Introduction: India has an internet user base of about 250.2 million as of June 2014. The penetration of e-commerce is low compared to markets like the United States and the United Kingdom but is growing at a much faster rate with a large number of new entrants. The industry consensus is that growth is at an inflection point. Unique to India (and potentially to other developing countries), cash on delivery is a preferred payment method. India has a vibrant cash economy as a result of which 80% of Indian e-commerce tends to be Cash on Delivery. However, COD may harm e-commerce business in India in the long run and there is a need to make a shift towards online payment mechanisms. Similarly, direct imports constitute a large component of online sales. Demand for international consumer products (including long-tail items) is growing much faster than in-country supply from authorised distributors and e-commerce offerings.