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"Though the internet base in India is low, it is growing at
a fast pace. We are looking forward to the increase in broadband
penetration as it accelerates the growth of online trade,"
she said.
eBay India has two million users across 240 cities in India and
the most popular items sold on the site are jewellery, mobile phones
and digital cameras. Globally, eBay has 181 million users.
eBay, which was built on auction-style trading, is seeing growth
in fixed-price format. "Today, 34 per cent of the trade on
the site takes place in the fixed-price format," she said.
When asked what precautions eBay was taking against counterfeit
products, Whitman said the company was partnering with 14,000 intellectual
property rights owners who can identify such items.
After the acquisition of Baazee.com, the Indian operations have
gained from eBay's global presence. "One-third of our business
now comes from cross border trade. Sellers from India have access
to buyers from nearly 100 countries. An Indian seller sells to an
international buyer every nine minutes," said eBay India country
manager Gautam Thakar.
Though the top six towns in India account for 40-45 per cent of
eBay India's trade, rapid growth is coming from the small towns.
Sellers are also coming from these places and micro enterprises.
"There is width and depth in the marketplace. A piece of jewellery
sells every five minutes, a mobile handset sells every seven minutes
and a digital camera every 46 minutes," Thakar said.
EBay India chairman Avnish Bajaj also expressed optimism in the
growth of e-commerce in India.
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