Kejriwal govt working on website for Delhi markets to showcase and sell products

Kejriwal said it will work like a virtually mapped version of Delhi’s real markets, through which people will get access to registered shops and the products and services they offer

The Delhi government is working on creating a virtual marketplace for registered traders, entrepreneurs and professionals to display their products and services, and reach a wider audience, said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday.

Traders, entrepreneurs and professionals will have to register to makes their enterprises, products and services visible and accessible to the whole world. (HT Photo)

He further said that the platform, which will enable both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) transactions, and also organise virtual exhibitions, is expected to be launched in August 2022.

“On the occasion of Diwali, we have a great announcement for traders, entrepreneurs, professionals and industrialists in Delhi. We will soon launch a web portal named ‘Dilli Bazaar’, aimed at increasing economic activities which help the business sector, and also generate more revenue for the government,” said Kejriwal in a video press briefing.

Elaborating on the project, he said it will work like a virtually mapped version of Delhi’s markets, through which people can browse through registered shops and the products and services they offer, without physically visiting them.

“Imagine sitting at your homes and going through all products and varieties at shops located in real markets such as Lajpat Nagar and Khan Market. One can do that from anywhere in the world. Even a trader based in US or UK will be able to, say, order 200 pieces of a product from a shop in Hauz Khas, without visiting the shop and checking out its articles in person,” said Kejriwal.

The chief minister said people will also be able to search for products on the portal without opting for the virtual market mode; in that case, it will work just like any e-retail website. The portal will also help in organising exhibitions, said Kejriwal.

“It is a slightly complicated system and will need good amount of work. We have started the work and are planning to launch it in August 2022,” Kejriwal added.

In a statement issued later in the day, the chief minister’s office said, “Delhi will have its own e-marketplace, in which every small and big entrepreneur can have their own e-commerce store. ’Dilli Bazaar’... will give a global online identity to every trader, businessperson, professional, service provider and shopkeeper of Delhi. Through the portal, shoppers will be able to go on virtual walkthroughs of Delhi’s markets, buy any product they like from their home itself.”

“From Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar markets to local DDA markets -- every shop in Delhi will be able to sell its products online through the portal... Startups will benefit greatly from the exposure. Delhi’s GDP, tax revenues and economic activities will see a monumental rise after the launch of ‘Dilli Bazaar’ portal. Global business will come to Delhi. Someone sitting in America too will be able to buy from the smallest of the businesses of Delhi,” it said.