Delhi government’s ambitious “Dilli Bazaar” e-portal that will enable shoppers across the globe to have a virtual tour of the city’s key markets and shop on the lines of other e-commerce platforms, will go live in December with 10,000 vendors, an official statement said.
Through Dilli Bazaar, the Arvind Kejriwal government aims to bring Delhi’s markets to a “cutting-edge” digital platform where every Delhi-based trader will be able to display and sell their products to the world, it said.
The government will bring over one lakh shops of Delhi to the e-portal within six months of launch and give them a 24×7 digital storefront. With zero setup cost, products on Dilli Bazaar will be significantly cheaper than those on other e-commerce portals, the statement said.
According to the statement, Kejriwal chaired a high-level review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat to take stock of the progress of the project. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) Vice Chairperson Jasmine Shah were also present in the meeting.
“Delhi’s markets will be known all over the world in the coming years. By December 2022, ‘Dilli Bazaar’ will be launched with store fronts of 10,000 shops in Delhi. The Delhi government will connect one lakh sellers to the portal in the first phase,” the statement quoted Kejriwal as saying.
He said these shopkeepers will be verified by the market association.
“An agency will be appointed to oversee all aspects of Dilli Bazaar’s operations. This will be the first time in the country that Delhi’s markets will be available on multiple digital platforms,” he said in the statement.
The statement said the portal will adopt the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) protocol to establish an open network of e-marketplaces in Delhi, which will help shift buyer and seller transactions from closed platforms to decentralised open networks.
For instance, if a customer wants to purchase shoes from a shop in Connaught Place while sitting at home, he/she will log on to the portal and choose the desired pair. After this, the customer will get an option to purchase the footwear from not just Dilli Bazaar portal but also other empanelled portals where the seller has listed his products, it said.
“This provision will help the shopkeepers of Delhi get a digital presence not just on the Dilli Bazaar portal but on various e-commerce portals opening a wide horizon of opportunities for them,” the statement said.
The government intends to make the portal’s products available on all e-commerce platforms with all e-payment options available for transactions, it added.
Dilli Bazaar will also introduce virtual market tours wherein the customers and visitors will be able to view market streets and shops, easing the journey of their purchase and itinerary planning, the statement said.
For instance, if people from other states or countries want to visit Chandni Chowk market from home, they can virtually navigate each street to see what the shops there are selling and purchase the items they like while getting a unique experience, the statement explained.
“The Delhi government will empanel vendors for this purpose and kick it off from five markets and then gradually implement it in every market of Delhi,” the statement added.
The statement said all shopkeepers will get a personalised digital storefront on the portal and all products in their shops will be listed on the e-portal.
The portal will allow users to search for a shopkeeper, market and product by name. It will also act as a repository of verified sellers of Delhi with comprehensive product catalogues.
The vision behind the move is to showcase Delhi’s unique markets on a virtual platform; expose city’s businesses to buyers globally; facilitate businesses to be setup, grow and diversify and to provide credible and affordable e-commerce platform to trades, it said.