Digital spaces come with plethora of career options, says Dr Prabbal Chakraborty, Associate Professor, Department of Management, JIMS VK II

After Liberalization and Globalization of the Indian economy in July 1991, the structure of Commerce and industry changed in almost all areas of trade. Execution of the term e-commerce first time used for commercial electronically transactions with the help of leading technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). It allows users to do electronic transactions and exchange business information. In the year 1990, the Internet became very popular among the public. In the year 2000, many companies represented their services in the World Wide Web (www) and thereafter the definition of the word “E-Commerce” was changed. People started to define the term e-commerce as buying & selling of goods and services over the internet using secure connections and electronic payment services.

Now E- commerce employ technologies such as

1. Mobile commerce
2. Electronic fund transfer
3. Supply chain management
4. Internet marketing
5. Online transaction processing
6. Electronic data interchange (EDI),
7. Inventory management systems, and
8. Automated data collection systems.

It has given the ease, handiness and huge varieties to customers and as well as producers. Instead of having a limited number of stores in nearby areas, it is now possible to find customers or vendors on the other side of the International and Global Market. E-Commerce assists a stiff competition for pricing, selection, choice, quality and timely delivery of goods.

Therefore, structured education and practical understanding is the key, as this ever-growing industry provides plenty of opportunities for new employees but in relatively unheard and new areas of operations and newer skill sets. Appropriate education in e-commerce is highly recommended for anyone who wants to get involved and attain expertise in this domain.

Jagannath Institute of Management Sciences (JIMS) offers a variety of courses in the field of e-commerce, undergraduate and some diploma courses.

Here are some of the most selected courses in this field:

1. BBA+ Graduate Diploma in Retail Management.
2. BCA+ Graduate Diploma in Information Technology.

Prospects of E-commerce Education:

• Skill Development Oriented Teaching: JIMS institutes providing a variety of digital marketing courses. JIMS provides practical work experience and industry exposure via live projects which provide all- around skill development opportunities.
• Knowledge of Information Technology: Information Technology is the study, creation, designing, utilization and management of computer based information systems, especially software applications. Those who are pursuing their careers in the field of e-commerce attains the knowledge of allied computer software and applications, also skill subsets like database management, data analysis, data mining etc.
• Industry- Institute interaction: Students grow industry ready and become adept to great organizational cultures. However, this is possible only in the collaborative and cohesive approach of the corporations involved.
• Research & Research based Teaching: Research based teaching learning in e-commerce will help the students in learning new changes in this domain.

E-Commerce Career Opportunities in India:

The Indian industry is expected to grow to about USD 350 billion by 2023 and a major contributor to this will be the e-commerce industry. Hiring activities in the IT industry, which employs 12 million workforce currently, are witnessing a growth of 12%. E-tail and the allied sectors like logistics, warehousing, IT are expected to create direct employment to around 1.85 million workforce by 2023, as compared to 2012 it was just 23,500 jobs. By 2023 it will become the largest contributor in terms of employment opportunities. It creates job opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers. Nearly 1.2 million people are expected to recruit in highly skilled technical jobs by 2023 and other non-technical jobs such as HR, finance & accounts, administration, etc. will add nearly 1.1 million workforce by 2023.

Other Support Industries

Apart from e-commerce companies and allied industries like logistics, which employs a majority of the e-commerce workforce, the contribution made by other players like payment wallets and marketers is also noteworthy. The payment wallet segment in India was worth USD 3.2 billion in 2015. With 135 million users, the value of India’s mobile wallet transactions will reach USD 21.5 billion in 2023. This segment's growth requires a workforce. This segment expects more than 4500 middle and senior level jobs with salary up to INR 1.25 crore.