StartupTalky

Tag: ✍️ Opinions

  • Solving Drop-Off After KYC: Why Most Discount Brokers Lose Users Before the First Trade

    This article has been contributed by Trivesh D, COO Tradejini

    It’s a strange reality in India’s discount broking space that millions of users are signing up, but a large number never place a single trade. India’s demat account count crossed 15 crore at the start of 2025, according to SEBI data. Nearly 4.6 crore new accounts were opened in FY24 alone. But beneath these big numbers is a quiet reality. Why does this happen? The reasons are not surprising if you see how investors explore investing today. Opening a trading account has become hassle-free. But placing a trade is still an emotional step. It means moving real money, trusting in analysis, buying stock, and taking a risk. Many people stall at that very point.

    The Gap After KYC

    The silent drop-off is so common that people in the industry often say getting the customer to complete KYC is only half the battle. Here, a gap usually appears after KYC, where some clients are left without clear guidance on what steps to take next. And the real test starts when the customer is asked to place the first order.Even a short delay between KYC completion and account activation can cause the initial excitement to fade. If a broker doesn’t engage fast, the user simply moves on. Therefore, it is crucial to activate their account and respond quickly.

    Exploring Without a Plan

    For many first-time users, signing up for a demat account is just a way to look around. They want to see what the platform feels like. They want to check out stock prices, watchlists, or IPO tabs and explore tools. This is especially common for those who have heard about the app but have no clear plan yet. Often, they stop at this curiosity stage. The app looks confusing to many new users. There is nothing wrong with exploring, but without any clear hand-holding, the initial spark fades. A good nudge for this is simple onboarding. Some leading fintech apps guide new users step by step. A discount broker can do the same by showing how to place a safe trial order. A simple walkthrough, or offering a free trial stock worth a few rupees, helps turn curiosity into a small action. Small actions build confidence.

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    Charges Still Confuse People

    Zero brokerage on delivery trades sounds great in ads. But the real picture is more layered. Many first-time investors realize that intraday, futures and options, and call-and-trade services still cost money. Clearing charges, stamp duty and taxes come on top. Suddenly, the math feels unclear. Questions like ‘Will I lose all my gains in hidden fees?’ pop up. If the answers are not clear, the user freezes.The solution is radical clarity. Brokers should show simple calculators with real examples. Suppose someone buys shares for INR 10,000 and sells them after a month. A small tool can show exactly how much the taxes, exchange fees, and other charges will be. A clear picture beats a catchy zero-fee line every time.

    When Support isn’t Supportive

    For beginners, placing a first order is not always obvious. Many try to reach customer care but find only bots or canned replies. Technical issues such as failed order placements, stuck fund transfers, or sudden app crashes often take too long to resolve, which frustrates first-time users.

    A practical fix is a special beginner’s help desk. A simple helpline or priority chat for new users during the first month can keep them from dropping off. Some brokers also use video calls to guide first-timers through their first order. Small gestures like this build faith.

    The ‘Perfect Time’ Myth

    Many people open an account when markets are making headlines. But when it is time to place an order, they tell themselves they will wait for a better price. This wait can stretch for months. NSE data shows that during bull runs like 2020 and 2021, millions of new retail investors jumped in quickly. In quiet markets, that same crowd prefers to watch from the sidelines.This is where brokers can help by nudging gently. Explain SIPs, highlight long-term investing, and share small insights that reduce the pressure to time the market. Tools like price alerts, IPO trackers, or starter portfolios can keep users engaged.

    Too Many Options, Too Little Loyalty

    Opening an account costs nothing, so many people open two or three at once. They test the apps, compare features, and see who offers better perks. Many new brokers use free trades for a month or cashback to pull users away before they even place the first order with their first broker. This is normal in a hyper-competitive market, but it means losing users is easy if they do not feel any attachment. Retention perks help here. A simple loyalty program or extra research tools for funded accounts keep a new user from drifting to a rival. Some brokers offer small rewards for making a first trade in seven days or give free webinars to funded users only.

