Social commerce unboxed

India is in the midst of a shopping revolution. What was once the domain of traditional brick-and-mortar stores, and later e-commerce websites, is now rapidly being reshaped by social commerce—a hybrid of entertainment, community, and digital convenience.

- DR SANDIP NANDI, INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH, KOLKATA; DR TAPASH RANJAN SAHA, IMS BUSINESS SCHOOL, KOLKATA; DR DEBASISH SUR, THE UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN, BURDWAN

Shoppers no longer limit themselves to browsing product pages on big online marketplaces. Instead, they discover the latest fashion, gadgets, and beauty products through Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, WhatsApp groups, and live streams hosted by influencers and creators. The act of shopping has become social, mobile, and highly interactive.

By late 2024, the Indian social commerce market had already touched US $7.2 billion, and analysts expect it to grow to US $8.4 billion in 2025, registering an annual growth rate of about 17 per cent. Longer-term projections are even more ambitious. Some studies forecast that India's social commerce industry could scale to nearly US $14 billion by 2030, while others predict a leap to US $54 billion by 2033, underscoring just how fast the model is being embraced. This growth mirrors a global trend. Worldwide, social commerce is already a trillion-dollar market, valued at around US $1.16 trillion in 2024. By 2033, it is expected to explode to nearly US $18 trillion—with Asia leading the charge. India, with its vast smartphone-first population and low-cost internet, has become a fertile ground for this transformation.

The rise of mobile-first shopping

The smartphone is at the heart of this revolution. India has more than 690 million internet users, most of them accessing the web on mobile. For millions in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, a phone is not just a communication device—it is their entry point into digital finance, entertainment, and now, shopping. This is why social commerce resonates so strongly. Instead of the impersonal scroll of a catalog, consumers watch a beauty influencer demonstrate a product live, ask questions in real-time, or share recommendations within their WhatsApp family group.