Developing the Khadi Industry in Bangladesh through F-commerce
Before developing the Khadi Industry through F-commerce, We have to know about it. Let’s try to know about f-commerce.
F-commerce
Generally, Facebook-based businesses are called f-commerce. That means the business operated by Facebook, which uses the internet, is called f-commerce. In Bangladesh, 93% of internet users use Facebook. They spend significant time there. So it can be a probable market for our local product.
Some steps can be employed in the development of the Khadi industry through F-Commerce:
Increasing the number of Khadi entrepreneurs online
Nowadays, there is a term called Deshi Ponner Uddogta / Entrepreneur of Local Products. The term was just popular early in 2019. But at the end of 2019, Razib Ahmed, the former and founder president of the E-commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-Cab), took responsibility for the WE group and tried to promote local products by putting forth his best efforts.
Along with him, some entrepreneurs and group members came forward and started promoting local products by giving various information about local products. Some Khadi entrepreneurs also joined at that time.
Some people from remote areas started working with Khadi through the internet and achieved success. Slowly, many more entrepreneurs started working with Khadi online. The important thing is that most of these entrepreneurs are women. Currently, 70% of the entrepreneurs on Facebook are women entrepreneurs. They are becoming financially independent by running their businesses from home.
The number of district-level entrepreneurs working with different local products is increasing daily. Although Khadi is a tradition of Cumilla district, nowadays, due to f-commerce, khadi entrepreneurs come from various districts of the country. The number of these entrepreneurs is increasing, which will help develop the Khadi Industry online.
Improve the skills of entrepreneurs
A skilled entrepreneur can run his business properly. Currently, there are more than three lakh Facebook pages. Many people run their businesses through this Facebook page, but not all are successful. That’s why many of them are failing and stopping their businesses, and many are suffering from depression. If they become skilled, they can manage their business systematically.
The Facebook-based group Digital Skills for Bangladesh is one of the best platforms for improving entrepreneurs’ skills. It offers all kinds of content from which an entrepreneur can learn to manage his enterprise only by taking severe time. For example, the Arifa model is a complete guideline to remember.
An entrepreneur must open a Facebook page, manage groups, create content, understand customer needs, and create products accordingly. Technical knowledge is a must.
The Digital Skills for Bangladesh group has a detailed discussion about these issues. Entrepreneurs must seriously acquire knowledge about these issues if they want to develop their skills. Only then is it possible to create a skilled Khadi online entrepreneur.
Contribution of a small Facebook group
There are about 100 small groups on Facebook that are regularly working to promote various local products. Among them, there are some groups on Khadi where Khadi is discussed, and the attitudes of buyers and sellers can be known. The power of small groups can be seen in Wave’s success in promoting various local products. If there is a wave about Khadi, then if there are 100 small groups together promoting Khadi in their groups, the promotion of Khadi will increase very quickly, which will help the development of the Khadi industry online.
Increasing the content of Khadi
The most important thing online is product content. The most significant barrier to promoting local products is our need for more content. Searching online about Khadi generates no new information except sales-based content. Content should be created on Khadi to fill this information gap.
Content can be of different types, such as written, image, audio, and video. An online shopper orders without seeing the product, so these contents help them purchase it.
Besides, content is essential in promoting local products. For this, content should be created in Bengali and English so anyone can find out about Khadi by searching.
If the above-mentioned points are followed seriously, then it will be possible to develop the Khadi industry through F-Commerce. The development of the Khadi industry means the development of the textile industry.
Writer: Palash Chandra Shil (Protap), Founder, Nakshiwala & Khadibd.
Our heritage and history are intertwined with Khadi fabric. Khadi is a noble fabric. Khadi cloth started in Comilla district but later on, Hadis production has appeared in other districts of Bangladesh, especially Noakhali Narayanganj district. Demand for Khadi products is increasing day by day due to e-commerce. Due to e-commerce the younger generation has come forward to work with khadi and it is not limited to yard cloth. Different types of clothes are being made with khadi cloth like saree, Punjabi, fatuwa, three piece, by khadi cloth sandal bag. Also, the Khadi shawls of Bangladesh have gained a lot of publicity due to e-commerce. Along with the creation of entrepreneurs in khadi cloth due to e-commerce, buyers of khadi cloth have also increased.
Bangladesh is able to create Khadi industry separately by promoting small groups on Facebook by content. Thank you very much for the nice article of Khadi.
There have a strong connection with our tradition and khadi clothing. Though at first khadi was started to weave in Comilla but later this clothing item was introduced to other parts of Bangladesh like Noakhali, Narayanganj, Manikganj etc. With the revaluation of local products of Bangladesh through e-Commerce, demand of khadi products are increasing day by day. Now khadi is not limited only in clothing item but also we found various khadi item, like sandal,bag etc.