Alibaba buys Pakistani online retailer Daraz

May 17, 2018Updated May 26, 20251 min read

Alibaba has bought Pakistani e-commerce firm Daraz, as the Chinese tech giant looks to increase its presence in South Asia.

Financial details of the transaction, which was announced on Tuesday, were undisclosed.

Daraz, founded in 2012, is backed by European tech incubator Rocket Internet. It operates in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal as well as Pakistan.

The deal marks another foray for billionaire entrepreneur Jack Ma’s Alibaba into the South Asian market. The e-commerce titan invested in India’s popular payment app Paytm in 2015.

“Together with Daraz, we can now empower entrepreneurs to better serve consumers in the region through our technology and expertise,” Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said in a statement Tuesday.

Daraz will continue to operate under the same brand, Rocket Internet said in a statement.

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Mei Ling Tan

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Mei Ling Tan is the Editor of Retail News Asia, where she leads the editorial team in delivering in-depth coverage of Asia’s dynamic retail landscape. With over a decade of experience in business journalism, Mei Ling is known for her sharp analysis, deep industry insights, and commitment to uncovering the stories behind Asia’s most innovative retail brands. Before joining Retail News Asia, Mei Ling held senior reporting roles at regional business publications, covering everything from consumer trends to digital transformation in retail. A graduate of the National University of Singapore with a degree in Communications and New Media, she combines journalistic integrity with a strong understanding of evolving market forces. Outside the newsroom, Mei Ling is a frequent speaker at industry panels and a mentor for young journalists.

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