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On , books, FedEx, India and Ecomm :
<<<Monday March 22, 3:30 am Eastern Time
INTERVIEW-Fedex plugs in to Indian
e-commerce
By Biman Mukherji
NEW DELHI, March 22 (Reuters) - Federal Express
(NYSE:FDX - news), the world's largest air express package
company, is looking to ride the crest of an e-commerce wave in India to expand its business, a
senior company official said on Monday.
''India is a growing market for e-commerce business. On a global level also Internet commerce is
shaping up in a very big way for us,'' Arun Kumar, managing director of Federal Express India, told
Reuters in an interview.
He said the business potential was huge if tapped by combining global and domestic networks.
''In India, we have a tie-up with Rediff On The Net which is selling books and CDs. We provide the
pick-up and delivery capability to Rediff,'' Kumar said.
Once an order is placed, Rediff On The Net alerts Fedex, which moves in to deliver the shipment. A
customer can track the shipment's movement through different locations overseas over the Internet.
''We already have about ten other companies working with us in the local market. We think that is
the way business will be done in future,'' he said.
Rediff On The Net is an online service run by Indian Internet content pioneer Rediff Communications
Ltd.
Kumar said Fedex was hoping to cash in on the growing e-commerce business by hooking up with
such companies.
Federal Express, a subsidiary of FDX Corp, connects to 211 countries and has a fleet of 624
aircraft and 42,500 vehicles in its global network.
It also maintains wide electronic links with customers worldwide to provide information on deliveries.
''More and more companies like Rediff will be expanding in India pretty soon,''said Kumar.
Currently, the company flies an MD-11 aircraft five times a week through Bombay connecting also
to Dubai, Paris and Indianapolis.
Kumar said Fedex had enjoyed double-digit growth in the Indian market since it established
operations about two years ago.
But he declined to say exactly how large its Indian business was.
Hundreds of computer-savvy companies are sprouting in India which sell products ranging from local
foods and herbal cosmetics to computer parts and books, Kumar said.
''You might be a person of Indian origin sitting in Australia and you like a particular person's paan (a
mixture of chewing tobacco, betel nut and sweeteners). You can order it over the Internet,'' Kumar
said.
''Today these kinds of transactions are possible because networks are in place,'' he said.
He said Fedex also planned to work with Indian companies to help set up such e-commerce
networks. >>>
***Imagine PNLK-FedEx alliance, as they said :<<<Fedex also planned to work with Indian companies to help set up such e-commerce
networks>>>
PNLK, is not Indian, it's Worldwide ! |
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