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Tag: E-commerce Business

  • IndiaMART: The Success Story of a Leading B2B E-commerce Company in India

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.

    Faster, stable, and more efficient internet is a major factor behind the rise of many startups. However, some startups were pure visionaries, established way before this modern internet connectivity. IndiaMart was one of such startups that were conceived of before the internet became such easily available and accessible as it is today.

    When IndiaMART company was founded by the cousins Dinesh Agarwal and Brijesh Agrawal in 1996, the internet was far from being a household term in India. The IndiaMART founders could very well visualize the revolution that India was about to see with better internet connectivity. Starting with a capital of just Rs 40,000, today IndiaMART is India’s largest and the world’s second-largest B2B e-commerce marketplace.

    So, let’s have a peek into the startup journey of this 25-year-old company, which is making the eCommerce business easy for many individuals, SMEs, and large enterprises.

    Learn about IndiaMART’s history, founders, owners, business and revenue model, founders and team, funding and investors, challenges, competitors, name, tagline and logo, awards, acquisitions, and more.

    IndiaMART – Company Highlights

    Company Name IndiaMART
    Headquarters Noida (Uttar Pradesh)
    Founders Dinesh Agarwal & Brijesh Agarwal
    Industry E-commerce
    Founded 1996
    Parent Organization IndiaMART InterMESH Limited
    Website indiamart.com

    About IndiaMART
    IndiaMART – Founders and Team
    IndiaMART – Startup Story
    IndiaMART – Mission and Vision
    IndiaMART – Name, Tagline and Logo
    IndiaMART – Funding and Investors
    IndiaMART – Shareholding
    IndiaMART – Business and Revenue Model
    IndiaMART – Growth and Revenues
    IndiaMART – Financials
    IndiaMART – Challenges
    IndiaMART – Awards
    IndiaMART – Acquisitions
    IndiaMART – Competitors

    About IndiaMART

    IndiaMART is a leading B2B e-commerce company in India that connects suppliers with buyers. It has around 60% market share in B2B e-commerce along with partnerships with leading brands like Tata, Airtel, Hyundai, Bosch, Canon, and a lot more. It trades almost everything from apparel, and home furniture to electronics, and building equipment. The company provides business visibility and credibility to its buyers and sellers with enhanced trust and experience of 24 years.

    IndiaMart has also ventured into some other sectors, other than being a B2B e-commerce. Operational subsidiaries of India Mart include –

    • Tolexo Online Pvt. Ltd. (TOPL) – Founded in 2014, Tolexo.com was a B2B e-commerce retail and B2B Wholesale platform. In 2017, IndiaMart company announced that it is closing the retail B2B wing of Tolexo.com due to underperformance. Currently, Poora.com (a subsidiary of TOPL) is offering order management services to businesses.
    • Ten Times Online Private Limited (TTOPL) – Founded in 2013, 10times.com is a platform for business event discovery and networking.
    • Pay With Indiamart Private Limited (PWIPL) – Started in 2017, It is a payment gateway that lets sellers collect instant payment from buyers through the Indiamart platform.
    • Hellotravel Online Pvt. Ltd. – Founded in 2009, this platform connects travelers to travel agents.

    IndiaMART – Founders and Team

    Indiamart Founders

    Dinesh Agarwal and his cousin Brijesh Agarwal are the founders of IndiaMART.

    Dinesh Agarwal

    IndiaMART Co-founder CEO Dinesh Agarwal hails from a traditional business family in the Napara district of UP. Agarwal completed his schooling from a Hindi medium school. He then obtained his B.Tech degree in Computer Science & Engineering from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur. Agarwal served in a number of companies before landing a job at HCL for which he needed to move to the US. He was associated with HCL Technologies as a Senior System Analyst before launching IndiaMART. Dinesh also served as a Software Engineer at CDOT Alcatel Research Centre.

    Brijesh Agrawal

    IndiaMART Co-founder and Director Brijesh Agrawal completed his BMS from the University of Lucknow. He then completed his PGDBM from NIILM, after which Brijesh joined Dinesh Agarwal in his venture.

    IndiaMART had around 2,754 employees across different cities in India when last reported in March 2021.

    IndiaMART – Startup Story

    After graduating in software engineering, Dinesh started receiving lucrative job offers. After working in India with different organizations for 5 years, Dinesh went to the US, where he worked with CDOT for 3 Years. He was leading a comfortable life until one day he realized that he was not passionate enough about the work he was doing and had a calling to start something of his own. This made Dinesh return to India in 1996.

    Dinesh was one of the early internet users and realized that the internet can do wonders in promoting businesses, so he decided to build a platform where businesses could display their products through dedicated web pages. Dinesh started the eCommerce business from his flat in Delhi in 1996 as an export marketplace with Brijesh.

    However, finding clients was a difficult task initially for IndiaMART because many businesses were not aware of computers and the internet. They did not know how the internet could help in growing their business. So, they appointed some marketing and sales guys, who could educate the businesses about what the internet could do to them, thereby helping IndiaMart acquire new clients. They also started participating in trade fares held in Pragati Maidan to spread more awareness about their eCommerce business. The first client India Mart received was ‘Nirula’s’ – the famous first food chain in North India. IndiaMart then had to build and maintain Nirula’s website for an annual charge of Rs 32000/-.

    The company initially started by offering free listing services to eCommerce businesses, and once the businesses listed started getting queries from around the world, IndiaMART’s sales representatives used to approach the businesses to report their progress. Once the business was convinced that getting their business listed on IndiaMart was helpful, they started buying paid services and the platform started growing gradually.

    However, in the absence of proper internet-based infrastructure, challenges for the company were many. IndiaMART could not even send e-mails to the businesses regarding the queries these businesses were receiving through IndiaMART, as many businesses did not even have e-mail ids. The IndiaMART team had to take printouts of the queries they received and fax the same to the respective businesses. But despite all the challenges, IndiaMART acquired around 1000 clients till 1999.

    Another challenge appeared before the company with the 9/11 attacks, exports were hard hit due to the tragedy and IndiaMART’s revenue came down by almost 40%. But the team continued its efforts.

    A major turning point came when IndiaMART company shifted focus from export to Domestic market and started serving the eCommerce business within the country. Today over 6 million suppliers are registered with IndiaMART.

    IndiaMART – Mission and Vision

    Indiamart has been founded with a mission ‘to make doing business easy.’ Indiamart is fueled with the vision of retaining its lead in the B2B e-commerce segment in India.

    IndiaMART Logo

    IndiaMart has brought out numerous taglines like “Kaam Yahin Banta Hai” and “Bada Aasaan Hai” till now. ‘The Global Gateway To Indian Marketplace” was the first tagline that IndiaMART recorded.

    IndiaMART – Funding and Investors

    IndiaMart has raised total funding worth $40.8 million over 4 rounds. In June 2019, IndiaMART launched its IPO, which turned out to be one of the most loved IPOs in 2019. As per NSE, IndiaMART IPO cumulatively received bids of 9,66,86,235 equity shares, which is 35.91 times higher than its total issue size of 26,92,824 equity shares.

    Date Stage Amount Investors
    Feb 17, 2021 Post IPO Undisclosed Jefferies, Edelweiss
    June 24, 2019 Venture Round $28.24 Million Elevation Capital
    March 9, 2016 Series C – Amadeus Capital Partners
    Jan 14, 2009 Series A $10 Million Intel Capital
    Jan 1, 2007 Venture Round – Brand Capital

    IndiaMART – Shareholding

    IndiaMART’s shareholding pattern as of May 2019, sourced from Tracxn:

    IndiaMART Shareholders Percentage
    Dinesh Agarwal 31.8%
    Brijesh Agarwal 21.4%
    Intel 12.8%
    WestBridge Capital 5.1%
    Amadeus Capital 5.8%
    Accion 3.8%
    Brand Capital 0.3%
    Other People 3.5%
    ESOP Pool 4.3%
    Other Investors 11.3%
    Total 100.0%
    IndiaMART Shareholding
    IndiaMART Shareholding

    IndiaMART – Business and Revenue Model

    The oldest B2B eCommerce marketplace, IndiaMART operates on a subscription-based model for suppliers. While IndiaMART is totally free for buyers, its main source of revenue is subscription fees received from the sellers, sell of ‘request for quote’ received from the buyers, and the payment facilitation services that it offers. Furthermore, IndiaMART also earns advertising revenue by letting individuals and businesses post advertisements on the IndiaMART app.

    Indiamart- India’s largest marketplace

    IndiaMART – Growth and Revenues

    From starting up when the B2B e-commerce sector was still upcoming to being hailed as the largest operator in the segment, IndiaMart’s success story is itself a testament to the growth it received. Furthermore, IndiaMart is also dubbed as the world’s second-largest online B2B marketplace.

    Here’s a glimpse into the prominent growth highlights of the company:

    • The company boasts a network of over 143 million registered buyers and 6.4 million+ suppliers
    • IndiaMart hosts a whopping collection of 71 million+ products and services
    • It has a staggering 60% market share of the online B2B Classified space in India
    • The B2B giant has further pulled in 259 Mn+ hits on its website and app in the December quarter of 2021
    • IndiaMART recorded opening 52 offices in 52 weeks, which boosted its sales 10X times in a single year
    • IndiaMart has adopted a weekly salary pay disbursal system with an aim to extend a flexible and supportive working environment for its employees. Studied and identified as one of the most critical things that influence an employee, weekly payouts for employees have been practiced in many countries like New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong, Australia, and more and have yielded successful outcomes.

    IndiaMART – Financials

    IndiaMART InterMESH Limited has demonstrated consistent growth over the past five financial years, with notable increases in revenue and profitability.

    Particulars FY24 FY23 FY22 FY21 FY20
    Revenue INR 1,196.8 crore INR 985.4 crore INR 859 crore INR 756.1 crore INR 707.4 crore
    Expenses INR 910.8 crore INR 756.7 crore INR 463 crore INR 364.1 crore INR 494.4 crore
    Profit/Loss INR 334.0 crore INR 283.8 crore INR 297.6 crore INR 279.8 crore INR 147.4 crore
    IndiaMART Financials
    IndiaMART Financials

    In FY24, IndiaMART’s revenue increased by 21% to INR 1,196.8 crore from INR 985.4 crore in FY23, while profit rose by 18% to INR 334 crore from INR 283.8 crore.

    IndiaMART Revenue Breakdown

    Revenue Source FY24 FY23
    Revenue from Operations INR 1,196.8 crore INR 985.4 crore
    Other Income INR 2,106.1 crore INR 1,805.3 crore
    Total Revenue INR 1,196.8 crore INR 985.4 crore

    The company’s revenue from operations grew by 21% in FY24, reaching INR 1,196.8 crore, up from INR 985.4 crore in FY23.

