E-Commerce Enablement And Growth Of Home-Based Businesses: A Case Study Approach From Kerala

Abstract

The surge of digital commerce has opened new avenues for entrepreneurial growth, particularly among home-based businesses in emerging economies. This study investigates how e-commerce platforms have enabled the growth and sustainability of home-based enterprises in Kerala, India. Employing a qualitative case study design, purposive sampling was used to select five home-based entrepreneurs across urban and semi-urban regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to uncover common patterns and insights. The findings reveal that access to digital marketplaces, social media, and logistics infrastructure significantly accelerated business outreach and customer acquisition. However, participants also faced challenges related to platform algorithms, payment systems, and digital literacy. The study underscores the transformative potential of e-commerce in empowering grassroots entrepreneurship while highlighting the need for localized digital support systems. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on inclusive digital economies and offer practical recommendations for policymakers and platform providers aiming to foster micro-entrepreneurial ecosystems in similar contexts.