Cut the cake and let’s celebrate! E-commerce is way past its teen years, and is now growing well into its 20s. For twenty or more years consumers have been able to shop online and are loving it! The implications for those seeking jobs in the area of e-commerce is huge in the next decade. If you’re looking for a career that offers rapid growth and a dynamic workplace environment, entering the e-commerce field can offer you exciting rewards.

In India, e-commerce trade has grown significantly in the last 5 years leading to a rise in employment for marketing, retail & finance that will fuel the engines of organizations. The article covers the employment prospects of this industry

The Rise of the E-Shopper

India’s e-commerce market in 2015 was valued at $23 billion and is conservatively estimated to grow to $38 billion in 2016, according to a research paper released by Assocham. The total percentage of e-commerce in comparison to overall retails is barely above 1%, by 2020 this is expected to rise to 3% of overall retail according to a study by PWC. This boom will be led by the consumer base expansion that is underway in the country, as internet technology reaches the untapped areas of rural & urban India.

This rapid growth will need to be supported by a pool of skilled business professionals who are knowledgeable in the art of Marketing, Finance, Advertising, HR and Technology and the search for such professionals will lead these top brands into all the top MBA institutes of the country.

Career aspirants should follow these trends to find out who the hot employer in the market is and who’s got consumers eating out of their apps.

• Travelling / Ticketing – Cleartrip, MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Thrillophillia etc.
• Retail(R) & Marketplace (M) – Shopperstop (R), Flipkart (M), Snapdeal (M), BigBasket (R) etc.
• Deals – GroupOn, CashKaro etc.
• Education – Edureka
• Classified portals – Shaadi.com, Naukri.com etc.
• Hyperlocals – Grofers, PepperTap, Swiggy 

“Sabko Milega”

Somesh Dasgupta, National President of National Institute of Personnel Management said, “As more people turn to e-tailers for furniture, groceries, medicine, clothing and a gamut of other needs, it is logical that expansion in this sector needs to be supplemented by the right manpower.”

Employment is growing rapidly in the e-commerce industry, with most firms forecasting requirements double the current employment numbers. In 2016, e-commerce is likely to generate nearly 2.5 lakh jobs in India's online retail, including temporary employees, supply chain, logistics and ancillary units, according to an apex trade association. The downpour of these jobs has begun with the consumer champions announcing their hiring plans.

Snapdeal recently hired 250 MBA’s to add to it’s 5000 strong work force which the company believes will double by 2016. Top contender Flipkart wasn’t going to be far behind infact they’ve gone too far ahead. Flipkart has claimed they’ll create 2 million jobs directly or indirectly. The international contenders in the market arent shying away either, Amazon is looking to double its manpower with specific focus on MBA’s in Finance, HR, Consumer Business & operations. Even payment portal Paytm has got in on the hiring spree with their plans to double their current manpower.

2016 is projected to be better for MBA freshers than 2015 according to a survey conducted by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council). It has also collated salary figures from the companies in the market.Findings indicate that half the companies will offer higher salaries compared to the previous year and the rest will continue to maitain their payscale.

Employers Speak

The top bosses in the e-commerce industry have been propgating their longterm & shortterm business plans which include their hiring strategies.

Snapdeal is hiring across its primary functions of technology and products, as well as for its sales, supply chain and marketing divisions.

"We are hiring from top engineering colleges, including the IITs and NITs, and MBA graduates are hired from the IIMs and other business schools." said Saurabh Nigam, VP of Human Resources, Snapdeal. MBA hires will be placed in consumer business, HR, Finance & Operations.

Paytm, who also plans to double its headcount by year end, “wants to hire candidates who can do things differently, who can grow within the organization, meet constant challenges & prove that they are performance driven”- says Amit Sinha, VP Business & People.

India’s largest e-commerce retailer, Flipkart echoes a similar ideology “An increase in employee base by itself isn't necessarily a large indicator of success. We're more concerned about hiring people who have the ability to innovate, who have the humility to accept that their knowledge isn't absolute and there's so much more to do," said Chief People Officer Mekin Maheshwari.

Employee Trends

Opportunities for MBA students in the e-commerce market are ample and while the sector was not as attractive a few years ago, the scene is changing owing to challenging profiles & fatter pay checks

“Few years ago, students graduating from top B-schools like the IIMs would ask if there was job security in e-commerce,” Kunal Bahl, co-founder of Snapdeal, says of the results. “They wanted jobs in consulting and I-banks. But things have changed quite dramatically as these youngsters realize jobs in startups offer a larger canvas for them to make an impact.”

The current employment scenario is a haven for students graduating from B-schools in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other cities where e-commerce firms are taking root. There are multiple opportunities & different companies to choose from and the trend will continue until the e-commerce industry reaches its full potential, which clearly is not anytime in the near future.

So if you’re thinking of building a career in the e-commerce industry by completing an MBA in Finance, Marketing, HR or Operations, the time is perfect to step-up and enroll for an master of business administration degree with the highly acclaimed courses from AIMS Institutes where our qualified and experienced faculty will give you the tools to build the foundation of your future.