    IndiaMART Profit/Loss

    Profit Metrics FY24 FY23
    Gross Profit INR 496.6 crore INR 409.2 crore
    Operating Profit INR 454.4 crore INR 371.3 crore
    Net Profit/Loss INR 334.0 crore INR 283.8 crore

    Net profit increased by 18% in FY24, amounting to INR 334 crore compared to INR 283.8 crore in FY23.

    IndiaMART Expenses Breakdown

    Expense Type FY24 FY23
    Employee Benefit Expense INR 5,440.7 crore INR 4,247.4 crore
    Finance Costs INR 89.1 crore INR 81.5 crore
    Amortization & Depreciation INR 364.6 crore INR 310.8 crore
    Other Expenses INR 3,213.5 crore INR 2,927.8 crore
    Total Expenses INR 9,107.9 crore INR 7,567.4 crore

    Total expenses rose by 20% in FY24 to INR 9,107.9 crore from INR 7,567.4 crore in FY23, primarily due to increased employee benefit expenses and other operational costs.

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    IndiaMART – Challenges

    Being a pioneering Indian B2B e-commerce company, IndiaMart had to face numerous challenges ever since it was established back in 1996. From finding clients, spreading internet awareness, and getting them listed online to help them gain a convincing reputation online, IndiaMart has seen its share of challenges.

    Back when IndiaMart was established, emails weren’t much popular so they had to take printouts of the queries and fax them. The 9/11 attack was another roadblock that IndiaMart saw when their exports were hugely truncated, which dragged down the revenues with them.

    Indiamart also faced the backlash of 2012 when the economy slowed down in India.

    IndiaMart company has recently been featured by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) as one of the most notorious markets. The Notorious Market List of 2021 compiled a total of 42 online and 35 physical markets across the world, and all of these markets, according to USTR, are involved in trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. The Trade Representative report of the US censured the popular Indian eCommerce platform as the hub of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, electronics, and apparel.

    IndiaMART – Awards

    Here’s a glance at the list of awards and recognitions IndiaMART earned throughout the years:

    • Red Herring 100 Asia Awards 2008
    • Manthan Award South Asia and Asia Pacific 2013 under the ‘E-business and Financial Inclusion’ category
    • ‘Special Contribution Award’ at WASME – Super SME Awards, 2016
    • ‘Best Online Classified Website Award’ at Drivers of Digital Awards, 2016
    • ‘Best Business App Award’ at GMASA 2017 and ‘Best Business App’ at Drivers of Digital Summit & Awards, 2018
    • ‘Best Online Classified Application’ at Drivers of Digital Summit & Awards, 2018
    • ‘Video Content in a Business Website- Special Mention’ at Video Media Awards and Summit 2019
    • India Law Awards 2019 for ‘Technology, Media and Telecommunication In-House Legal Team’
    • “Most Promising Company of the Year” at the CNBC Awaaz CEO Awards
    • ‘Bada Aasaan Hai’ received the ‘Best Video Content in a B2B Marketing Campaign Award’ at the Video Media Awards & Summit, 2020.

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    IndiaMART – Acquisitions

    Indiamart has fully acquired 2 companies to date. The company acquired the accounting platform Busy Infotech for Rs 500 crore on 25 January 2022, before which, it acquired Playcez on 23 August 2013.

    Indiamart company acquired 26% stakes in IB Monotaro, a Japan-based company, that operates in India under the brand name “Industry buying” and is focused on supplying industrial and business products for the eCommerce businesses, as per reports dated February 24, 2022. According to the deal, the popular B2B sales marketplace platform bought 810K shares from Emtex Engineering for a total consideration of Rs 104.2 crore, with an aim to offer an end-to-end commerce experience enablement and thus, serve the B2B businesses of the country.

    Name of the company acquired Date of acquisition Amount
    Busy Infotech January 25, 2022 $66.38 mn
    Playcez August 23, 2013 $2 mn

    IndiaMART – Competitors

    Some of the leading competitors of IndiaMART are:

    Though there are many upcoming e-commerce companies in India, IndiaMART sustains its position with its stronger network and greater years of experience in the e-commerce field.

    FAQs

    What is IndiaMART?

    IndiaMART is India’s largest B2B online marketplace, connecting buyers and suppliers for business trade. IndiaMART wholesale products help businesses connect with suppliers for bulk purchasing.

    When was Indiamart founded?

    IndiaMART was founded in 1996 by cousins Dinesh Agarwal & Brijesh Agarwal.

    What is IndiaMART net worth?

    IndiaMART InterMESH has a market cap or net worth of 127.48 billion as of February 14, 2025.

    Which is Indiamart’s Parent company?

    IndiaMART InterMESH Limited is Indiamart’s Parent company.

    Who are top competitors of Indiamart?

    Some of the top Indiamart competitors are:

    • Tradeindia
    • Yellow pages
    • Exporters India
    • Amazon
    • Flipkart
    • Tradekey
    • Udaan
    • Paytm Mall
    • CafePress

    Who is the CEO of IndiaMART?

    Dinesh Agarwal is CEO of Indiamart.

    Who is Indiamart founder?

    Dinesh Agarwal and his cousin Brijesh Agarwal are the founders of IndiaMART.

    Which type of company is IndiaMART?

    IndiaMART is a leading Indian B2B e-commerce company that connects suppliers with buyers. It has around 60% market share in B2B space.

    Can we sell on IndiaMART?

    You can Register yourself as a seller and start selling to millions of buyers across the world on Indiamart- India’s largest online marketplace. Log in as a Seller to manage your Profile.

    What is IndiaMART business model?

    IndiaMART operates on a B2B marketplace model, connecting buyers and suppliers online. Its subscription-based revenue model allows businesses to list products and gain visibility, while buyers can search and connect for free. The company earns from membership fees, lead generation, and advertising services, making it a high-margin, asset-light business.

    What is IndiaMART revenue model?/ How does IndiaMART make money?

    IndiaMART earns from paid memberships, lead generation, ads, and transaction fees, making it a recurring, high-margin model.

  • How Electric Vehicles are Changing E-commerce Delivery with Sustainable Solutions

    This article has been contributed by Sravan Kumar Appana, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of iGowise Mobility.

    The electric vehicle industry has made tremendous progress in the past 4 years in India, especially in the affordable 2-wheeler segment built for the middle class. During the same time, the e-commerce sector also made notable advancements in India and is currently growing at a rapid pace. According to publicly available data, the e-commerce industry will be responsible for 3.5% of India’s GDP by 2030.

    In today’s time, each quick commerce company is looking for ways to surpass its competitors, whether in terms of quality, speed, or other evolving demands of modern consumers. Major quick commerce players have shifted their focus from traditional ICE vehicles to advanced and innovative electric vehicles to overcome these challenges. Data shared by Stand.earth suggests that 50% of total carbon emissions are produced by last-mile deliveries.

    Given the push towards e-mobility and sustainability, players like Zepto and Zomato are transitioning towards EV solutions to mitigate the environmental issue. In fact, the recent EV100 Annual Disclosure Report shows that Zomato and Flipkart took the top spots among global businesses that have shifted to electric fleets as their mode of delivering goods. In this regard, let’s discuss how EVs are changing the e-commerce delivery landscape one step at a time.

    Shifting from TCO to TPO

    In the early stage of EV production, the product was popular due to its lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional vehicles. However, now businesses have started focusing on solutions that impact the environment and their pocket in positive ways. As a result, industries are focusing on Total Profit Ownership (TPO), which includes a broader market perspective, including delivery speed, comfortability of the rider, and reduced upfront cost.

    To achieve this goal and help e-commerce businesses, the Indian government launched various initiatives such as the FAME-II scheme and PM E-Drive scheme. Such schemes aimed at reducing the additional upfront cost of the vehicle through subsidies and financial support. 

    In India, around 14 cities are considered to be the most polluted ones, and transportation happens to be a key reason for this. Data shows that Indian transportation accounts for nearly 13.5% of the nation’s carbon emissions, majorly from vehicles running on roads.

    However, the wide adoption of EVs can mitigate this problem and curb the issue of navigating densely populated regions. To achieve this, the government is targeting to increase EV penetration by 2030. The latest data shows that in FY23, sales of EVs increased by 50% compared to the previous year, highlighting the increasing shift towards sustainable mobility.

    Balancing Cost Efficiency and Rider Comfort

    To make the busy lifestyle of urban people easier, e-commerce has updated new features like quick 10-minute delivery. This new feature has transformed the consumer’s experience to another level. For instance, platforms like Blinkit, Bigbasket, and Swiggy Instamart prioritize speed and convenience with the best quality, making it important for logistic levels to transform.

    Today, India is the most populated country in the world, and due to the compact size and agility of light EVs, they are quickly emerging as the best logistics solution for the e-commerce sector. Data suggests that due to peak traffic in major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Mumbai, the nation’s economy loses INR 1.47 lakh crore annually. However, integrating LEVs into businesses, particularly last-mile delivery services and logistics, will not only improve their model but also reduce the operation timeline, building customer trust.

    Another challenge that riders often face is discomfort while riding bikes or scooters the whole day. Riding long hours could become comfortable if the vehicle is designed to prioritize comfort and agility. Modern light EVs are built for compactness, and narrow tilting trikes, in particular, boast of effective designs that can move effortlessly in congested areas. These user-centric designs make them ideal for quick pickup and last-mile deliveries. 

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    Improved Safety with Inclusive Mobility

    In the last-mile delivery business model, women are putting their best foot forward to tap into the economic and livelihood benefits it could bring them. To make their participation more convenient, they are seeking EVs with comfortable design and efficient performance. In addition, many EV manufacturers in association with e-commerce companies are offering women users EV alternatives like LEVs.

    In a progressive world, we can see women capturing all sectors with their talent and knowledge; whether it is a startup or owning a saloon, they are giving their best in showcasing their talent. However, in the delivery sector, they still have to rely upon their father or brother and to mitigate this issue, manufacturers have started innovating LEVs that offer the best stability and agility for carrying goods, reducing the risk of disbalance.

    The convenient design and performance of the vehicles are in turn promoting women’s participation in the e-commerce logistics workforce. Road safety is another issue of concern for delivery executives. According to the reports of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in 2022, 168,491 lives were claimed in road accidents. However, by incorporating innovative technologies like anti-topple stability, advanced battery management, skid-resistant brake systems, and ADAS and cruise control systems, EVs can bring about a change.

    For instance, the world’s first twin-wheeler trike technology is inspired by the principles used in bullet train stabilization systems but adapted for road vehicles to enhance safety. This technology will reduce the risk of accidents during sharp turns or even on uneven turns, making them more convenient for riders, especially women riders.

