7 months ago
Social Commerce Thrives in China, Struggles in India
Social commerce is a way of shopping through social media, like watching live videos and buying things or getting deals with friends.
In China, it's very popular and makes a lot of money.
Almost half of the internet users there watch live shopping videos, and big companies like Pinduoduo are worth a lot.
But in India, it's not as successful.
Only a small part of online shopping is through social commerce.
There are many reasons for this, like people not trusting new platforms as much, different payment habits, and problems with internet and logistics.
Companies like Meesho have tried but are not as profitable as their Chinese counterparts.
It might take a long time for India to catch up to China in this area.
Social commerce includes livestream selling, influencer-led discovery, and group buying.
China's social commerce market is massive, with nearly $900 billion in revenue, while India's is still very small.
Meesho is one of the few success stories in India, but it's not yet profitable and has pivoted towards traditional e-commerce.
Reasons for the struggle in India include low trust, model economics, logistics issues, preference for cash payments, and different regulations.
It may take at least a decade for India to develop a high-trust ecosystem with frictionless payments and viable infrastructure for social commerce to thrive.
- Who
- Social commerce platforms and users in China and India
- What
- The differences in the growth and success of social commerce in China and India
- Where
- China and India
- When
- Current trends and future projections
- Why
- Differences in trust, model economics, logistics, payment preferences, and regulations
Key facts
- Global Social Commerce Market Size
- Over $1.6 trillion in 2025, projected to grow at over 30% CAGR till 2030
- China's Social Commerce Revenue
- Nearly $900 billion, representing 30% of all e-commerce revenue in China
- Internet Users in China Watching Livestreaming
- Over 500 million people
- Meesho's Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)
- Over $6 billion in FY25
- Meesho's Net Loss
- ₹3,942 crore in FY25
- Pinduoduo's Market Capitalization
- Over $170 billion
- India's Social Commerce Contribution to E-commerce
- 1-2% of total e-commerce revenue
- China's Social Commerce Contribution to E-commerce
- 30-40% of total e-commerce revenue




