New Delhi, Dec 25 : As e-commerce operations witnessed a steep growth amid the pandemic, a recent survey shows that there is a sense of optimism among small and medium enterprises (SME) in India backed by higher sales through this route. The survey, commissioned by FedEx and conducted by Dun & Bradstreet India, showed that the optimisation has come up among the SMEs as 30 per cent of small businesses and 40 per cent of medium businesses witnessed a rise in e-commerce sales since the lockdowns began. The pandemic and its resulting restrictions have led to a shift in consumer behaviour towards e-commerce, with 35 per cent of small businesses and 54 per cent of medium businesses surveyed believing that e-commerce sales will improve their financial growth following Covid-19. During this festive season, SMEs are enhancing their e-commerce capabilities and rethinking their online shopping strategies in anticipation of significant sales. Thirty-four percent of surveyed SMEs expect strong peak season demand. Further, SMEs are embracing digital solutions, with 76 per cent of small businesses and 60 per cent of medium businesses stating that they are seeing a rise in digital payments received since the start of the pandemic. Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President, Operations for FedEx Express in India said: "Throughout COVID-19, we have seen that consumers are increasingly shopping from home, and with continued travel limitations and efforts to control the spread of the virus likely to prevent people from visiting family and friends this festive season, more gifts are likely to be shipped this year, rather than delivered in person." "With the expected continued surge in e-commerce sales," he added. /IANS