    How EV Logistics is Matching Sustainability Goals

    India’s push for sustainability goals in logistics aligns with achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070. To achieve this goal, the government has started working on models, including the low-carbon development of electricity systems.

    In addition, it is putting efforts into promoting the wide adoption of urban designing and smart technology, the development of integrated and innovative transportation, the development of low-emission industrial systems, the development of carbon dioxide removal, and solving the financial needs of low-carbon developments. The government has also launched various schemes in all these sectors to achieve this goal and 

    According to reports, it is projected that EV sales can surge up to 35% by 2030. Reports also state that shifting toward EVs by 2050 could save India 70 million tonnes of oil, reducing the nation’s carbon emissions. 

    In these ways, EVs are changing the e-commerce delivery segment and encouraging a shift to a sustainable future. As India moves towards sustainable development, wide adoption of EVs will largely benefit the e-commerce sector, improving the overall GDP of the country.

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  • Moglix Business Model | How Moglix Makes Money?

    Moglix provides a comprehensive digital marketplace for a wide range of industrial and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) items with the goal of revolutionising the supply chain and procurement processes for enterprises. The platform offers a wide range of items from different manufacturers to meet the demands of industries like manufacturing, construction, automotive, and more.

    About Moglix
    Moglix Business Model
    How Moglix Makes Money?
    Moglix USP
    Moglix SWOT Analysis

    About Moglix

    About Moglix (CEO Rahul Garg)
    About Moglix (CEO Rahul Garg)

    Rahul Garg established the Indian e-commerce platform Moglix in 2015 with the goal of offering business-to-business (B2B) solutions for procurement and industrial supplies. products like MRO, fasteners, electrical, hardware, pneumatics, safety items, power tools, and office supplies are all sold on Moglix.com. In addition to providing supply chain solutions, online selling, and vendor management, Moglix is a business-to-business e-commerce company that specialises in the procurement of indirect materials, including MRO, fasteners, hardware, electrical, lighting, and safety shoes. Automotive, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, power, telecom, and hospitality are just a few of the industries it supports.

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    Moglix Business Model

    Facilitating smooth B2B transactions for industrial items is at the heart of Moglix’s business strategy. Through its platform, Moglix links suppliers, manufacturers, and companies, facilitating effective product buying and selling. By charging a commission or fee for enabling successful transactions on its platform, the business generates income through a transaction-based business model. Additionally, Moglix might make money by offering value-added services like supply chain optimisation, vendor finance, and bulk discounts.

    Moglix has established itself as a major participant in the industrial procurement industry thanks to its dedication to improving procurement efficiency and offering a trustworthy and transparent marketplace. It was a pioneer in the digital transformation of B2B commerce in India.

    How Moglix Makes Money?

    How Moglix Makes Money?
    How Moglix Makes Money?

    Moglix combines various business concepts to generate revenue.

    • Generating Revenue through traded goods – Industrial goods such as power tools, hand tools, adhesives, safety and security, and electrical equipment are among Moglix’s main sources of revenue.
    • Generating Revenue through online sales commission – Moglix receives a commission from purchases made online
    • Generating Revenue through information technology services – Moglix gets revenue from support and IT services

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    Moglix USP

    Controlled expenses and a spike in other revenue allowed Moglix to cut its losses by 16% to INR 189 crore ($22.5 million) in FY24 from INR 225 crore ($26.8 million) in FY23, despite the scale growth being unchanged. It had an EBITDA margin of -1.5% and a ROCE margin of -4.82%.

    Moglix SWOT Analysis

    Strengthens

    • A robust web presence with an intuitive user experience
    • Numerous goods serving a range of industries
    • Cultivated connections with several manufacturers and suppliers
    • Effective delivery network and logistics
    • Pricing that is competitive and draws in enterprises

    Weakness

    • Low brand awareness in comparison to more established rivals
    • Reliance on digital channels, which leaves it open to technological disruptions
    • Possible challenges in inventory control for a wide variety of products
    • Problems with customer service because of the large number of enquiries
    • Problems with customer service because of the large number of inquiries

    Opportunities

    • Capitalise on increasing demand in the business-to-business market for e-commerce solutions.
    • Entry into foreign markets and areas experiencing rapid industrial development.
    • Possibility of expanding product offers to include more specialised goods.
    • Alliances and collaborations with other tech-driven businesses.

    Threats

    • Fierce rivalry between new and old competitors.
    • Economic swings have an impact on purchasing power and the industrial supply chain.
    • Changes in regulations that affect internet sales methods.
    • Rapid advances in technology necessitate constant adaptability.

    Conclusion

    Despite obstacles like customer service requirements and brand recognition, Moglix has a strong foundation thanks to its supplier ties and technological strengths. Significant growth prospects are presented by the changing e-commerce scenario, especially in international markets and sustainable product offerings. However, with cybersecurity issues and challenges from intense competition looming big, vigilance is essential. Moglix may improve its market position and take advantage of new developments that will shape the industrial supply sector’s future by carefully utilising its strengths and navigating its flaws.

    FAQ

    How does Moglix make money?

    Moglix makes money through the following methods:

    • Generating Revenue through traded goods
    • Generating Revenue through online sales commission
    • Generating Revenue through information technology services

    Who is the CEO of Moglix?

    Rahul Garg is the founder and CEO of Moglix.

    What does Moglix company do?

    Moglix is a B2B e-commerce platform specializing in industrial products, supply chain management, and procurement solutions.

  • Shared Hosting vs VPS Hosting vs Cloud Hosting: Which Is Best for Your E-commerce Website?

    E-commerce web hosting is a type of hosting that is specially designed for websites that sell goods or services over the Internet. Provides the tools and infrastructure that e-commerce websites need to function properly.

    As opposed to normal hosting, e-commerce hosting offers you amenities suited to signature stores. Shopping cart software, payment processing, traffic management, shipping and tracking, database support, and SSL certificates need to be included to safeguard both customer and business data.

    One of your top priorities is security, to keep sensitive information and transactions safe. E-commerce hosting also offers solid customer service and high-quality backups to support companies in coping with traffic capacity or technical difficulties.

    Keep in mind that hosting companies tailor servers specifically for e-commerce websites—meaning for online businesses. These servers can be purchased or leased by companies. In a nutshell, e-commerce hosting provides secure, reliable, and efficient solutions to host online stores.

    Things to Consider While Choosing a Host for Your E-commerce Store
    Shared Hosting 
    VPS Hosting
    Cloud Hosting

    Things to Consider While Choosing a Host for Your E-commerce Store

    Revenue in Web Hosting Market Worldwide
    Revenue in Web Hosting Market Worldwide

    Optimized Performance

    Selecting a fast and reliable web host is vital for e-commerce websites. A website with quick load times not only enhances the user experience but also attracts more visitors and secures better rankings on Google.

    To ensure your e-commerce site runs efficiently, the hosting provider should offer key performance features. These include caching tools to speed up data delivery, a content delivery network (CDN) for faster global access, modern hardware to handle high traffic seamlessly, and performance optimization for smooth operations. Choosing the right hosting service ensures reliability, better user engagement, and overall success for your online store.

    Data Protection

    Web hosting provider security is essential for e-commerce websites against online threats. These threats consist of DDoS attacks, SQL injections, malware, and other security risks that can harm your online store or lead to data breaches.

    Web Hosting companies offer various security features to combat these, and protect your site.

    Such as firewalls that prevent unwanted access, free SSL certificates to secure data transfers, DDoS protection to prevent traffic overload, spam filters to limit spam, virus protection to prevent malware, and intrusion detection systems to detect suspicious activity.

    Your store needs to run in a safe environment so a good web host must offer strong protection against malware, DDoS attacks, and other malicious bots.

    Traffic and File Storage

    As e-commerce stores have a significant amount of images on their pages, particularly on product listing pages, they can have large files like high-res images and videos as well. If these files are not correctly managed, they can lead to slow loading of the site, which is detrimental to the visitor and sales experience.

    To avoid the same, one needs to have adequate bandwidth for all the media files without making the site lag. Also, you could reduce the file sizes of images for the web to improve loading times.

    Flexible Hosting

    E-commerce hosting must provide flexibility according to traffic and business requirements. To make sure that your website works well when you have a significant peak demand, you need to be prepared with an adaptable hosting structure.

    Thanks to its unlimited scaling capabilities, cloud hosting is predominantly an auspicious fit for e-commerce websites. This ability to scale ensures your website can handle traffic spikes without losing performance. 

    System Backups

    Building an e-commerce website involves significant effort, from designing pages and listing products to managing inventory. Additionally, it handles daily customer transactions and generates sales reports. If the website experiences a crash, losing all this data could be disastrous.

    Backups are crucial as they create copies of your data in separate locations, ensuring that you don’t lose important information. This protects against unexpected issues such as website failures or data corruption.

    It’s important to ensure that your web host provides automated, daily backups of your data. With reliable backup solutions in place, you can quickly restore your website and minimize downtime, keeping your business running smoothly even in the event of a problem.

    Helpdesk Support

    Self-hosted e-commerce solutions do not include technical support, meaning you’ll have to address any issues independently. Outsourcing hourly support can become costly over time, and during this period, your site may remain slow or malfunction until the issue is resolved.

    With managed hosting services, you receive built-in technical support. It’s important to confirm that your e-commerce web host offers 24/7 proactive support. This ensures you can receive assistance at any time and minimize downtime.

    Managed hosting typically allows you to open support tickets, which are addressed promptly. This immediate support helps quickly resolve any problems, ensuring that your website runs smoothly without long delays or performance issues.

    Hosting Charges

    E-commerce web hosting plans are tailored to your business’s size and needs. While shared hosting may seem inexpensive, it’s not ideal for e-commerce due to security and performance concerns. You must decide between self-hosting, where you select a provider that supports your platform, or managed hosting, which offers better performance and security, especially for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

    For large e-commerce websites, a SaaS solution is often the best choice, offering built-in support, cloud features, and scalability. Selecting the right hosting solution ensures your site operates securely, and efficiently, and can grow with your business.

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    Shared Hosting 

    Shared Hosting
    Shared Hosting

    Shared hosting for e-commerce websites offers an affordable solution where multiple sites share the same server resources. It is ideal for small businesses or startups with a limited budget and lower traffic. The key features include cost-effectiveness, easy setup, and the ability to host multiple websites on a single server. Shared hosting often includes essential tools like email accounts, databases, and basic customer support, making it an entry-level option for those starting an online store. This hosting type is suitable for businesses with simple e-commerce needs that don’t require extensive resources. It provides a straightforward and budget-friendly platform to launch and maintain a small online store.

