd out how Akamai can help your online retail business realize its vision, take advantage of our no-risk trial:


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www.akamai.com/us/en/akamai-free-trials.jsp


As the world’s largest and most trusted cloud delivery platform, Akamai makes it easier for its customers to provide the best and most secure digital experiences on any device, anytime, anywhere. Akamai’s massively distributed platform is unparalleled in scale with over 200,000 servers across 130 countries, giving customers superior performance and threat protection. Akamai’s portfolio of web and mobile performance, cloud security, enterprise access, and video delivery solutions are supported by exceptional customer service and 24/7 monitoring. To learn why the top �nancial institutions, online retail leaders, media and entertainment providers, and government organizations trust Akamai, please visit www.akamai.com, blogs.akamai.com, or @Akamai on Twitter. You can �nd our global contact information at www.akamai.com/locations. Published 06/18.

AKAMAI INDIA ONLINE RETAIL REPORT · B2B vs. B2C THE B2B ONLINE RETAIL MARKET IS HEATING UP. 11 Business Standard, B2B online retail to touch Rs 45 lakh cr by 2020 in India, September

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