So, the rumors are at it again - Is the ecommerce industry really approaching the doom - yet again? But, exactly, how many times these rumors might have come and gone, just like that? How many times these have been written off? And how many times the ecommerce wolfpack has risen from downfall to the success? So many questions, right? Yes, experts have said it, forecasted it - that the end is near for ecommerce. And these claims have been made quite a times.

So, where does all this lead us to? That there are two sides of a coin. With success comes the fear of downfall - it’s upon you to choose what matters more to you and what you should prioritize. And these predictions are sure not ‘false” - but is it really the time to cut off them?

Let’s have a look from the perspective of data and growth since last few years - a decade, to be precise. Back in 2006, the online retail industry stood at Rs 850 cr - according to a report by research agency IMRB for the Internet and Mobile Association of India(IAMAI). Fast forward it to the end of 2016, it is expected to be an over Rs 72,000 cr industry. Whoa! That is almost 85 times growth in a decade.

There have been rumors of big ecommerce names being breaking down and employee’s leave off too. Nearly about a decade ago, experts have predicted that Indians would not be buying or transacting online. But now some big shots names are on everyone’s mind - their “go-to’ place for online shopping. But people are also saying that those companies have spent too much on them, have used wrong valuations and will collapse in no time. This is because of one main factor - In India - it’s YOU, as in customers are the one who decide. Whether a company is going to play big or not.

However, even after such growth - the claims still have a strong point. Yes, these companies have spent too much and hired excess staff too. And that is why, experts say - firing off excess staff is a good step too. And then some experts also say, ecommerce will definitely grow as consumers will sought to online shopping in huge numbers.

There is a sweet balance between both the perspectives. If we look at the data, the ecommerce will be a widespread economy in coming years - but the amount of money spent, the metrics and the people leaving off also directs us to the point of its decline. Maybe it’s not just the time to considers this question - or maybe it is.

Ecommerce has been hit by a blizzard some years back. And that was - the launch of 4G technology. Whilst internet adoption is growing in India, much of it is coming from mobile. New smartphones are already sold that are 4G enabled and the cost difference is very little compared to 3G versions. The impact of this, according to Cyber Media Research, is that the majority of new smartphones sold in India will be 4G devices.

All the analytics reports prove that the desktop browsing is beaten up heavily by mobiles. Smartphones are the “in’ thing for every consumers. Every single transaction is now on mobile, from online shopping to selling - every single thing is on the go. And this just keeps mobiles in focus - which in turn is a way for ecommerce companies to go mobile. Every website now require a mobile responsive design. India seems to be the leader in the switch to mobile for e-commerce companies, with mobile platform accounting for 41% total e-commerce sales in 2014. The report notes that Indian e-commerce leaders are also more mobile-centric as compared to global leaders. Looking at that, even the search engine biggie Google - has launched its new mobile.

India is a festival dominated country. Media observers say ecommerce firms likely spend Rs 1,800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore on advertising from September through December when a number of festivals are celebrated. Companies typically spend more on advertising during the festive season as the period accounts for a big chunk of sales for companies in a number of consumer-focused sectors including retail, auto and household electronics.

The most groundbreaking thing that has happened for Indian ecommerce industry - is the launch of demonetization. It has given the consumers an affordable way of going cashless and being digital. There was a time when industries weren’t aware about demonetization and thought it would go down. But after its launch, COD has been replaced by mobile wallets and the ecommerce transaction have been upped by 70%. With the retail businesses taking an all new dimension thanks to the growth of the internet, the business models and the payment methods have all changed. Online money transactions and digital payments are not as difficult as they were before. This makes it easy for you to smartly tackle the sudden ban on old currencies. And online transactions do come with a lot of benefits.

Concluding our thoughts, yes, ecommerce has been a huge hit among customers and it has faced their own obstacles too. However, only time will tell - whether it really is the downfall, or a new beginning in the ecommerce sector.