Ecommerce Loans In India

Features of E-commerce Loans

These loans are extended to e-sellers in India. Many banks have a separate type of loan ear-marked for e-sellers. The key features of e-commerce loans are –

• Type of unsecured loan, no collateral requirement
• Loan value extended could range between Rs. 1 Lakh – Rs. 1 Crore
• Loan tenure can range between 90 – 270 days
• Interest payment 1.5% onwards
• Flexible repayment mode – monthly, bi-monthly repayment schedule available
• Loan sanction is capped at ‘x’ times of sales revenue per month

Benefits of E-commerce Loans

Lenders of E-commerce Loans

While most banks extend these types of loans under their personal loan product suite the behemoths like SBI have a separate product called the e-Smart SME E-commerce Loan. The loan is specifically structured to benefits the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). This product was launched in collaboration with Snapdeal, one of India’s largest retail e-commerce dealer. Following the launch of e-commerce loans by SBI, there are other banks such as Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank which have launched their own e-commerce loans with terms especially conducive to e-selling enterprises of small and medium size. However, not all these banks extend e-commerce loans without collaterals. When there is a without collaterals. The interest rate could vary from one lender to another.

Several NBFCs (Non-Banking financial corporations) are also engaged in extending e-commerce loans to e-sellers who trade their goods or services on popular online portals such as Amazon, Snapdeal, Flipkart, Shopclues etc. Some of the NBFCs that offer e-commerce loans under their product line are Tata Capital, Reliance Capital Limited, Bajaj Finserv, DHFL, Indiabulls, Fullerton, Cholamandalam Finance etc. There are other institutions which specialize in extending e-commerce loans such as Capital Float, BankFin, Gromor Finance etc.

Apart from banks, there are many financial institutions and venture capitalists who prefer to fund the e-commerce segment. They see tremendous value and growth in this space. Venture capitalists are on the look-out for e-commerce companies which have not matured in the market. They look at funding opportunities which are in nascent stages. By providing them funding at this stage, venture capitalists help them increase the depth of their operations. The investment in such businesses has become apparent, there are known venture capitalists whose name being associated with any e-commerce company could potentially increase the brand value of the company. This could potentially result in increased revenue. The ideology of investing in e-commerce companies at nascent stages is to enable them to increase their market share substantially and gain profits. Several banks have also invested their funds in e-commerce companies in the hope for higher returns on such investment. These investments reflect in the Balance Sheet of the bank on the assets side.

How to select the right e-commerce loan?

For an e-seller to achieve success, the right e-commerce loan must be chosen. There are many e-sellers who need to have been unable to scale-up their businesses due to lack of necessary funds and appropriate vision. These are some key considerations while choosing the right e-commerce loan.

Calculate all costs associated with sale on internet platforms

Selling a product online needs proper market research to assess the competitors pricing of similar products. While pricing the own products, one must keep in mind all the costs involved in moving to the online platform. There are registration costs which is a one-time cost and recurring monthly fee payable. There may be ancillary charges such as transaction charges, bandwidth, server storage, apps and plug-ins etc., All these costs must be considered, and an assessment must be made to ascertain the loan that needs to be borrowed.

Low interest rate and flexible repayment schedule

Like all other loans, e-commerce loans also have the interest rate. This is one key component that needs to be considered. A comparison must be made across various lenders and the one with the most conducive terms should be chosen. Typically, these loans are taken for short term.

Fast and easy disbursement of loan

These loans are designed with minimal processing requirement. They require minimum documentation and are processed with low charges compared to other loans. Typically, the loan value would be ‘x’ times the monthly revenue of the business. There is a need to establish stability of income while borrowing funds, especially if the loan is extended as an unsecured loan (without collateral). In other cases, the inventory is provided as collateral against the e-commerce loan.

Underlying pledge for e-commerce loans

Eligibility criteria for availing E-commerce Loans from financial institutions

Earlier, the norms for availing e-commerce loans from banks / NBFCs or any other financial institutions were stringent. It has been relaxed considerably now. The loans are now extended to start-ups which have not filed their first income tax return (ITR). The growing trend of venture capitalists funding such start-ups has awakened the need for banks to lend to ensure that they do not lose out this fast-growing market. The key eligibility criteria for availing loan are –

• The e-seller should have registered the business and should have been in operation for atleast 6 months
• Business should have an established presence in atleast one of the popular e-commerce platforms – Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues, Alibaba, Paytm etc.,
• A stipulated volume and revenue per month should be achieved, this would vary from one lender to another
• A decent credit score which will enable the borrower to negotiate favorable terms for the ecommerce loan

Who can borrow e-commerce loan?

E-commerce loan is available for individuals who run e-selling business, partnership firms who have a presence on online platform, companies who sell online. They should be registered on atleast one of the popular e-commerce platforms.

E-commerce loans are available from various financial institutions, an aspirant should compare the key features before borrowing. The interest rate could range between 11% - 16.5% p.a. If the borrower has a good credit score, favorable terms can be negotiated.

FAQs of E-commerce Loans in India