SUMMARY
Patanjali’s ecommerce platform ‘OrderMe’ is expected to be live by May-end
Acharya Balkrishna said that efforts are in line with PM’s “vocal for local” call
OrderMe will also provide 24X7 free medical advice from 1,500 doctors and yoga instructors
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to ‘buy local’, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali is now set to enter the ecommerce market space to sell their FMCG line of products and connect consumers to neighbourhood stores selling items manufactured by Indian companies.
The website named ‘OrderMe’ is expected to be live by May-end. Orders placed on the ecommerce website are expected to be delivered within a few hours. The company is looking to provide home deliveries for free.
Patanjali Ayurveda’s managing director and chief executive Acharya Balkrishna said that the efforts are in line with the PM’s “vocal for local” call to supply products made by Indian companies.
Balkrishna noted that ‘OrderMe’ will only supply and endorse products manufactured by Indian companies. “It is Patanjali’s effort to contribute to our long-standing swadeshi movement by connecting all the local retailers and small shop owners so that those selling swadeshi products can benefit from our platform,” he added.
Besides selling products, the platform will also provide 24X7 free medical advice to users from 1,500 doctors and yoga instructors. Patanjali claims that infrastructure has been put in place to process around 1 Mn orders every day. Meanwhile, Patanjali will continue to sell its products to all the ecommerce portals where it is selling already.
Cofounder of Patanjali Group Baba Ramdev said that the online mechanism will aim to provide convenient and efficient options along with the extension of the traditional retail market. Currently, Patanjali sells ayurvedic medicines, FMCG products, clothes among other items. “Utmost care has been taken to ensure swadeshi movement and Patanjali products reach every home without compromising policies and business ethics,” Ramdev told ET.
Pantanjali To Take On Flipkart, Amazon
In India, online commerce is dominated majorly by two players — Jeff Bezos-led Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart. Besides these two, other major players in the segment include Snapdeal, Paytm Mall and Shopclues.
However, trader bodies like the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Rashtriya Udyog Avam Vyapar Manch, among others have been alleging that the malpractices of Amazon and Flipkart are disrupting the businesses of small traders. As a result, CAIT finally launched its own online marketplace Bharatemarket. Similar to Patanjali’s ‘OrderMe’, Bharatemarket also sells goods from Indian sellers.
With the entry of new players betting on ‘Make In India’, the ecommerce segment is burgeoning like never before. Founder of Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma said that Patanjali has brought a revolution in the country with what it is doing “We are very proud of it. I think with this association, Patanjali products will reach every household not just across the country but across the globe,” he added.