    Pros 

    • Easy to use
    • Simple setup
    • No technical skills needed
    • No technical skills needed

    Cons

    • Less bandwidth and storage than VPS
    • Can struggle with high-traffic
    • Limited back-end access
    • No root access

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    VPS Hosting

    VPS Hosting
    VPS Hosting

    With VPS hosting, you share a physical server with other users, but each user is allocated specific resources, ensuring that your website’s performance won’t be affected by other sites. Each user gets a dedicated virtual partition, which guarantees that they always have the resources they need.

    However, VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting, and it requires more technical expertise to set up and manage. Because of this, VPS hosting may not be the best choice for beginners or small businesses without technical resources. Despite these challenges, VPS offers better performance and control compared to shared hosting, making it ideal for websites with moderate traffic and more complex needs.

    Pros 

    • Full root access to your server
    • Increased memory and bandwidth, with easy scalability
    • More stable and faster than shared hosting, unaffected by other sites’ traffic

    Cons

    • Higher Pricing
    • Requires technical expertise for proper management

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    Cloud Hosting

    Cloud Hosting
    Cloud Hosting

    Cloud hosting is a modern solution that uses virtual servers across a network of physical servers, offering flexibility, scalability, and reliability for websites and applications. Managed by a cloud service provider, it eliminates the need for on-premises hardware and maintenance. Users are billed based on resource consumption, following a pay-as-you-go model. Key features include dynamic scalability, high availability through multiple servers, and cost efficiency by charging only for used resources. Cloud hosting also offers flexibility in deploying and modifying applications quickly. Enhanced security measures like firewalls, data encryption, and access controls ensure the protection of user data.

    Pros

    • Reduces hardware and maintenance costs.
    • Guarantees reliable access.
    • Improves traffic flow with load balancing.
    • Protects data with backups.

    Cons

    • Data privacy and compliance risks.
    • Unpredictable costs with usage spikes.
    • Needs specialized knowledge to manage.

    Choosing the right hosting for your e-commerce website depends on your budget, traffic needs, and technical skills. Shared Hosting is an affordable option for small businesses or startups with low traffic. It’s a basic solution for beginners but has limits in performance, scalability, and security.

    VPS Hosting is a step up, offering dedicated resources and better reliability than shared hosting. It’s a good fit for growing businesses needing more control and steady performance. For larger operations or businesses with fluctuating traffic, Cloud Hosting is ideal. It provides scalability and high availability but requires technical knowledge to manage. Consider your current needs and future growth to select the hosting option that keeps your site running smoothly for customers.

    FAQ

    What is the difference between VPS and shared hosting?

    VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting offers dedicated resources and more control compared to shared hosting, where multiple users share a server’s resources. VPS is suited for websites needing better performance and customization.

    What is meant by shared hosting?

    Shared hosting is a type of web hosting where multiple websites share the same server and its resources, such as CPU, RAM, and disk space. It’s cost-effective but offers limited control and performance compared to other hosting options.

    Is cloud hosting expensive?

    Cloud hosting can be costly, depending on the resources and scale of usage. While it offers flexibility, the costs can increase with higher storage, bandwidth, and computing power needs.

  • Swiggy and Amazon Are Negotiating an ECommerce Partnership on Instamart

    In a possible deal involving its rapid commerce division under Instamart, Amazon India has reportedly approached Swiggy, which is preparing for an IPO, according to three people familiar with the situation. This news follows closely on the back of Swiggy’s secretly submitting draft documents with Sebi for an initial public offering (IPO) of INR 10,414 crore ($1.25 billion), one of the biggest for a modern digital company.

    According to one of the sources mentioned earlier, “Amazon has swooped in with interest to either pick up a stake in the ongoing pre-IPO placement or a buyout proposal for Instamart… but there are multiple roadblocks at the moment.”

    According to reports, there is currently no formal offer in place, and for the talks to progress further, the Seattle headquarters of Amazon will need to act quickly. According to these sources, the current offer structure is so complex that the preliminary conversations may not result in a transaction.

    How Swiggy Is Placing Its Pricing Cards for This Deal?

    Zomato, Swiggy’s main competitor, has a market valuation of about INR 1.9 lakh crore, therefore the former is probably going to undercut its rival by a significant margin. The fast food delivery services Swiggy and Zomato do not have their valuation. But in April, Goldman Sachs estimated that Zomato’s rapid commerce unit, Blinkit, was worth $13 billion.

    The US eCommerce giant’s Indian division has reportedly been developing its rapid commerce program for months, which may explain why Amazon is interested in Swiggy’s Instamart. Since Amazon does not provide this service in any of its worldwide markets, they stated that launching a distinct sector for fast deliveries would necessitate global clearance.

    To lower its shareholding of longtime backer Prosus, Swiggy has been selling secondary holdings in the private market for about $9 billion. This tech investor, who is South African and Dutch, now has 33% of the company and is reducing its holdings to less than 26% to avoid being considered a promoter when Swiggy goes public. Additionally, last week, the meal delivery service announced a $65 million ESOP buyback, providing liquidity to workers.

    Why Similar Deals With Other Companies Didn’t Go Through?

    It has been reported by several different media outlets that Flipkart attempted to get into a similar agreement with Swiggy; but, due to a mismatch in valuation between the two companies, no announcement was made. Swiggy had approached high-net-worth people and businesses such as WhiteOak, Motilal Oswal, Orchid Asia, Malabar, and Enam Group to sell its secondary stakes.

    Business research firms 1Lattice and Datum Intelligence believe that the value of India’s eCommerce business increased by 18-20% in the first half of 2024, with food sales increasing by more than 38% due mostly to a dramatic surge in fast commerce. Quick commerce currently accounts for over 40% of all online grocery sales. Most notably, the top three saw a 230% increase in category growth from 2021 to 2023.

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  • SupplyNote Success Story: Helping Food & Beverage Businesses Automate Their Supply Chain Entirely

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by SupplyNote.

    The global food and beverages market grew from $6,729.54 billion in 2022 to $7,221.73 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3%. In businesses specific to the F&B industry, customer service is of the utmost importance. And to offer highly valued services, the F&B industry needs to strengthen its supply chain networks. Thus, there is an upsurge in demand for supply chain management in the F&B industry. Along with advances in technology, the supply chain industry is evolving.

    SupplyNote provides a full-stack platform for the entire supply chain management process. It helps Food and beverage businesses with inventory management, vendor management, and logistics supply chain needs.

    SupplyNote – Company Highlights

    Startup Name SupplyNote
    Headquarters Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
    Industry SaaS, E-Commerce Platform for Food Businesses
    Founder Kushang, Nitin Prakash, Harshit Mittal, and Abhishek Verma
    Founded 2019
    Website supplynote.in

    SupplyNote – About
    SupplyNote – Industry
    SupplyNote – Founders and Team
    SupplyNote – Idea and Startup Story
    SupplyNote – Name, Tagline, and Logo
    SupplyNote – Products and Services
    SupplyNote – USP
    SupplyNote – Business Model and Revenue Model
    SupplyNote – Acquiring Clients
    SupplyNote – Challenges Faced
    SupplyNote – Growth
    SupplyNote – Funding
    SupplyNote – Advisors and mentors
    SupplyNote – Tools Used in The Company
    SupplyNote – Future plans

    About SupplyNote 

    SupplyNote – About

    SupplyNote is a B2B SAAS platform for F&B businesses that provides a platform for end-to-end management of supply chains with an integrated marketplace.

    Talking about the long-term vision of the company, its aim is to become the backbone of the F&B supply chain by evolving into a one-stop solution for all supply chain needs – software, service, and marketplace.

    In the short term, the idea is to provide a marketplace where merchants can discover suppliers for their raw materials and transact with them, orders from which will be fulfilled by SupplyNote.

    SupplyNote – Industry

    The global food and beverages market is projected to reach $9,225.37 billion in 2027, experiencing a CAGR of 6.3% from 2023.

    The industry has been operating its supply chain using traditional methods (pen and paper) and needs a digital transformation, which SupplyNote intends to bring in. Every F&B outlet suffers noticeable losses due to inventory mismanagement, procurement flaws, etc. For a business that runs on major fixed costs, it becomes more important than ever to maintain the margins. Following the major blow from the pandemic, they observed an accelerated tech disruption in the industry. Therefore, they believe that five years down the line, the industry will be completely digitized in terms of operations.

    SupplyNote – Founders and Team

    Kushang - Co-founder and CEO of SupplyNote
    Kushang – Co-founder and CEO of SupplyNote

    The founding team has Kushang (CEO), Nitin Prakash (CPO), Harshit Mittal (CTO), and Abhishek Verma (COO). They are a bold, intrepid, highly passionate group of tech-loving geeks, foodies, change-makers, doers, and entrepreneurs who are committed to empowering F&B businesses with technology & innovation.

    Four friends from IIT Kanpur came together to build SupplyNote, with Kushang leading the idea, Harshit Mittal leading the technological development, Abhishek Verma leading the Business Operations, and Nitin Prakash leading the Product. During the final year, Adcount Technologies Pvt Ltd was incepted (parent company of SupplyNote).

    The company currently has a strength of 75, and they believe in flexible work culture. More than the hours spent in the office, they care about making progress toward the goal. They work as hard as they play. They like people who like to take on challenges and ownership, who are competitive and yet they care about nature. Most of the team comprises foodies. And they love sports.

    SupplyNote – Idea and Startup Story

    SupplyNote was formerly known as Adurcup. AdCount Technologies was originally founded in 2015 by IIT-Kanpur alumni Kushang, Abhishek Verma, Harshit Mittal, and Nitin Prakash with the idea of monetizing paper cups. Over the period, the company built its network of merchants and started dealing in a variety of supplies. The company was using its own software, which was developed in-house, for managing its supply chain, when a client discussed the requirement of such a solution for their inventory management purpose. The team customized the software as per the client’s requirement, and that gave birth to SupplyNote in 2019, a platform that is actively being used across not less than 2000 outlets today.

    SupplyNote Logo
    SupplyNote Logo

    The name itself is made up of two words, Supply-Note, which essentially means noting down the supply. They discovered that inventory management isn’t digitized yet in a major part of the F&B industry in India. As they started the mission of digitizing the supply chain, they came up with the name that means recording the inventory data—SupplyNote, for short.

    The logo of SupplyNote might look like an arrow pointing towards the top (that signifies growth), but it’s more than that. That arrow is made up of two letters, S and N, which are the initials of Supply-Note.

    The tagline of SupplyNote is ‘Fix Your Supply Chain,’ enabling companies to expand into new geographies faster by eliminating the hassle of building supply chains or discovering suppliers. SupplyNote has already solved those challenges for them, making it much easier for companies to scale and explore markets. Hence, the logo represents growth—in numbers, in business, in every aspect.

