A weaver in rural Rajasthan logs onto her laptop, uploads photographs of hand-block printed textiles, and within hours receives orders from boutiques in London and Melbourne. A decade ago, this would have seemed implausible. Today, it’s the new normal. India’s export narrative is undergoing a profound transformation—one where digital platforms are dismantling traditional barriers and enabling even the smallest entrepreneurs to compete in global markets. This isn’t merely about technology adoption; it’s about fundamentally reimagining who can be an exporter and how trade flows across borders. As government policy, digital infrastructure, and global demand converge, e-commerce exports are emerging as a powerful engine of economic inclusion and growth, promising to reshape India’s position in international commerce.
Policy Architecture: Building the Digital Export Highway
The Indian government has moved decisively to position e-commerce exports at the centre of its trade strategy. The Foreign Trade Policy 2023 articulates a clear vision: transforming India into a digitally enabled export powerhouse by streamlining processes and reducing friction for small-scale exporters. The policy commits to paperless trade systems, accelerated clearances, and simplified compliance frameworks specifically designed for MSMEs navigating international markets for the first time.
Complementing this are initiatives like the Export Promotion Mission and the DGFT’s Trade Connect platform, which provide step-by-step guidance on procedures, documentation, and market access. These aren’t merely administrative conveniences—they represent a fundamental rethinking of export facilitation, recognising that complexity has historically been the biggest deterrent for small businesses. Perhaps most significantly, policymakers are exploring the possibility of allowing foreign direct investment in inventory-led e-commerce models exclusively for export operations. Should this materialise, it could channel substantial global capital into India’s export supply chains, modernising warehousing infrastructure and deepening integration with international digital marketplaces. The objective is clear: create a seamless, efficient ecosystem where an artisan in Tier 3 India can reach a customer in New York as easily as a large manufacturer.
Marketplace Momentum: MSMEs Find Their Global Footing
The tangible results of this digital shift are already evident across multiple platforms. According to the Amazon Exports Digest 2025, sellers on Amazon Global Selling have collectively crossed $20 billion in cumulative exports, with participation from over 200,000 MSMEs spanning the country. Crucially, a significant proportion of these sellers hail from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities—previously marginalised in traditional export value chains. They’re selling across 18 international marketplaces, with particularly strong performance in categories like Ayurvedic wellness products, yoga accessories, handcrafted home décor, and contemporary fashion.
eBay India is similarly accelerating cross-border trade through its Global Shipping Programme and strategic partnerships with logistics providers like Shiprocket X, which simplify the complexities of international shipping and reduce delivery costs. The platform’s Global Xpansion initiative and MSME-focused Seller Guide provide essential onboarding support, training modules, and market intelligence, whilst collaboration with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) helps navigate compliance requirements.
Meanwhile, Walmart and Flipkart are constructing robust export pipelines for Indian MSMEs. Walmart has committed to sourcing $10 billion annually in exports from India by 2027, with a focus on ‘Made in India’ products spanning home goods, food and beverages, apparel, and handicrafts. These efforts are diversifying India’s digital export platforms beyond established markets and creating unprecedented retail opportunities for thousands of small-scale entrepreneurs. “E-commerce exports are democratising access to global markets, enabling even a weaver in a small town to ship products to customers in New York or London,” observes Shriram Subramanian, Founder and Managing Director of InGovern Research Services. This democratisation represents more than convenience—it’s fundamentally altering who participates in international trade.
Navigating the Path Forward: Ambitions and Imperatives
Despite impressive growth trajectories, significant challenges remain on the journey towards the ambitious target of $200 billion in e-commerce exports by 2030. Achieving this will require unwavering policy continuity, ensuring that reforms aren’t reversed with political cycles. Affordable export financing tailored to MSME cash flow realities is essential, as are globally connected logistics hubs that can handle the unique demands of small-parcel, high-frequency shipments characteristic of e-commerce.
Simplified export credit and insurance systems must be developed to mitigate risks for first-time exporters, whilst greater digital integration across customs, ports, and courier channels will eliminate bottlenecks that currently slow shipments. “If these elements align, India can convert millions of MSME s into global exporters, creating jobs, accelerating inclusion, and strengthening India’s global brand presence,” Subramanian notes. The e-commerce export ecosystem may be young, but its potential is transformative. As digital channels deepen MSME participation in global value chains, what’s unfolding represents more than impressive trade statistics. It’s a fundamental transformation of livelihoods, aspirations, and India’s competitive positioning in twenty-first-century commerce—a shift from factory-centric exports to creator-driven global trade that could define the next chapter of India’s economic story.