Making a mark
Alibaba has been steadily expanding in markets far from home, with the ranks of Indian suppliers now the second-largest on the B2B site
Niraj Choksi's world revolved around a sweaty little room - before Alibaba opened the door to untold riches.
The tiny corner of his ramshackle home in the boondocks of Mumbai's northern outskirts served as the "factory" of the Choksi family's struggling jewellery business.
Its only workers: Niraj and his brother. They would handcraft the items their mother would design and their father peddle from door to door. Annual turnover: less than US$7,000.Somebody suggested trying the internet to find buyers. "Back then, I didn't even know one can trade online," Choksi said. But he gave it a shot anyway, and signed up with several online platforms.
While none of the other sites led to anything, he had his first inquiry on Alibaba - a buyer from Sweden looking to order 150 bracelets. That was in November 2006. The first online order followed soon after.
DVN Traders employs today more than 1,000 people across nine factories - real industrial facilities. Last year's turnover of the company, which specialises in diamond-studded jewellery, amounted to US$3.5 million. It notched up US$4.2 million in the first half of this year under the able guidance of Choksi, who now goes by the fancy title of director, global sales, marketing and business development.