    SupplyNote – Products and Services

    SupplyNote is an ecosystem of software and services for the management of Supply Chain for F&B businesses. It has 4 products under its umbrella:

    1. The Point of Sale Solution: Having an exclusive strategic partnership with Posify, SupplyNote offers its customers a platform for the management of sales, such as billing, kitchen management, table management, rider tracking, web ordering, and more.
    2. The Inventory Management / Supply Chain Management Software: Integrated with Point of Sale, SupplyNote IMS takes in the data of sales, and its advanced algorithms break down the sold items into the raw material that has been consumed and updates the inventory in real-time. It also helps with the management of suppliers, the generation of purchase orders, sales orders, and more.
    3. The Fulfilment Services: SupplyNote helps merchants and vendors transact with each other without worrying about operational challenges, as SupplyNote offers warehousing and logistic services (dry and cold) to fulfill supply chain needs.
    4. The Marketplace: A product of SupplyNote that helps merchants discover suppliers and transact with them, getting more options and flexibility on price, payment terms, quality options, and more.

    SupplyNote – USP

    SupplyNote is the only full-stack platform for supply chain management, as all the other companies are only solving a part of the supply chain and not the entire supply chain.

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    SupplyNote – Business Model and Revenue Model

    The clients pay a subscription fee for using the SAAS, while they pay per usage for their fulfillment services. In the marketplace model, they only charge for the fulfillment of delivery (storage and transport) currently and do not charge any commissions from either party.

    SupplyNote – Acquiring Clients

    Back in 2015 when the company was incepted, the strategy for the acquisition of clients was Feet-on-Street. The team went from door to door, proposing the offerings of the company at that time and built its network of clients. Later, they got great clients who gave us referrals for other clients and word on the streets picked up gradually. Further, in 2019 when SupplyNote was launched, they already were doing business with over 300 clients that showed interest in the software and some of them even turned out to be the first users.

    SupplyNote is solving various challenges related to the supply chain and they reach out to every F&B business to discuss the problems they are facing, further contemplating how SupplyNote can solve it for them.

    For 100 to 1000, their approach was more linear, with their teammates reaching out to all businesses in the nearby area and pitching them with their propositions. However, as it reached the mark of 1000, they started marketing and taking up branding initiatives, spreading awareness around the significance of digitizing the supply chain, the cost that a good Inventory management software can save, and much more. They are also tying up with companies to provide multiple value propositions to their clients to retain them longer.

    SupplyNote – Challenges Faced

    One of the earlier products of AdCount Technologies Pvt. Ltd. was Adurcup, an e-commerce platform that was supplying various raw materials to F&B businesses. The challenge was the disorganization of the entire F&B industry at the time, and digitization was yet a foreign concept within the Industry. That is why they decided on solving that challenge, and discovering a bigger opportunity.

    SupplyNote – Growth

    Since April 2020, the company has grown 12X in GMV and has become the second-largest F&B Supply Chain Company in India (By GMV).

    SupplyNote – Funding

    SupplyNote has successfully raised a total of $4.7 million in funding across seven rounds from a diverse group of investors. Among the recent investors are Cogniphy and DSP Family Office, and other notable investors include LetsVenture, SucSEED Indovation, Soonicorn Ventures, Venture Catalysts, SOSV, Artesian VC, and more.

    Here are the details of SupplyNote’s funding rounds:

    Date Funding Round Amount Lead Investors
    July 12, 2023 Series A $2.3 million Artesian VC, Venture Catalysts
    October 20, 2022 Series A — —
    October 28, 2021 Seed Round $1.2 million Venture Catalysts
    October 21, 2021 Seed Round $667K —
    September 10, 2021 Convertible Note — —
    October 21, 2020 Seed Round $600K Artesian VC, SOSV, Venture Catalysts
    February 22, 2020 Seed Round — MOX (now Orbit Startups)

    SupplyNote – Advisors and mentors

    SupplyNote Advisors and Mentors
    SupplyNote Advisors and Mentors

    Yogesh Bellani, William Bao Bean, Vikram Upadhaya, and Apporv Ranjan Sharma are the mentors and advisors of SupplyNote.

    SupplyNote – Tools Used in The Company

    They use many tools within the company like- Zira, Asana, and Slack to manage work, and Google Suite for emails, meetings, calendars, docs, slides, and sheets. They use Figma for designing, Hubspot as their CRM, MixPanel, and Google Analytics for data analytics and insights, and more.

    SupplyNote – Future plans

    They are planning to launch a new kind of marketplace in Delhi NCR which they will be expanding across the country shortly.

    FAQs

    What is SupplyNote?

    SupplyNote is a B2B SAAS platform for Food & Beverage businesses that provides a platform for end-to-end management of the supply chain.

    Who is the founder of SupplyNote?

    Kushang, Nitin Prakash, Harshit Mittal, and Abhishek Verma are the founders of SupplyNote.

    When was SupplyNote founded?

    SupplyNote was founded in 2019.

    What is AdUrCup?

    SupplyNote was formerly known as Adurcup – one of the earlier products of AdCount Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

  • Amazon vs. Walmart: Retail’s Ultimate Showdown

    These are the world’s top two retail giants, competing for the same customer base. These two are the market leaders who set operating standards for other big box stores and online retailers. Amazon and Walmart make for an interesting study as they operate within the same retail space, sell to the same customer base, and boast a wide product repertoire.

    Origins & Expansions
    Comparison Between the Two Giants

    Origins & Expansions

    Amazon.com, Inc.

    Operating in the global space of e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital streaming, the American multinational technology company was founded under another name, Cadabra, Inc. in the year 1994. The founder was Jeff Bezos, who had left his job as a Vice-President at D. E. Shaw & Co., a wall-street firm. He renamed his company Amazon within a few short months. Amazon was established with the original idea of making it the biggest bookstore in the world.

    Slow company growth, along with no expectations of turning a profit for initial four to five years was making investors edgy and the dot-com bubble burst of the year 2001, did not increase investor confidence as many e-companies were destroyed in its wake. Amazon, however, did not only survive but recorded its first profit in the fourth quarter of the same year. This proved to be Amazon’s turning point as it grew swiftly expanding its product repertoire and becoming one of America’s Big Five technological companies.

    In a bid to challenge Walmart’s supremacy in the brick-and-mortar retail space, Amazon acquired Whole Foods in the year 2017. Amazon’s e-commerce business model grew exponentially in the year 2020 when it recorded a 38% rise over 2019.

    Walmart

    Originally a brick-and-mortar store format, Walmart was founded in the year 1962 as a single store in Rogers that expanded outside Arkansas by 1968. The decision to lower the sale price of the products and reduce profit margins to boost sales volume was taken by founder Sam Walton. By the year 1978, Walmart branched out into new markets and also launched its pharmacy, auto service center, and jewelry divisions. Expanding quickly, Walmart had successfully opened and was operating a store in every state of the United States and also opened its first store in Canada in the year 1995.

    At the turn of the century, Fortune magazine ranked Walmart at number five on its Global Most Admired All-Stars List and by the years 2003 and 2004, Walmart was named as the most admired company in America. Over the years, Walmart has expanded its global presence as well as acquired many businesses. By the year 2022, the company operated stores in Botswana, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

    The company launched its e-commerce portal Walmart.com in the year 2000. However, it was only in the year 2016, that the management seriously considered online selling.

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    Comparison Between the Two Giants

    The difference in business operations was highly visible a few years ago between these two retail giants. One operated in the physical world of retail through brick-and-mortar stores while the other, a more recent business, navigated the online retail space. Undoubtedly though, both have been leading the retail space through their business operations.

    In the last few years, especially post the pandemic period, both these giants have made successful attempts at foraying into the other’s playground. They have responded to the changes within the retail industry. This is a comparison between them to ascertain who leads the retail space.

    The Number’s Game

    The financial year of 2020 saw Walmart’s revenue increase by 6.7% to reach a total of USD 559 billion. Walmart also saw an increase of 6.2% in quarterly revenue in the first quarter of the year 2021 to reach 138.31 billion. On the other hand, Amazon’s revenue in the year 2020 was USD 93.4 billion and it witnessed a 43.8% increase in the quarterly revenue to reach 108.5 billion in the first quarter of 2021. That year, Amazon’s annual revenue saw a growth of USD 100 billion to reach a total of USD 386 billion. In terms of the number of employees, Walmart leads with 2.3 million as opposed to Amazon’s 1.3 million.

    Investing in Innovation & Technology

    In this particular field, Amazon has a clear advantage being a technology company itself. However, both these companies have taken giant leaps by adopting technologies benefitting their business operations and making the user experience better during the pandemic period. Amazon introduced biometric payments, Amazon Fresh Grocery Stores, FAA-approved drone deliveries, and even a hair salon. The company has also strengthened its pharmaceutical offerings as well as its smart home devices.

    On the other hand, Walmart’s efforts in innovation are in streamlining order fulfillment and enhancing customer experience. It introduced the Alphabot platform in the year 2020, which can pick, pack, and deliver online grocery orders faster and more accurately than humans. It has also re-designed its 1000 stores in an effort to create a more streamlined and faster shopping experience.

    Walmart just announced a new technology called Alphabot

    Customer-Centric Policies

    Being primarily an online company, Amazon is better positioned for an increased focus on customer satisfaction. In fact, the company is known for its culture of customer obsession. It has an unparalleled system for product recommendations and personalization that generates approximately 35% of its total sales.

    Walmart, on the other hand, while understanding the importance of being customer-centric has only just recently begun making many changes with this in mind. Its new store layouts are designed for easy and quick access to customer needs and the company has also renewed its focus on mobile and online shopping to meet customer demands.

    Digital Growth

    Digital growth, for most companies, saw a substantial increase during the pandemic period. Walmart and Amazon were leading the pack with Walmart reporting a 79% e-commerce growth and Amazon leading with 40% of the total e-commerce sales in the US. Walmart has successfully blurred the lines between in-person and online shopping making the smartphone an important part of the shopping experience. Its Walmart+, unveiled in the year 2020 was in direct response to Amazon Prime, offering unlimited free grocery delivery, Scan and go in-store shopping, and gas discounts among many others. On the other hand, Amazon found success with Prime streaming video with more than 175 million subscribers in 2020 recording an increase of 70% in streaming hours.

    Physical Retail Presence

    In this category, Walmart leads by a large margin, being that it has been in business for far longer than Amazon. It has more than 5000 stores in the US alone and 90% of its customer base resides within a 10-mile radius of a Walmart outlet. In the last few years, Amazon has also increased its physical presence with its own grocery stores. Its acquisition, Whole Foods is already present in more than 500 locations and Amazon is also opening full-size fresh grocery stores across the country.