    Peer Push, But No Plan

    Many people open an account because a friend, family member, or influencer told them to. Often, they get pulled in by stories of a stock giving 30% returns and a brokerage app making trading look easy. This creates excitement and a fear of missing out. But when it is time to put in real money, questions like whether the market will go up or down stop them. Without clear guidance on what to do next, the account stays empty. A fix here is to keep the buddy system alive. Give a small bonus to the friend who referred the user, but only when the new user makes their first trade. This keeps the conversation alive and gives the friend a reason to help them cross the first hurdle.

    Larger Problem Hidden in the Metrics

    India’s new investors are smart and eager to learn. But they are also cautious and price-sensitive. They expect clear answers and fast help. They hate hidden charges and slow replies. They want to feel safe before taking a risk. Opening the door for millions is a big achievement, but getting people to step in is the real challenge. Every unused account is wasted effort and money for the industry. Turning that quiet drop-off into an active first trade needs trust, clarity, and a nudge at the right time. Solving the KYC drop-off is not just about better technology or catchy offers. It is about showing first-timers that the market is not just for experts; it is for them too, one clear, confident step at a time. Tradejini takes care of everything a client needs, whether it is adding funds, placing a trade, or getting timely support. Everything is set up to ensure customers do not get stuck. Tradejini is a one-stop solution for smooth and confident investing.

  • The Real Future of Workflows: Why AI Needs to Be Collaborative, Not Just Generative

    This article has been contributed by Ronik Patel, Founder & CEO, Weam.ai

    “Have you, till now, used AI for something apart from generating content?”. This was my question in one of the recent public speaking opportunities I was a part of. Automation, AI, MCP, trendy words that most have become recent tags of our daily information diet platforms, those were my topics too. At the beginning of the seminar, I asked the question I wanted to ask everyone. It’s not to demean someone; instead, I want to understand how well they have integrated AI into their workflow. And also, the persistence of my follow-up question is justified by this goal.

    I let you in on a secret I learned that day. Nobody trusts the technology going past that stage. Why? Well, through recent conversations with my head of marketing, I came to the conclusion, answering; Why don’t we? I asked, “Why do you still reiterate every content you generate with AI and find something wrong every time?”. He says, “Ronik, I don’t want people to feel isolated by seeing our content.” The depth of that question was a bit extensive for me to reach. However, after a few conversations, I understood that it was because he did not want to miss the human element.

    The Superfluous Tech

    Teams at the agency spent countless hours writing polished prompts to get the response they needed, get work done. Amidst throwing requests at your ultimate assistant who does not need coffee, have you ever thought about strategising for making your workflow smooth?

    I believe people are using AI in their workflow more than they want, but not necessarily. The moment an AI solution you have paid for enters the team workflow, chat team dynamics, shared history, and collective knowledge that exists nowhere in your prompt. 

    But the team needs AI to go through the day as they are drawn towards the endless creative possibilities. We made AI generative, impressive, but fundamentally isolated. Hence, it needs a shared space, a shared functionality for the team, making it collaborative should be one of our primary goals, don’t you think?

    Think of an AI platform that is contextually aware of collaborating with a team, dynamically adaptive, and genuinely integrated in a way that reflects how teams think together.

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    The Context Crisis

    Let’s understand the depth of this scenario. I witnessed one Monday morning during our AI week. We wanted to have discussions regarding what we have planned to do in the AI week, and particularly align marketing strategies accordingly. Now there was my HOD of marketing and the team, a new intern we hired, and an AI we usually use to record our meeting for MoM (moments of meeting) purposes. The new hire frantically takes notes, trying to decode these conversations. I just know the AI assistant–It might transcribe every word perfectly, but it’s as lost as the new hire.

    Does it lack the capabilities to understand different pitches of voices? I don’t think so, it’s a recording bot which picks context from our meeting and prepares reports that we need. However, what it lacked was even the social awareness to know what it was missing. An AI you use on a daily basis might be good at picking the breadcrumbs that represent months of shared decision-making. It struggles to understand the ecosystem of intentions, relationships, and evolving context that makes teams effective.

