The restrictions on Chinese consignments at Indian ports over the past few days could have an impact on the Indian e-commerce industry if it continues longer, given that the industry sees over 50 percent of the total value of sales come from goods that are either manufactured in China or have components from China.

According to Forrester Research, at least 50 percent of the $32 billion gross merchandise value (GMV) on e-tailing platforms in 2019 came from products having an origin in China.

“These are largely smartphones and fashion, which are either manufactured in China or have Chinese components,” said Satish Meena, senior forecast analyst at Forrester Research.

One industry expert, who did not wish to be named, put the number at nearly 65-70 percent.

This is likely to be a matter of concern for the sector, as several Chinese consignments coming into Indian ports of Mumbai and Chennai have been held up over the last few days as the tensions between the two nations are on the rise.

“The consumer demand is not very aggressive right now, so the impact may not be felt by e-commerce companies right away. But if this situation continues till the festive season, e-commerce firms will be badly impacted, “ Meena said.

An e-commerce firm executive, who did not wish to be named, said sellers usually have inventory for up to two months, so there will be no immediate impact.

Online seller associations also highlighted the large dependence of sellers on Chinese goods.

“70 percent of new online sellers start selling Chinese goods due to easy availability and fast shipping,” said a spokesperson of the All India Online Vendors Association.

“A substantial portion of non-electronic online sellers depend on Chinese-origin goods as the price is made cheaper due to duty evasion by importers and high demand for cheap goods online.”

E-commerce firms that CNBC-TV18 reached out to did not respond to queries.