The city of Varanasi in north east India has received a visit from eBay India, which hopes to promote ecommerce in the Hindu holy city.

Director – marketplace development, Ambareesh Murty, spoke of the global entrepreneurial opportunities available to Indian sellers on the site.

“We have seen a phenomenal increase in the demand for Indian products from thousands of buyers worldwide. In fact, buyers from over 150 countries have bought products from Indian sellers to date,” said Mr Murty.

“An Indian seller sells an item to a global buyer every 72 seconds," he added.

International demand for Indian leather products, handicrafts and apparel were among the highest, according to Mr Murty. He said that many Indian companies have established trade arrangements with English-speaking countries, and some have successfully penetrated other European countries such as Germany, France and Italy.