Can e-sourcing really work?

 What does it take to make it happen? Where can it fail? The practitioners and experts tell you about all this and more

 Despite the spectacular dot-com bust of the past few years, e-sourcing is a B-to-B industry that has done business worth almost Rs 10,000 crore in India in just three years.  More than 300 corporations in India have adopted e-sourcing and the market is exploding: growth rates over the next two to three years are expected to be 75 to 80 per cent in India. Compare that with the global average of 25 to 30 per cent.  To find out more about the nuts and bolts of e-sourcing, Business Standard conducted a round-table in association with FreeMarkets, the Pittsburgh-based leader in global supply management. The discussion was moderated by Amit Bhatia, country manager, FreeMarkets India. Excerpts:  Daryl Rolley: When you look around this table, you see the diverse industries they represent, from basic materials and cement to automobiles and suppliers in between, which should highlight that this is not something that