    Beyond the Prompt Paradigm

    “Generate this.” “Analyse that.” “Summarise these.” The whole AI interaction we have designed around is the exchange of information. Real collaboration is more conversational, iterative, and rich with shared understanding that builds over time. It’s not a fundamental flaw, I believe, but a technical approach we can fix. 

    This brings us to AI agents and MC, which may play an important role in the future of workflows. However, to make a participant understand when you talk about refining your product you consider the whole history of versions of your product commits, API integrations, what worked, what didn’t. Keep every small decision framework and result of those decisions as contextual information for AI. Does that make AI more teamware?

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    Need for The Collaborative Intelligence Workspace

    Collaborative AI Platform For Teams
    Collaborative AI Platform For Teams

    I wonder if the most exciting AI developments are happening between humans. While AI front runners launch features, updates, and models one after another aren’t humans who manage them to fit into their workflow. They understand the solution, figure out their pain points, upskill themselves and then collaborate with the AI to complete the goal of the day.

    To intensify the AI and human collaboration, it is important to take into consideration the collective rhythm of how teams work together, too. If we find a way to integrate an AI not to surveil that you are meeting your goals, but to understand the communication channels, wouldn’t it be fascinating?  It recognises that when our HOD of marketing asks for “options,” he typically wants three distinct approaches with clear trade-offs.

    The AI we perfect through human collaboration generates the right content. It generates relevant content, timed appropriately. That happens when an AI is informed by collective intelligence or trained on expertise by your team.

    Solving Productivity Puzzle

    Every AI claims to make individuals more productive. Maybe it’s time to take a step back and think about the team and their coherence. Instead of five people prompting with their respective generative AI, getting results, and making decisions, can we have AI that helps teams think together more effectively?

    The AI should also understand that a leader, when asking for alternatives, doesn’t just need surface. Educating and understanding the subtext makes the leader and their team worthy of moving forward in this new era of AI revolution. On the other hand, we want a collaborative space integrated with AI that understands the mental mode of the team and its leader. 

    To take an example, think of engineering specifications that reference actual architectural decisions. We want strategies that are built on previous discussions rather than starting from scratch. Discussions which shape the very fundamentals of AI response and action, leading to fruitful results for the team. When we make that possible, maybe we move past the barrier of AI adoption and augment human-AI collaboration in a better way.

    The Unexpected Truth

    It’s hard to find the right light in this thick, dense fog of AI noise. A revelation, teamware which even I learned the hard way, is that we are trying to make AI impressive rather than useful. Is it the consequences of our assumption about what AI should be? The question helped me move our solution to move towards making AI easy to adopt and better to collaborate with teams.

    I think we don’t want to win because we want t make a better AI that would be adding noise to the chaos we see in the landscape. We want to focus on answering “how AI should work with humans?”  instead of building towards “how AI should work for humans?”

    We Question, Do we change, We Build!

    We built something, but is it worth launching, or are we behind? Should we reiterate? Should we move the goal post further, too? Isn’t that what the true iterative process in the technology space is? These questions that keep every founder awake at night. It sounds easy for people who produce surface-level uses of any AI solution every day. 

    True reviews that change an AI solution are when a team building towards a common goal uses AI every day to find the best possible iterations. That is what Weam AI is doing right now. Our AI revolution will arrive when we are able to build an AI that actively collaborates with a team to help them achieve quantifiable results.

    I definitely think organisations that understand how AI works with a team together by filtering through AI chaos will have an upper hand, compared to those who employ the most sophisticated tool. Here is a practice. A few questions every organisation trying to adopt AI should ask: What would you do if your AI could participate in your team’s collective intelligence rather than just responding to individual requests? How would that change not just your productivity, but your ability to think together, learn together, and create together?

    Finding the right way towards the future of work, one needs to find AI that isn’t impressive but collaborates smartly with the team. We are also working towards answering those questions effectively, and perhaps that distinction will make a slight difference.