    Supply Chain Logistics

    In this category, Amazon clearly leads the pack with quick shipping and same-day and next-day shipping for its Prime members. The company maintains complete control over its logistics with its own fleet of trucks and planes. In the year 2020, it also got the FAA approval for delivery drones ensuring a delivery time of 30 minutes or less. Walmart is closely following Amazon’s footsteps with one-day shipping. It has also expanded its Alphabot system to automatically fulfill grocery orders while also converting more stores into automated fulfillment centers. It also unveiled Express in the year 2020, which is its new two-hour delivery service.

    Sustainability

    Both Amazon and Walmart have shown commitment by investing in environmental initiatives. Jeff Bezos of Amazon has introduced USD 10 billion Bezos Earth Fund and also is investing USD 2 billion in sustainable companies and technology. The company’s public goals include 100% usage of renewable energy by 2025 and achieving net-zero carbon by the year 2040. Walmart bought and installed more solar than any other company in the US in the year 2019. It also diverted 80% of its global waste from landfills and incineration. Walmart aims to achieve zero waste in US and Canada operations by 2025, 100% recyclable packaging by 2025, and 100% renewable energy by 2035.

    Conclusion

    Both these companies are retail giants and leaders in their sectors. Both conglomerates are operating and expanding with speed while also being environmentally conscious. Each of them has had its own journey in introducing innovation and technology to better consumer engagement and experience. With that said, it isn’t an easy win for either of them. The best judge is time and it will show which one of them stands strong.

    FAQs

    When was Walmart founded?

    Walmart was founded in the year 1962.

    When was Amazon founded?

    Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994.

    What is Jeff Bezos’s initiative for sustainability?

    Jeff Bezos has introduced USD 10 billion Bezos Earth Fund and also is investing USD 2 billion in sustainable companies and technology.

  • What is ONDC? How will ONDC Impact the Ecommerce Industry of India?

    Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was formed on 31st December 2021. However, the initial pilot phase of this program was launched on 29th April 2022. The target behind the introduction of this platform in India is to bring scalability and accessibility to the field of e-commerce.

    The initial idea of ONDC came from the Piyush Goyal-led Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

    The project is moving forward under the leadership of T Koshy (CEO), who was a former partner at the consulting firm EY, along with a 9-member advisory council that consists of names like Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of software powerhouse Infosys Ltd, National Health Authority’s RS Sharma and more.

    It is aimed to provide equal opportunity to the small retailers and merchants in the e-commerce market alongside big players like Amazon and Flipkart.

    Nilekani has also earlier helped the Indian government in developing Aadhar biometric ID system. As per him, ONDC is meant to democratize digital commerce in India.

    As per a survey, India in 2021 had around 289.1 million digital buyers. This number is expected to increase and reach around 377.6 million in 2025.

    Number of Digital Buyers in India
    Number of Digital Buyers in India

    To date, the maximum share of eCommerce in India is in the hands of a few big companies. However, the growing number of buyers invokes the need of including small sellers from remote places to become a part of this huge market.

    To help resolve this issue with the aim of bringing more retailers and sellers online government brought forward the concept of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

    What is ONDC?
    UPI and ONDC | What’s the Difference?
    Why is ONDC needed?
    How will ONDC impact the e-commerce industry in India?
    ONDC Funding
    Tracing the Growth of ONDC
    ONDC Challenges

    Impact of ONDC on the E-commerce Industry of India

    What is ONDC?

    ONDC Logo
    ONDC Logo

    Before understanding how the government will implement this and what are its benefits, let us first understand clearly what ONDC is.

    Until now, digital commerce across India is abiding by the platform-centric model. This means there are different platforms available online through which a seller can sell his product and a buyer can purchase them by registering on the same platform.

    This means that the buyer and seller have to be on the same platform for an online deal to occur.

    The idea behind ONDC is to bring e-commerce to the open network model instead of the platform-centric model. This will make e-commerce approachable for all types of buyers and sellers.

    The idea is to bring the buyers and sellers from different platforms into each other’s approach without any of them having to register on the platform on which the other exists.

    It will allow the buyers and sellers from different platforms to connect with each other, provided that both the platforms are linked to ONDC. This is similar to the role UPI plays in terms of transactions. UPI is a fitting example of the concept that ONDC is working on. This is because where UPI united the banking partners and the merchants/users, via a single unified platform connected through the mobile number, ONDC is pivoting on a similar concept that will unite the buyers, sellers, logistics providers aggregators, payment gateways, and more on a single platform, which will make buying and selling easier for everyone in the ecosystem.

    Therefore, the ONDC network allows the buyer to connect with the seller and make transactions to settle the deal irrespective of which applications they are using for buying or selling the products.

    UPI and ONDC | What’s the Difference?

    Often during the ideation and the development of the ONDC product, we have heard people, businesses, and media placing ONDC and UPI systems side by side. While both the systems are based on a similar idea, which is to link people and make things in the Indian market easier, they are poles apart really in terms of the functionality, complexity, magnitude, people, segments and markets involved, and more.

    For example, the UPI system was involved in the secure transfer of finances, the main objective of which was to facilitate the transfer of funds, and keep the same secure between banks, merchants and customers. However, when it comes to ONDC, the concept of ONDC does not involve a direct transfer of goods and services but is related to the same.

    Besides, ONDC also has a list of subjective variables, which the UPI doesn’t have. For instance, ONDC has to look after the quality of the products being sold, onboarding sellers and shops, making the communication between them easier, overlook the reliability of both the sellers and the buyers, looking after the speed of delivery and more.

    Also, when it comes to the UPI system, nothing was dependent on physical interaction, which stands in sharp contrast to the ONDC system, where the latter is significantly dependent on the offline steps after the matchmaking is done online.  

    Why is ONDC needed?

    Presently, if a retailer or merchant wishes to take his business online, there are only two options available for them.

    The first option is to create its own website. This might require some technical support. Further, this is a cost-intensive process as it involves a lot of extra charges such as website creation and management costs, logistic charges, etc.

    Also, even after the website is built and functional, the seller will have to invest a lot of money in advertising for his website in order to attract buyers.

    The second option is to sell the products on aggregator platforms or so-called online marketplaces. Although this system appears quite convenient in comparison to building a website, it has its own issues.

    The two top players in this field i.e. Amazon and Flipkart are both US-based companies. They keep a large share of profit in return for displaying and selling your products on their platform. In addition, sometimes, there have been complaints of brand preferences where these platforms are said to exhibit favoritism towards a few brands.

    Moreover, sometimes these marketplaces collect data from the sellers and depending on the market inclination, introduce their own products, to stay ahead of the curve.

    Another main concern associated with e-commerce is the lagging of small retailers, merchants, MSMEs, etc. Owing to the limited reach of e-commerce in small towns and villages, these small businessmen are deprived of the benefits associated with e-commerce.

    Most of them have not been able to begin their online journey on these digital selling platforms due to restricted technical knowledge and the small number of options available.

    To counter these problems and take digital commerce to a whole new level, ONDC has been formed. The aim is to make e-commerce reachable even for small retailers and merchants.

    The ONDC platform is an idea that is focused on increasing 3 major things that most buyers and sellers dream of:

    • Discoverability – The ONDC platform will help both the buyers and the sellers maximise their discoverability.
    • Transparency – ONDC will offer clear visibility and the benefits of comparing everyone and everything that is listed on it. This will make things transparent enough for everyone and everything related to eCommerce.  
    • Interoperability – The ONDC network will have the buyers, sellers, aggregators, delivery partners, logistics providers, and more, and all of them will be operating freely with each other, forming a stable and trustworthy network for maximum benefits.

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    How will ONDC impact the e-commerce industry in India?

    The introduction of ONDC will encourage small retailers to step foot into e-commerce. ONDC will result in bringing separate buyer-centric and seller-centric apps that will be beneficial for anyone who is invested in e-commerce.

    The new apps that may appear in the market can help resolve other issues for buyers as well as sellers. For example, it may help the sellers with logistics solutions while the buyers may be benefitted by shopping from the nearest available or cheapest store in town.

    The main benefits expected out of ONDC are as follows:

    • Formalization and democratization of e-commerce.
    • Large scope for discovering prices and comparing them.
    • Growth of local retail businesses especially MSMEs.
    • Increased number of choices for buyers.
    • Auxiliary support and services for both buyers and sellers.
    • Enhanced business opportunities owing to the open platform.
    • Option to outsource for both buyers and sellers.
    • Reducing the monopoly of big shots in e-commerce.
    • Rational process of business.

    Some of the areas/industries that ONDC is expected to disrupt are:

    • Cab services – Two major players driving the cab services in India are Ola and Uber. However, whether it is their drivers or the Indian customers, all are dissatisfied with the policies and the management of the companies. Here, the ONDC platform can come as a respite for the users, who can get the services they ask for at lower costs, while on the other hand, the cab drivers can freely sign in with ONDC to get a bigger and better reach.
    • Food delivery – The food delivery ecosystem of India has been largely controlled by Zomato and Swiggy, where both the customers and the restaurant providers are at the mercy of these two foodtech giants. Many restaurant partners have earlier thought of delivering directly, but they failed. The ONDC can now empower them better to bring in the change!  
    • Quick commerce – Quick commerce, which is looked up to as the next big thing in India, was earlier in the hands of the Kirana stores, who were the original quick commerce players. However, they seemed to have lost the battle against the able quick commerce players like Zepto, Dunzo, Instamart, Blinkit, and more. This new initiative of ONDC can, therefore, gear up the Kirana stores and their owners to serve their customers faster and better.  

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    ONDC Funding

    For the first couple of years, ONDC has set a budget of Rs 150-200 crore, mentioned by T Koshy, in a report dated July 2, 2022. CEO Koshy said that it has already raised 85% of its funding for the first phase of the operation. The platform had earlier chosen 20 institutions and asked them to put Rs 10 crore each from their funds. It has been earlier reported that the ONDC platform has raised over Rs 155 crore with the help of some of the largest banks of India – SBI, Axis, PNB, HDFC, Bank of Baroda, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, and some of the financial institutions like NSE, NPCI, NABARD, and SIDBI. T Koshy has further specified that ONDC has got 17 such investors to fund them with Rs 10 crore each by March 31, 2022, while the remaining organisations will extend their funds to ONDC by August 2022.

    Speaking about the ownership of ONDC, T Koshy mentioned that no investor would be allowed to hold more than 50% of the ONDC stakes.

    Tracing the Growth of ONDC

    The ONDC platform is on the brink of completion and pilot have already started in a selected list of Indian cities. A trial run of ONDC has been conducted in 6 cities in India including Bengaluru, Shillong, Lucknow, and Coimbatore.

