Facebook starts testing Marketplace in India, starting with Mumbai

As Facebook expands its presence in India, the social media giant will soon launch its Marketplace platform in the country. As the name suggests, Facebook Marketplace allows people to sell and buy products online but in an organized community like Facebook. According to ET, Facebook started testing the feature in Mumbai from November 16, and users in Mumbai are expected to use Marketplace very soon.

With the launch of Marketplace, India will be the 26th country to get this service. Some other countries where Marketplace is available include the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, and Canada. Karandeep Anand, Director of Product Management, Facebook mentioned how the social media giant is already a marketplace in itself. This is quite visible in India as well. Facebook groups are quite helpful and active for different services like renting a flat, buying goods, or even fan clubs.

There are also many groups where people sell, purchase or barter different products. These groups may vary according to age, likes, interests, communities or more importantly area radius. With heavy attention garnering from these Facebook groups for unofficial marketplaces, this feature will surely be welcomed well in India.

On speaking about the launch plan in India, Anand was quoted by ET as saying, “We don’t have a particular date in India for the pan-India launch. The goal of the test is to start learning. As we learn, we will understand whether the product meets the needs, finds it engaging. As we learn, we will start rolling it more broadly.”

Facebook Marketplace comes with different categories for products users can sell and choose from. During the initial phase, Facebook will not be finalizing any categories. Depending on how users start listing their products, the categories will be formed accordingly. Also, users can set a preferred radius to choose products from. It’s hard to ignore the possibility of how Facebook Marketplace could pose a threat to online selling and purchasing platforms like OLX and Quikr in India. Both of these products come with similar functionalities as that of Facebook Marketplace.

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