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  • Cross-Border eCommerce: Real Challenges and How to Get It Right

    This article has been contributed by by Somdutta Singh, Founder and CEO, Assiduus Global

    When brands talk about going global, it often sounds like a badge of honor. A sign of scale. A signal to investors. A growth playbook coming to life. But behind the press releases and polished dashboards, the reality is much harder. International expansion is not a straight line. It is full of tangled wires: compliance issues, customs delays, payment failures, cart abandonment, and pricing decisions that feel like guesswork. The real challenges of cross-border eCommerce rarely make it to the headlines. But they shape everything that follows.

    The Hidden Frictions at the Border

    Start with the border itself. Most teams underestimate how much friction happens there. Not on paper, but at the port. When a shipment sits at customs longer than expected or when new rules mean your product needs relabeling – what’s on your roadmap and what’s actually moving in transit often become two very different stories. In a recent survey, 43 percent of businesses said customs delays were one of their biggest hurdles. Another 41 percent cited compliance issues, and an equal number pointed to rising delivery costs as a direct result of these frictions.

    These are not fringe issues. They sit at the center of your promise to customers. And when things go wrong, they rarely stay invisible. A shipping delay becomes a customer complaint. A misclassified product becomes a compliance fine. The cost of expansion often shows up in ways teams didn’t budget for, because they assumed geography was just a matter of shipping zones.

    Shifting Regulations Can Break Your Model

    But cross-border is not just a matter of distance. It is about navigating difference. Difference in regulations, infrastructure, expectations. And the rules that govern those differences are constantly moving.

    In May 2025, the U.S. changed how it treats packages from China and Hong Kong. Until then, shipments under 800 dollars could bypass duties. Not anymore. Now every parcel needs full customs entry, including duties, documentation, and delays.

    What was once a simple direct-to-consumer model built on low-ticket volume from Asian suppliers is now a maze of paperwork, fees, and slowdowns. For companies already operating on thin margins or short lead times, this kind of change can completely disrupt operations. And it questions the sustainability of the model itself. It is a reminder that in global eCommerce, the risks are not just operational. They are systemic. Every country has the power to change the rules on your business overnight. And even when the product gets through, the transaction might not.

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    Payments: The Silent Dealbreaker

    Consumer Expectation for Cross Border Payments
    Consumer Expectation for Cross Border Payments

    Cross-border payments sound simple until you realize what consumers expect. It is not just about offering a few international cards. In a 2025 study, 99 percent of global shoppers said they expect to see their preferred local method at checkout. Think about that. Nearly every shopper expects checkout to feel local. No guesswork. No new systems. Just the method they trust.

    And those preferences are not interchangeable. They are local, cultural, habitual. In the Netherlands, it is iDEAL. In Germany, Klarna. In Southeast Asia, it is often a mix of e-wallets. A single payment option is inconvenient. It is enough to lose the sale entirely. That loss doesn’t show up as a complaint. It shows up as a cart left behind. A customer who never returns. A spike in drop-off rates that your team can’t quite explain. And fixing that is not just a matter of toggling payment options. It means negotiating with multiple providers, updating checkout logic, staying compliant with regional financial laws, and dealing with a whole new set of settlement timelines.

    Why Platform Strategy and Logistics Make or Break Scale

    So brands adapt. They add layers. More gateways. Localized flows. More “ifs” in the codebase. But complexity scales quickly. Maintaining multiple checkout stacks, syncing prices with currency changes, managing tax calculation. These are not just engineering problems. They are business risks. Delays in localization cost time. Mistakes cost trust. This is why platform strategy becomes make or break. It is tempting to replicate your domestic storefront in every market. Copy, paste, translate. But replication is brittle. It cracks under nuance. What works for one region, like design, flow, tone, or CTA placement, can fail entirely in another. The structure needs to flex without falling apart.

