Exclusive | 2012 was an important year: Myntra's Ashutosh Lawania

The year 2012 saw a spur in the growth of internet and one such company that created waves in this space is Myntra.com, the largest online retailer of fashion and lifestyle products. Myntra.com sells over 350 of the best brands and ships over 11,000 products to over 480 cities. It is the fastest growing eCommerce portal with over four lakhs daily visitors on its site.

Online apparel is likely to be a $ 2 b market by 2015 and the company sees great potential to grow in this environment. The overall lifestyle category in India is pegged at approximately $50 billion, growing at 16% CAGR. This is one of the largest categories not considering travel & tourism. The industry is expected to cross $100 billion in 2015 with approximately 5% - 8% of this being online. 

While talking to Adgully, Ashutosh Lawania, Co-Founder, Myntra.com shared some insights about the year that was and the year that is to come. 

Adgully (AG) : How was the year 2012 for the e-commerce market as a whole?

Ashutosh Lawania (AL): 2012 was an important year for the entire industry. It witnessed the emergence of several new online players both in the niche and mass category along with acquisitions and mergers of some. This year, the concept of online shopping became more popular amongst consumers as e-commerce players leveraged mass media to familiarize shoppers about the convenience of online shopping and the range it offers.

AG: What do you look forward to in year 2013 and any business resolutions on the anvil?

AL: Online shopping has seen a lot of traction in the last 12-18 months. India has almost 137 million internet users at present, out of which as many as 25 million are active online buyers. The online internet base is expected to cross 300 million in the next 2 – 3 years. Myntra, to create a differentiation in the market will focus on technology and mobile.

AG: Any major changes in the trend you visualize in the e-commerce space?

AL: Tier 2 and 3 cities are going to be the biggest drivers for ecommerce businesses in India. E-commerce players are bound to focus on these emerging markets in the coming year. The industry will also witness some consolidation with the emergence of several e-commerce startups struggling to compete with the industry leaders. To survive in the race, companies will need to focus on innovation and will have to be extremely creative to grab eyeballs and to retain their customers.

AG :  Are there any new initiatives in the pipeline in the coming year?

AL : Use of mobile internet is expected to gain momentum in India in the coming year. From a technology perspective, Myntra will focus on building mobile apps to give shoppers a seamless shopping experience similar to large format devices. Myntra will continue to be visible in mass media with innovative and relevant brand campaigns. | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal@adgully.com]