Alibaba urges local SMEs to go global with e-commerce power

Alibaba Executive Ma Haobo urges local SMEs to embrace digital transformation through e-commerce to reach global markets

- BY JANANI KANDARAMAGE

GLOBAL e-commerce giant Alibaba recently called on Sri Lankan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to embrace digital transformation to expand their global footprint, noting the immense potential of e-commerce platforms over traditional retail.

Addressing an event organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce last week, Alibaba Executive Ma Haobo outlined a roadmap for SMEs to establish a sustainable and profitable presence online, noting that businesses must shift towards becoming 'eExport-ers' by leveraging Alibaba's expansive business-to-business (B2B) ecosystem.

He added that while much of the platform's manufacturing base is in China's mainland, the majority of buyers are located in the US and EU markets.

"Online platforms provide access to a far broader customer base than brick-and-mortar stores," he said, underscoring the importance of global connectivity in the post-pandemic digital economy.