    That is why a growing number of retailers are shifting to composable commerce, where infrastructure is built like blocks and each region can plug into what it needs. In the U.S., 72 percent of retailers had already adopted this model by early 2023, with another 21 percent planning to do so within a year.

    This is not just to adopt the latest tech but to introduce flexibility for themselves. Because scaling globally does not mean doing more of the same. It means adapting quickly without tearing everything down every time a new market opens up. And beneath all this, beneath the platforms and payments and policy, is the backbone most teams ignore at first: logistics.

    The market for cross-border eCommerce logistics is already massive, estimated at 103.8 billion dollars in 2024. It is expected to nearly double to 192.7 billion dollars by 2030. That growth does not just reflect opportunity. It reflects complexity. Complexity in inventory positioning, in returns, in last-mile handoffs across countries with different infrastructures.

    And logistics is where it all lands. If the front-end experience is what customers remember, the backend is what they feel. A return request that goes unanswered. A customs hold no one explains. A charge that catches them off guard. These small cracks erode trust faster than flashy discounts can rebuild.

    In cross-border commerce, the margin of error is smaller. Expectations are higher. And the room for forgiveness is often nonexistent. And yet, for those who embrace the friction, cross-border becomes a powerful advantage. Not because it is easy. But because it forces better systems. It forces teams to think modularly, invest intentionally, and serve more empathetically. It priortizes the question, “how well can we scale”, over “how fast can we grow.”

    Because global reach means nothing without local relevance. And local relevance does not come from translation. It comes from understanding. From rethinking checkout flows, service models, fulfillment routes, and price sensitivity based on region. That work is not glamorous. It rarely fits into a launch campaign. But it is the work that separates flash-in-the-pan growth from long-term cross-border resilience. The truth is, going global is not about a milestone. It is about a mindset. A way of building that centers on flexibility, precision, and respect for the markets you enter. And for brands ready to do that work, the opportunity is still enormous. You just have to know where the friction hides.

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  • How Q-Commerce Is Transforming Healthcare: Logistics, Tech, and Local Pharmacy Power

    This article has been contributed by Gaurav Lekhrajani, CEO and Co-founder of Dava Ninja

    Quick commerce, or “q-commerce,” has changed the way we think about delivery beginning as an appealing option for consumers in urban areas to what is now a common business paradigm. However, its use presents special difficulties that extend past speed in highly regulated sectors like healthcare.

    Drawing on his own personal expertise in pioneering healthcare q-commerce platform, explains, “We are not just establishing a more rapid supply chain. In a field where sensitivity and immediacy coexist, seamless, reliable service that recognizes the patient’s needs and the product is the true winner.”

    The Rise of Health-Focused Q-Commerce

    A rising need for domestic health services is driving q-commerce’s entry into the medical sector. Patients want quicker, more reliable delivery for anything from wellness supplies and daily vitamins to urgent prescription drugs for chronic illnesses. Such amenities are particularly needed in urban India, where q-commerce platforms are well-suited to address delivery constraints caused by traffic, mobility, and health facilities. 

    Q-commerce in the healthcare industry is hyper-local, autonomous, and technology-driven, in contrast to typical e-commerce models that depend on centralised warehouses. It makes it possible for local pharmacies to function like online stores, providing customers with immediate access to products in their vicinity.

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    Real-Time Inventory Tech: The Backbone of Speed

    Pharmacy App Features
    Pharmacy App Features

    Live inventory tracking is the first step towards efficient q-commerce supply.   Medication availability, expiration dates, and specific handling guidelines are frequently overlooked by current systems.   Platforms like Dava Ninja guarantee that clients see correct, real-time product listings by implementing user-friendly technology that integrate with pharmacies’ Point-of-Sale (POS) and stock management systems.  

    APIs now include the following new features: 

    • Batch & Expiry Syncing: Prevents order cancellations.
    • Geo-filtered Results: Only items that fall within a specified delivery radius are displayed to customers.
    • AI-driven Stock Forecasting: Assists in restocking medicines according to trends in demand.

