(Hasanat, 2020) aimed to determine how the coronavirus (Covid-19) affected Malaysian internet commerce. For a better outcome, this search has been cleared and a basic search has been conducted. The findings indicated that there is no import or export of the commodity because the majority of goods are produced in China and the majority of industries are closed.

(Nakhate, 2020) aimed to determine how the coronavirus affected e-commerce. Since China produces the majority of the kits, dependability is exceptional. The coronavirus's effects on all shipping procedures slowed down national and state e-commerce growth. The influence of the Corona virus on Indian online commerce is the subject of this research article. According to the analysis, this pandemic ailment substantially hinders internet enterprises.

(Elsayed, 2020) planned to look into how the COVID-19 outbreak affected the sectoral indexes of the Egyptian Stock Exchange between March 1 and May 10, 2020. represents the total number of Corona virus cases. Information technology, media, and communications services, industrial goods and services, and automobiles each have a coefficient of determination of 0.393, while basic resources have a coefficient of determination of 0.327 and health care and medications have a coefficient of determination of 0.327.

(Ayittey, 2020) According to estimates, if urgent worldwide measures are not taken to stop the Wuhan 2019 Covid-19 in the shortest amount of time, China might lose up to $62 billion21 in the first quarter of the year, while the rest of the world could lose more than $280 billion. 15 This result is consistent with the World Bank's estimate that even a milder flu pandemic, like the 2009 H1N1 virus, could still cause 0.5% of the world's GDP, or around $300 billion, to be lost.

(Aneesh Reddy, 2020) Aneesh Reddy highlighted that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our manner of working, shopping, and interacting with others has completely changed. People only venture outside to purchase necessities from stores, and even then, they are hesitant to do so because they are constantly concerned about contracting an infection. Reddy stated that trifecta expects Indian EE-commerce will reach US$200 billion by 2026 as a result of a less expensive 4G network and continuously rising customer wealth. But the pre-covid19 was the foundation for these forecasts. However, once COVID-19 hit India, the e-commerce sector's surge in demand over the previous few months has been so significant that it may reach $200 billion far sooner than expected.

(Bansal.S, 2020) According to Shuchi Bansal, the COVID-19 lockout would cause a significant shift in the supply chain and increase internet usage of e-commerce portals. In order to avoid congested stores and markets, it has been predicted that demand for groceries and other FMCG products sold by online retailers may drastically change. It can be concluded from an analysis of consumer purchasing patterns from the time COVID-19 initially affected India until the country was placed under lockdown that people are now more concerned with their health and hygiene, which results in less store visits and more online shopping by consumers.

Shift toward E-commerce

Despite the Covid-19 crisis and the economic slowdown, India's E-commerce industry has been on the rise since the lockdown, with a 17 percent increase in order volume as of June 2020 compared to the pre-lockdown period.

Year 2019 vs 2020

Advantage and Disadvantage of E-commerce during covid pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the way business is done now, and the E- commerce industry has taken over the physical market. The following are the primary benefits of E-commerce during covid 19 pandemic.

Advantage of Online selling During the pandemic of COVID-19

1. Because of E-commerce, many businesses have been saved

Online purchasing was the saving grace for many businesses, allowing them to stay open during one of the worst economic periods in modern history. Many businesses would have had to close their doors due to insolvency if online purchasing had not been available.

2. Customer confidence is maintained while infection is kept to a minimum E- commerce has allowed customers to buy with confidence and convenience from the safety and comfort of their own homes, rather than going out, maintaining social distance, and risking infection.

3. Increased product availability

During this recent time of raw material and component shortages, buying directly from manufacturers through local or international E-commerce stores has granted customers and online businesses access to previously unreachable markets.

Drawbacks of Online Selling During the pandemic of COVID-19

1. Postal services have been disrupted.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, postal services all across the world were pushed to their limits. As a result, shipment has been hindered or delayed, shipping charges have increased, and shipping options have been reduced. Shipping has been completely suspended on occasion. For example, due to COVID-19-related service delays, USPS suspended international postal deliveries for several locations in December 2021.

2.  A rise in E-commerce fraud

For the E-commerce industry, fraud has always been a problem. Despite the fact that things have only gotten worse during the pandemic. Fraud has increased in all industries, including E-commerce, and the E-commerce business has encountered numerous challenges in combating fraudulent and malicious actions.

3. A decrease in customer loyalty

As a result of the pandemic, an increasing number of new E-commerce stores are springing up in all categories, resulting in increased rivalry. Customers are now spoiled for choice, making it more difficult than ever to earn their loyalty and trust.

Government initiatives

Since 2014, the Government of India has announced various initiatives, namely Digital India, Make in India, Start-up India, Skill India and Innovation Fund. The timely and effective implementation of such programs will likely support growth of E-commerce in the country. Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government to promote E-commerce in India are as follows:

1. As of November 2, 2021, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal served 7.96 million orders worth Rs. 152,315 crore (US$ 20.40 billion) to 55,433 buyers from 3.06 million registered sellers and service providers.

2. National Retail Policy: The government has identified five areas in its proposed national retail policy—ease of doing business, rationalisation of the licence process, digitisation of retail, focus on reforms and an open network for digital commerce—stating that offline retail and E-commerce need to be administered in an integral manner.

3. The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules 2020 notified by the Consumer Affairs Ministry in July directed E-commerce companies to display the country of origin alongside the product listings. In addition, the companies will also have to reveal parameters that go behind determining product listings on their platforms.

4. Under the Digital India movement, the Government launched various initiatives like Umang, Start-up India Portal, Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) etc. to boost digitisation.

5. In October 2020, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Piyush Goyal invited start- ups to register at public procurement portal, GeM, and offer goods and services to government organisations and PSUs.

6. In October 2020, amending the equalisation levy rules of 2016, the government mandated foreign companies operating E-commerce platforms in India to have permanent account numbers (PAN). It imposed a 2% tax in the FY21 budget on the sale of goods or delivery of services through a non-resident E-commerce operator.

7. In order to increase the participation of foreign players in E-commerce, the Indian Government hiked the limit of FDI in the E-commerce marketplace model to up to 100% (in B2B models).

8. Heavy investment made by the Government in rolling out fiber networks for 5G will help boost E-commerce in India.