    ONDC Onboarding Grows!

    With players like Walmart-owned Flipkart, Reliance Retail-backed Dunzo, Alibaba-backed Paytm, and more already joining the revolutionary platform, and Amazon willing to join it ahead, ONDC is already creating waves. Many other seller platforms, buyer platforms, logistics providers, and payment gateways are also signing up with the ONDC concept. As per the latest news, nearly 24 startups, like Meesho, and numerous other subsidiaries of Flipkart have joined ONDC. The ONDC platform is looking to onboard around 200 companies ahead, as per reports dated July 19, 2022. Snapdeal has already signed the agreement with ONDC earlier in July 2022, and will likely be integrating with the platform by the end of August 2022.

    After Dunzo, another Reliance Retail-owned startup Grab joined the ONDC platform, as per reports dated August 1, 2022. 80% of Grab shares are currently owned by Reliance Retail. Grab is a 9+ years old startup that offers a wide range of services including on-demand, reverse deliveries services, and first and last-mile logistics to clients including FedEx, Blinkit, Paytm, BigBasket, Myntra, Amazon, and Swiggy.

    Dunzo’s B2B logistics arm, Dunzo for Business (D4B) has collaborated with ONDC with an aim to provide last-mile delivery services to local enterprises on the ONDC network, as per reports dated August 5, 2022.

    Microsoft has become the first international company to join the ONDC platform. The American software giant will reportedly bring a social commerce platform or one that will allow a group buying feature for its Indian users. This association would enable Microsoft to connect with Indian users without depending on any e-commerce platforms. This partnership with Microsoft reveals the credibility attached to the ONDC platform of India, mentioned T Koshy.

    ONDC Inked MoU with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

    ONDC inked a Memorandum of Understanding with SIDBI to onboard small and medium-sized businesses on the ONDC platform, which would help ONDC improve ecommerce participation. Signed between the CMD of SIDBI Sivasubramanian Ramann, and the Managing Director and CEO of ONDC, T Koshy, this agreement would lead both the entities to encourage the MSMEs access the open network ecommerce platform.

    The ONDC platform is not here to challenge the big players like Flipkart and Amazon. The ONDC CBO Shireesh Joshi confirmed that the platform will stay essentially as “eCommerce enablers helping the small retailers leverage the digitisation of commerce through our network.”

    The penetration of the eCommerce industry has only been 4-5% so far, as per July 2022 reports. To boost the same by increasing the number of retailers is one of the main objectives of the ONDC network. Joshi further revealed that the bigger players like Flipkart and Amazon will reap major benefits if this objective is fulfilled.  

    The ONDC platform will be launched in 75-100 more cities in India by August-September and will be open to the public during the same time in 2022, mentioned T Koshy, the CEO of ONDC, as per the reports dated July 2, 2022.

    Koshy has added that the ONDC will be opened to be public whenever it will find that there are enough sellers in a pin code area. Launching the service in these cities ahead will help the initiative lay a foundation on which the network can grow in the times upcoming, organically. The ONDC platform is expected to see a “hockey stick-like growth”. The CEO of the platform also pointed out that if it gains the support of the CSC SPVs (common service centre – special purpose vehicles), which are designed to spread the government’s e-services to rural areas and remote places, then that can help ONDC reach at least half of the Indian villages.

    Marquee investors like Sequoia India and SoftBank have advised their portfolio companies to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), as per reports dated July 20, 2022.    

    ONDC Challenges

    ONDC has come up as a revolutionary product that will transform the Indian market in the times upcoming. However, due to the complex design of the product, it has already started to face numerous implementation challenges. In comparison to the UPI system, ONDC is way tougher to both design and implement.  

    Conclusion

    With the schemes like digital India, no doubt e-commerce is the future of the Indian market. This is also clear from the fact that the Indian e-commerce industry is expected to rise from $46.20 billion in 2020 to $200 billion in 2026. Here, the ONDC can easily be identified as a new-age idea that has a huge market ahead.

    At this stage, the e-commerce platforms, being totally captured by a few large companies can certainly impact the small businessmen from the remote areas of the country, who still are unable to utilize this amazing platform.

    This is sure to have an adverse effect on the economy with these small retailers losing their business to a few big players.

    The introduction of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) at this point is certainly a great initiative by the government to help these small businessmen to maintain their position in the race.

    This will also give them the opportunity to escalate their businesses to a larger scale by making their products reach a larger audience.

    FAQs

    What is ONDC?

    Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a non-profit organisation in collaboration with the Government of India that brings e-commerce to the open network model instead of the platform-centric model. This will make e-commerce approachable for all types of buyers and sellers.

    Who owns ONDC?

    ONDC is owned by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

    Who is developing ONDC Project?

    T Koshy of EY is leading the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) project, supported by a 9-member advisory council consisting of names like Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys Ltd., and others.

  • Ayurveda at the Click of Your Smartphone: The Success Story of India Shoppe

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by India Shoppe.

    Digitization and E-Commerce have transformed the traditional way of business. Online shoppers Online shopping sales across India amounted to around $67 billion in 2021. Online shoppers are increasing year by year. There were 189 million online shoppers in 2021 which is expected to reach 220 million in 2025. The shopping behavior of customers has played a crucial role in the development of ECommerce retail. India Shoppe is one such E-Commerce retail platform that provides all the products for household needs. Staying bootstrapped, India Shoppe’s revenue growth has reached INR 1300 Crores.

    Read to know about India Shoppe, its founders, products and brands under it, its business model, and the story of its growth.

    India Shoppe – Company Highlights

    Startup Name India Shoppe
    Headquarters Chennai
    Industry Ecommerce Retail
    Founder Rajesh Chandan
    Founded 2013
    Website indiashoppe.com

    India Shoppe – About
    India Shoppe – Founders and Team
    India Shoppe – The Idea and Startup Story
    India Shoppe – Vision
    India Shoppe – Products
    India Shoppe – Business Model and Revenue Model
    India Shoppe – Challenges Faced
    India Shoppe – Revenue Growth
    India Shoppe – Tools Used in the Company
    India Shoppe – Achievements & Recognitions
    India Shoppe – Future Plans

    India Shoppe – About

    India Shoppe is an Omni-channel retailing company, started in Aug’13 to provide Wellness & Nutrition, Personal Health-care, Skin-care, Oral-care, Hair-care and Home-care after identifying & understanding their customers. They design & produce the products for which enough demand is created through various social media & other channels of Marketing. Recently, they have added fresh Agro-care solutions to their bouquet of products.

    India Shoppe – Founders and Team

    Rajesh Chandan is the founder of India Shoppe. Mitesh Bhandari and Viresh Mehta are the Co-Founders of India Shoppe.

    Rajesh Chandan - Founder of India Shoppe
    Rajesh Chandan – Founder of India Shoppe

    Mr Rajesh Chandan is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and a first-generation entrepreneur from Chennai and a technology enthusiast, with over two decades of hardcore exposure in various business verticals. He upgraded himself to the latest trends in business & technology, by attending various programs at ISB (Hyderabad) & IIM, (Ahmedabad). Rajesh Chandan actively conducts leadership workshops for Start-Ups, mentoring them to upscale their business. He held the position of VICE CHAIRMAN at JITO INTERNATIONAL W ING and continues as an active member of the JAIN INTERNATIONAL TRADE ORGANISATION with more than 15000+ influential (Jains as) members. Rajesh is an avid social worker associated with various organizations & rehabilitation centres. His family has donated a day-care hospital in Ayanavaram (Chennai) which is run by RYA Cosmo Foundation.

    India Shoppe Team
    India Shoppe Team

    Mitesh Bhandari is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of India Shoppe.

    Mitesh Bhandari is a young & dynamic commerce graduate from LOYOLA (Chennai) & MBA from NMIMS (Mumbai). He is a certified Chartered Financial Analyst with a decade of experience in several lines of business & off- late prominently in the Fin. Tech landscape. Mitesh Bhandari is an active investor on many alternative investment platforms, including Venture-Debt. He has more than 2 decades of experience in the business of Ferrous & Non-ferrous metals. Mitesh Bhandari also has a well-curated portfolio of leasing, and real estate assets.

    He serves as the Charter President of RCC Magnum, an organization of 100+ youth members & has been an active member of Round-Table (India), a philanthropic organization.

    Viresh Mehta is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of India Shoppe.

    Viresh Mehta is an enthusiastic leader who heads Business-Development. He is a marketing & sales specialist who focuses on the smooth functioning of an organizational supply chain and related value addition processes for the company. He has an outstanding experience of 17 years in merchandising & sourcing various consumer goods. He developed various distribution channels across India, for different FMCG Products, ensuring business growth. His strong decision-making abilities have played a critical role in handling and strategic planning of the product launches of several esteemed brands like Coorg Filter Coffee in Tamil Nadu, Detergents like Shudh, Rakshak and Samundar crystal salt from the house of industrial-giant, Tata. Understanding and engaging in public relations is a primary reason for his success. Crisis and Disaster Management at various business houses is his forte.

    Once Viresh Mehta organized a Dandiya Mela or a traditional folk-dance festival with over ten thousand participants from all ages & ethnicities, for raising student scholarships for the underprivileged.

    India Shoppe – The Idea and Startup Story

    Rajesh Chandan always wanted to start a brand, which would be more than just a business-house or a commercial- entity. He wanted it to be a part of people’s lives. That ‘want’ remained a distant dream until 2013, when he identified a dearth in a specific segment of the market & eventually, the spark grew into a flame.

    After a series of brainstorming with his peers in business, about how the global giants were becoming market leaders, online & native brands were ruling on-ground with their branches & franchises, the market in Omni-channel retailing remained unexplored. Soon, the idea started taking shape.

    India Shoppe was designed to be a lifestyle brand with a sincere focus on Tier II, and Tier III cities & towns targeting the “middle” & “upper-middle” income groups or the ‘active’ segment of society that is always aspiring for a better lifestyle.

    Rajesh went to the original ‘Shark-Tank’ to bounce his idea: My friends! Not for lack of options but this wasn’t just about, Validation of his idea but also the Sustenance of a promise!

    India Shoppe – Vision

    India Shoppe Logo

    India Shoppe has a vision to:

    • Be a large customer value creator in the market, focusing on customer service, understanding the customers, their way-of-life & identifying their requirements to improve their lifestyle.
    • Customize & develop products after market research & ensure they’re organic, healthy & easy to use.
    • Invest in new product lines & implement the latest technology to ensure they are delivered on time.

    India Shoppe – Products

    India Shoppe Products
    India Shoppe Products

    India Shoppe offers various daily-use products for individuals and the entire family. They are committed to building effective brand identity by aligning the consumers’ perception and expectations with the development of their products, with the highest standards in quality.