    Smart Dispatching Algorithms: Beyond Maps

    The average delivery operator concentrates on optimizing routes. However, healthcare q-commerce needs more intelligent routing. Algorithms must now account for:

    • Medication-specific restrictions (e.g., pill segregation, cold storage).
    • Delivery timing preferences (particularly for senior citizens).
    • Several delivery times for ongoing requirements. 

    Furthermore, depending on unexpected demand, such as during a seasonal flu spike or in areas with a large volume of medication refills, such systems must actively redirect riders to high-priority regions.

    Vocal for Local: Partnering with Local Pharmacies

    Treating each registered drugstore as a micro-warehouse is a significant breakthrough in the healthcare q-commerce principle. Hundreds of small to medium-sized pharmacies are empowered to join a wider online ecosystem thanks to the “vocal for local” strategy. Platforms incorporate these regional suppliers into a tech-first distribution system instead of creating facilities from the ground up. Some advantages are:

    • Reduced delay due to close proximity.
    • Increased level of trust in local brands.
    • Enhanced product storage as a result of controlled pharmacy conditions. 

    Higher order volumes, immediate feedback into consumer patterns, and online payment links are all favourable to pharmacies.

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    Subscription and Refill Innovation

    The foundation of patient wellbeing is consistency. Platforms with advanced delivery schedules, prescription reminders, and refill-based subscriptions have a substantial upper hand. For example, Dava Ninja allows users to set up ongoing monthly shipments, combine several household medicines into a single delivery, and get notifications when important prescriptions are about to expire. This increases customer loyalty in addition to improving convenience.

    Enhancing the Customer Experience

    Q-commerce in healthcare requires a user experience that is pleasant and not transactional. Convenience and dependability must be reinforced at all stages, from browsing to delivery confirmation. Important enhancements include:

    These resources foster trust, reduce uncertainty, and personalize the encounter.

    Flexible Fulfilment = Leaner Margins

    This strategy, in contrast to conventional warehouse arrangements, is based on regional execution and market aggregation. It permits:

    • No warehousing expenses: The supply remains in pharmacies.
    • Just-in-time shipping: Minimal chance of expiration.
    • Optimising bundled orders: Combining orders to maximize delivery effectiveness.

    “We’re not competing for profits with enormous capital spends,” Lekhrajani states. ” By building a network of local suppliers with digital intelligence, we are expanding.”

    Hyperlocal Delivery = Smart Unit Economics

    Cost effectiveness is frequently q-commerce’s weak point. However, platforms may reduce per-order expenses by grouping orders, reducing delivery radii, and optimizing routing. Some strategies are:

    • Optional supplements to boost the value of the basket (e.g., vitamins or wellness items). 
    • Suitable delivery fees according to speed.
    • Partnerships with numerous brands of pharmacies to prevent delays and shortages. 

    Additionally, this strategy ensures that users will receive what they require at the appropriate time without putting a strain on their finances.

    Tech-Driven Growth Without Heavy Infra

    This model’s ability to leverage code rather than building for expansion is among its most viable characteristics. Simply enrolling current pharmacies onto the network is the first step in growing into other cities or villages. Short webinars or app-based lessons are frequently used for training. Technology handles the labour-intensive tasks by:

    • Making plug-and-play onboarding possible.
    • Supplying pharmacies with information dashboards to control inventory and sales.
    • Identifying best-selling SKUs and improving performance via data.

    This enables healthcare q-commerce companies to grow rapidly without making significant capital expenditures.

    Healthcare q-commerce is a revolution in the way medical attention is delivered to individuals, not just a continuation of convenience capitalism. Speed is still crucial, but success in this market will be determined by the smooth union of savvy logistics, regional alliances, and sensitive customer experiences.

    As summed up by Gaurav Lekhrajani, “Your local pharmacy will become your medical tech ally in the future, not simply a store. Q-commerce will serve as the bridge.”

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  • No Code, Just Chat: How Businesses Are Building Full Apps with Chat-Based Platforms

    This article has been contributed by NagaSanthosh Josyula, Co-founder of TableSprint.

