Cashing In On E-Tail
Being the co-founder of a dotcom company that ships to 60 foreign markets including US, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore and some in the Middle East is an achievement in itself. But Shilpa desires more...
Vanita Peter D'souza | March 2016 Issue | The Dollar Business
Shilpa Sharma, Co-Founder, Jaypore.ComBefore getting bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, Shilpa was busy working with Fabindia where she was actively involved in the overall purchase and development of product ranges across 18 categories of lifestyle and apparel for the company’s domestic and international stores.
Working with Fabindia, not just gave her an experience in managing a retail company but also exposed her to various opportunities in the textile sector – especially handloom. She believes that the Indian handicraft industry lacks a single integrated platform to showcase its products and plans to tap this opportunity with Jaypore. Her dream is to make Jaypore the ambassador of Indian handicrafts. For her, India has much more to offer than products sold at hand Being loom expos, which is why she is also actively involved in various initiatives such as fostering design and production tie-ups with handloom clusters across India.
She is a multitasker and also offers consulting services in areas like retail startups, operational efficiency improvement, and cross border retail among others. Not one to complain about logistics-related bottlenecks in India, Shilpa is of the view that single-window clearances and ease of bulk shipments for Indian exporters will definitely help one and all like her in the exports business.
TDB: Tell us about Jaypore. How did it all start?
Shilpa Sharma (SS): When it comes to crafts and design, there are Fabindia and Good Earth which are very large players and there are small regional players. My partners and I firmly believed there was an opportunity that had not been tapped. My other two partners have very strong e-commerce background and both of them believe that the future of retail lies in the online space. And I think, there are a lot of products which need to be showcased. We wanted to be the ambassador of the finest handcrafted products of India. And that’s how Jaypore started.
TDB: Were there any hurdles in starting Jaypore?
SS: Yes, many. As a young business, funding, cash flows were issues. I have been told by people that you are fortunate that in the online space you don’t have to worry about rentals. However, I have always held that technology is to online platforms what rentals are to offline business.
TDB: What policy related changes do you feel will encourage exporters in your sector? 
SS: We ship to 60 overseas destinations which include countries like US, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore and the Middle East. There are no issues with regards to logistics. However, there are too many barriers while shipping exclusive products and in bulk. The government needs to make the process easier. Foreign customers who are buying jewellery online are not going to buy a small piece of earring.
TDB: Give us a gist about your other ventures.
SS: Apart from Jaypore, I run a travel company where a bunch of people work for me. And I also run a restaurant in Goa.
to success.