    India Shoppe has developed its private labels, under the brand names of:

    • “AAHAR” Food & Gourmet
    • “ELEMENTS WELLNESS” Health-Care
    • “NEUSTAR” Personal-Care
    • “ON & ON” Wellness & Nutritional-Care
    • “Mi HOME CARE” Adding a sparkle to your world
    • “INDIAGRO” Reflecting their commitment to farmers, they have scientifically researched and developed, plant & soil-care products that: help in maximizing the yield (for farmers) & are packed with nutrition (for consumers) while ensuring the quality of soil is retained.

    Their products do not contain (any) chemicals that are harmful to the body and are made of natural ingredients. They use raw materials which conform to API and in-house standards.

    Their proprietary health & wellness products are made of various nutritional ingredients & herbs, after extensive study and research. India Shoppe has experts who remain in close proximity with scientific researchers & market analysts to stay updated on developing new products or enhancing existing ones. Beginning from the sourcing of ingredients to the final Eco-conscious packaging, they ensure that their products are of premium quality.

    India Shoppe takes Conscious-Care for:

    • The People: Propose and promote a healthy lifestyle for consumers, with their products.
    • The Products: Prohibit the use of any ingredients which aren’t organic in their processes.
    • The Planet: From Products to Packaging, it is all vegetarian and eco-friendly.
    • The Past: Promoting Ayurvedic products which are preventive & also hail from this holy land.

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    India Shoppe – Business Model and Revenue Model

    India Shoppe creates a demand for its products, through active social-media campaigns and its chain of small-format retail stores & websites. Additionally, to reach a wider market, we’ve designed Pick-up Centers (P.U.C’s), in several remote locations that are mapped to their nearest store. Such P.U.C.s only purchase merchandise from the stores, they’re mapped to. It can also be explained as – H.O.: Parent, Store: Child, Store: Parent, PUC: Child.

    • Their stores maintain an online account of the respective PUCs mapped to them, based on the volumes of transactions or redemption of Pre-orders.
    • To ensure easy flow of the stocks, they are replenished from multiple warehouses, online & offline.
    • Their M.O.P is mostly through pre-orders having several types and denominations (Non-Transferable).
    • Customers carrying such Pre-orders get the merchandise at a discounted price while other customers purchase at M.R.P.
    • Customers can redeem/ purchase with dual-validation (Code & OTP) at the Store, PUC and Web-portal.
    • Their product range is further classified under different sub-categories.

    Strengths:

    • They have well-established network of 16 Warehouses, 51 Stores & 649 P.U.C’s, spread across the country,
    • They have tested & proven systems and ready-to-go processes for generating assured Sales growth.
    • They undertake periodic market research with corresponding Product-innovations.
    • They collaborate with scientific developers, manufacturers, designers, marketers & suppliers to ensure they come up with rich Ayurvedic products.
    • They build on brand re-call & consumer loyalty through Digital Marketing posts and campaigns by regularly posting engaging content on various social media platforms.
    • Their customers have been their biggest strength, as their testimonials are the hallmark of certification.

    India Shoppe – Challenges Faced

    Being an enterprise with most products based on Ayurveda, subscribing to their solutions would mean a shift into a better/healthier lifestyle. But this is the very reason most people today, resist choosing Ayurvedic medicine, which is more of preventive care, in contrast to the instant relief of western-medicine (Allopathy).

    However, the Covid Pandemic has rightfully pointed out that, instead of choosing the (so-called) ready remedies and instant reliefs, it is advisable to have a healthy lifestyle. And, going Ayurvedic, not only aids to eliminate the chances of infection but also has them equipped to battle other infections/ microbes, known & unknown.

    India Shoppe – Revenue Growth

    India Shoppe operates PAN-India. Starting in 2013-’14 from less than INR 100 CRS. to almost INR 1300 CRS. in 2021-’22. With a CAGR of 22%, their growth has continued during the Covid pandemic, even. So far, they are a bootstrapped company, running & managing with their capital & operating revenues.

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    India Shoppe – Tools Used in the Company

    Their team of developers, designers, researchers, product managers and engineers of various disciplines, work together in building a user-friendly design & well-tested interface with every aspect of the organization.

    • They have been using state-of-the-art ERP software for Finance and custom E-commerce.
    • The capacity of supply chain and logistics operations can be scaled anytime with their automated stock replenishment during peak periods (festivals/ holidays) for consistency in their deliveries.
    • With their in-house cloud-based mechanism and automation, Traffic is gracefully throttled if & when it goes beyond the given conditions.
    • Having high-performance integrations, connecting to third-party applications like the State GST portal, Supply chain Vendors and up to Last-mile deliveries.

    India Shoppe – Achievements & Recognitions

    India Shoppe has achieved recognition from the Government of India and others.

    • In the personal-care category, “Elements Wellness” was prestigiously awarded: BEST HEALTHCARE Brand by The Economic Times in 2019-‘20 & 2022-’23!
    • 7 & 14 State Governments in the country, have recognized India Shoppe as a prompt Tax-payer for 2020-2021 & 2021-2022 respectively.
    • At the peak of the Covid pandemic, when the health ministry of India advised everyone to take a spoon of Chavanprash (an Ayurvedic goo-ey preparation loaded with anti-oxidants & immunity boosters) a day, it hiked the consumption of their equivalent, On & On “Kavach Prash”.

    India Shoppe – Future Plans

    As a growing large-scale Value-Creator, they are eyeing expansion in the scale of operations, setting up more Distribution centres for easy reach & faster delivery, planning more stores & investing in new product lines & technology.

    After finding a firm footing in the local market, India Shoppe team have been exploring the possibility of expansion, especially in our neighbouring countries.

    FAQs

    When was India Shoppe founded?

    India Shoppe was founded in 2013 in Chennai.

    Who is the founder of India Shoppe?

    Rajesh Chandan is the founder of India Shoppe. Mitesh Bhandari and Viresh Mehta are the Co-Founders of India Shoppe.

    What are the products of India Shoppe?

    India Shoppe products list includes various daily household products:

    • Food Products
    • Health-Care Products
    • Personal-Care Products
    • Agro Care Products
    • Home Care Products

  • Berrylush – Enhancing the Era of Fashion for Women With Its Dresses

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Berrylush.

    We all do love to stay in fashion, right? In the era of the 21st century, the styling trends of the fashion sector are currently dominating the globe more than ever! In this present era, companies are not only controlling the procedure of the people’s dressing sense but also the trends in makeup, fashion, and many more. During the 60s flares weren’t everything but also the particular styling stuff defined an entire generation which is prominent to date. Fashion is very bold and this boldness is reflecting the ongoing generation who are not at all frightened of speaking on their face. It is simply not just a means of clothing but also showcases your personality.

    Berrylush is a company brought into existence, especially for the younger women generations who are concerned more and genuinely about looking good and having fun. Read the Berrylush success story below!

    Berrylush – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Berrylush
    Headquarters Noida, UP, India
    Industry E-Commerce, Fashion, and Textiles
    Founders Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar
    Founded 1st September 2018
    Website berrylush.com

    Berrylush – About
    Berrylush – Industry
    Berrylush – Founders and Team
    Berrylush – Startup Story
    Berrylush – Mission and Vision
    Berrylush – Tagline and Logo
    Berrylush – Business Model
    Berrylush – Revenue Model
    Berrylush – Online and Social Media Presence

    Berrylush – About

    Berrylush is a very inspiring clothing company for women of younger ages looking forward to looking decent and confident. It is quite an affordable clothing company that mainly provides its consumers with the best online shopping experience on the Internet. Their concept is to make females glow with their exotic designed dresses.

    Berrylush – Industry

    The Indian textile marketplace is anticipated to be growing and its worth is gonna rise to $209 billion by 2029! Cotton production is also anticipated to reach 37.10 million bales. The marketplace is additionally anticipated to regain and then grow by 10% to reach $190 billion by 2025-26.

    Berrylush – Founders and Team

    Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar - Berrylush Co-founders
    Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar – Berrylush Co-founders

    Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar are the founders of the company Berrylush.

    Alok Paul

    Alok Paul is presently the co-founder of two different companies namely Berrylush and Prime Seller Hub. Initially, he was an engineer and he worked at companies like Accenture.

    Anusha Chandrashekar

    Anusha Chandrashekar is the co-founder and the CEO of the company Berrylush! She also began her career as an engineer and she worked in companies like Tata Consultancy Services and Deloitte.

    Berrylush – Startup Story

    Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar began the company Berrylush with just four machines and a very little squad. Anusha was an IIM Raipur graduate who always used to be relatively intense about the fashion sector and did dream of running a women’s western wear brand all on her own. And her batchmate, Alok, was enthusiastic about creating eCommerce businesses!

    Both got married to each other and also gave importance to each other’s attention. Soon after the couple inaugurated an online women’s western wear brand Berrylush in Noida, India.

    Berrylush – Mission and Vision

    The mission and the vision of the company Berrylush is to make females feel completely different whenever wearing Berrylush dresses.

    Berrylush Logo
    Berrylush Logo

    The tagline of the company Berrylush is, ‘You are already beautiful. Our mission is to make you feel that way.’

    Berrylush – Business Model

    Berrylush business model is an asset-light model! The brand has got just two destinations situated in Noida which is an office and a manufacturing department which has got around 120 machines within. There are 14 regional fabricators who manufacture solely for the brand Berrylush.

    The clothes are sold directly to the consumers with the help of Myntra which holds around (55 percent of the sales), the official website which holds around (20 percent of the sales), Ajio also holds around (10 percent of the sales), and additionally, others hold (15 percent of the sales).

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    Berrylush – Revenue Model

    Berrylush is an e-commerce brand and hence the term e-commerce makes the concept quite easier for all to understand how the company is earning money. The statistics mentioned above showcases a part and is a simple B2B (Business 2 Business) retail company.

    Berrylush – Online and Social Media Presence

    Berrylush is a very famous name and most of the girls reading this article know quite well about the brand. It is relatively a renowned brand if you are looking forward to online shopping, especially from the platforms of Nykaa Fashion, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio and so on.

    Other than the shopping spaces, Berrylush is actively present on the social media pages of Instagram, Facebook, and also has got its name on various web portals.

    FAQs

    When was Berrylush founded?

    Berrylush was founded in 2018.

    Who is the founder of Berrylush?

    Berrylush was founded by Alok Paul and Anusha Chandrashekar.

    What are the platforms to buy Berrylush dresses?

    Berrylush dresses are sold on different platforms:

    • Berrylush
    • Myntra
    • Nykaa
    • Amazon
    • Ajio
    • Flipkart
    • Poshmark