How Mobile E-Commerce is Revolutionizing Marketing Strategies for Indian MSMEs

Abstract

This paper presents a multi-theoretical framework to explain how mobile e-commerce is revolutionising marketing strategies among Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). By integrating mobile affordance theory, service-dominant logic (S-D logic), and the customer engagement cycle (CEC), the framework addresses the limitations of traditional adoption models like technology acceptance model (TAM), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), and diffusion of innovation (DOI) in capturing strategic, experiential, and customer-centric dynamics. The study highlights how MSMEs employ mobile affordances such as push notifications, unified payments interface (UPI) payments, chatbots, and WhatsApp business APIs to co-create value and engage customers across awareness, acquisition, retention, and advocacy phases. National-level policies, such as digital India, UPI and open network for digital commerce (ONDC), have strengthened infrastructure and availability which in return catalysed the growth of mobile technology. The model provides MSME with direction to utilise mobile technologies, not only to survive but also to create sustainable value and compete successfully. It also has the potential to inspire future empirical research by presenting a conceptual framework that can be used to build new emerging market strategies focused on digitalisation.