SINGAPORE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lazada Group, a leading e-commerce portal in Southeast Asia with the majority owned by Alibaba Group, said Monday that it will cultivate eight million e-commerce entrepreneurs and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia to grow and thrive by 2030.

According to a press release from Lazada, the company also plans to create an inclusive and sustainable e-commerce ecosystem in the region and champion opportunities in technology and logistics infrastructure to benefit its ecosystem of sellers, consumers and local communities.

Lazada said it will provide support for regional SMEs in business digitalization and access to Internet-savvy and mobile consumers, help Lazada sellers create their own brands on the company's platform, and facilitate the goods transfer in and among Southeast Asia countries with the company's logistics network.

"Through our technology powered by data and insights, Lazada enables small businesses to connect with their shoppers through a trusted platform, providing them the opportunities to build their businesses and tap into the vast potential that Southeast Asia presents," said Pierre Poignant, Lazada Group's Executive President at a panel discussion hosted by Lazada on the state of e-commerce in Southeast Asia.

Lazada, launched in 2012, operates an online e-commerce platform in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam at present.

The products on Lazada's platform range from beauty, fashion, consumer electronics to household goods, toys, sports equipment and groceries.

The company also announced on Monday that it invites shoppers to make the most out of the Lazada 11.11 Shopping Festival, which is expected to be Lazada's biggest one-day sale and create a full customer shopping experience for shoppers on Nov. 11, with plenty of entertainment, celebrity interactions and shopping deals and discounts.

"Our focus is about building a great shopping experience," said Yin Jing, co-president of Lazada Group. "It's the heart to everything we do and what makes an e-commerce operation vibrant."

Besides, Lazada expects that the 11.11 Shopping Festival can also bring fun and convenience to consumers, and help them change their way of life, he told Xinhua.