Tag: india

Alibaba to invest more in India’s leading mobile commerce platform

| July 6, 2015

Mobile commerce investments continue to grow

Alibaba is on the verge of investing more in One97 Communications, which operates one of India’s most popular mobile payments platforms: Paytm. Alibaba has become one of the strongest names in the e-commerce sectors, especially when it comes to mobile shopping. The Chinese company has established a powerful position in the digital world, and it has also shown a great deal of interest in Indian mobile commerce organizations. India is one of the fastest growing mobile commerce markets in the world.

Paytm has established a strong position in India’s mobile commerce sector

Paytm has become a very powerful mobile commerce platform in India. Many consumers use the platform to shop and pay for products that they are interested in. The platform has made it easier for consumers to make mobile transactions, which has made it quite popular with those that rely heavily on smartphones and other devices. Alibaba has already invested in Paytm, but plans to pump another $600 million into One97 Communications in order to own a 40% stake in the company. This will also give Alibaba a 25% stake in Paytm.

Alibaba is working to develop a thriving mobile commerce ecosystem in India

Mobile Commerce - India Mobile PaymentsAlibaba has been investing in India’s mobile commerce space for some time. The company sees a great deal of promise in the country, as it is one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world. Last month, Alibaba began playing a bigger role in the Paytm ecosystem. Paytm announced that more than 100,000 merchants from Alibaba’s Aliexpress platform would begin selling products in India via the Paytm platform. Alibaba is also working on promoting its own  mobile operating system and mobile devices in India and elsewhere.

Investments help mobile commerce flourish

Mobile commerce is likely to play a much stronger role in India’s retail space in the coming years. As firms like Paytm continue to attract strong support from Chinese companies, such as Alibaba, mobile commerce is expected to become more convenient for consumers, which would help accelerate adoption throughout the country.

Mobile payments firm aims to expand transactions throughout India

| July 6, 2015

MobiKwik partners with WHSmith India to make mobile payments possible in physical stores

MobiKwik, a mobile payment firm, has partnered with WHSmith India in order to facilitate mobile transactions at physical stores. Mobile commerce has taken off in India, where many consumers are showing favor for shopping for and purchasing products with their smartphones and tablets. The majority of this shopping is happening online, but demand for in-store support of mobile payments has been on the rise in recent years. As such, mobile wallets are becoming more popular and retailers are feeling the pressure to accommodate consumer interests.

Firm envisions a future where all retailers embrace mobile commerce

MobiKwik is one of the more prominent mobile payments firms in India. The company has enabled some 17 million users to make mobile transactions with more than 50,000 retailers in India. MobiKwik is currently working to expand its offline presence, supporting retailers in embracing mobile consumers in their physical stores. Part of doing this involves enabling retailers to accept payments being made by a mobile device.

WHSmith India stores will function as MobiKwik Nodes

Mobile Payments to ExpandThrough its partnership with MobiKwik, WHSmith will become a “MobiKwik Node.” This means that the retailer’s physical stores will accept mobile payments and they will also serve as a place where consumers can add funds to their mobile wallets. According to MobiKwik, approximately only 0.7% of the 40 million small-to-medium enterprises in India currently accept electronic payments. The firm hopes to change this in the future by enabling these organizations to engage mobile consumers more effectively.

Mobile commerce likely to accelerate in India as more consumers make use of services that facilitate payments

Mobile payments are expected to become increasingly common in India in the coming years. The country already represents one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world and is home to a thriving mobile population. Firms like MobiKwik have promising opportunities ahead of them, especially as smartphone penetration continues to accelerate and more consumers become comfortable with the concept of mobile commerce and the convenience that it represents.