    Technologies that demand the least human abilities in implementation have the highest chance of success in adoption. Programming, till the very recent past, has been considered a language much different from human language. For the past few decades, students and professionals have spent significant efforts in learning programming languages. However, coding a business application still remains a complex task that requires relatively higher technical skills than what is available in the market. According to estimates by the U.S. Labor Department, the global shortage of software engineers may reach more than 85 million by 2030.

    The Push for Business Digitization and the No-Code Opportunity

    On the other hand, the need for digitization of business services and applications is increasing rapidly and continuously with exponential technologies. This trend is not specific to one particular segment or industry. Starting from schools and educational institutions to enterprises with complex business operations, digitization of services and processes has become an accepted norm. Irrespective of the demand, unfortunately, the failure rate of digital transformation projects is quite high, more than 30%. Many projects also go through significant delays. Thus, organizations are hopeful towards the no-code digital transformation approaches that are less risky, fail fast but grow robust, scale beyond proof of concepts and small teams.

    From Traditional No-Code to Chat-Based Vibe Coding

    No-code application development is not a new phenomenon. It has been in the market for decades. Products such as Oracle and Salesforce have had their no-code applications for a long time. However, the current wave of chat-based no-code application development is very different. It is no more about drag and drop or click and drag but is about idea to creation. The common perception that the no-code platforms are not suited for complex applications is fast changing. With vibe coding platforms such as TableSprint, teams are building enterprise applications at speed. Months of development time are now reduced to days or sometimes hours.

    AI in the Application Lifecycle

    If we go back in time and look at any software development 101 course, there would be a standard process for the development of an application. Some of the common steps would be writing product specifications, creating wireframes and prototypes, development, testing and deployment. The specifics of the steps and the sequence may vary but there was general agreement on the process and tools to be used. Fast forward to today, we see most of the steps in the application lifecycle to be driven by AI. The important question is, “What is the better way for AI to be embedded in the application life cycle?”

    Natural Language and Purpose-Driven Development

    AI does not have a purpose of its own. Individuals, teams and organizations do have their purpose. Their purpose is better articulated in natural language than a coded language. With vibe coding or chat-based application platforms, the flow of thought to describe the purpose of the application need not be restrained. This dramatically reduces the cognitive load on the stakeholders involved in the application lifecycle. More than that, it has better chances to reduce the misfit between the end application and initial requirements. Further, changes in requirements can be accommodated with relative ease.

    A CRM Use Case with TableSprint

    Consider the case of a business head who wants to create a CRM to improve the customer experience and increase future prospects. A typical process would have been to prepare a lengthy requirements document, have multiple discussions with potential vendors, ask for proof of concepts, negotiate, convince internal teams for adoption and so on. All these steps demand much energy and their own set of talent and skills. Such a process would become a barrier to integrating innovation into the organisation. Now, let us imagine how such CRM can be built through a vibe coding platform. For demonstration purposes, we will use the chat interface of TableSprint.

    TableSprint Chat Interface
    TableSprint Chat Interface

    At the bottom part of the chat interface, there are three options provided. 

    1. Create
    2. Brainstorm
    3. Ask

    The app creator can start with any of the three options depending on the stage of the app development lifecycle they are in. For example, if they are still deciding on the features of the application, brainstorming is an option to pursue. Here, the platform acts as a peer and expert where they can interact and define the features, fields and architecture of the application. The output of the brainstorming activity will be a product specifications document, including the technical details required for the developer.

    On the other hand, if the developer has complete clarity on the features and requirements of the application, create will be the option to continue with. The complete CRM can be created for deployment using this functionality. The database, followed by the views and workflows can be configured. All of this is not without a learning curve. The ask feature lets the users ask any specific questions as they are creating the application. This ensures that the learning is integrated with the development journey, reducing the load on memory-based thinking. Below is the desktop view of CRM created through such a chat.

    CRM Created with Vibe Coding
    CRM Created with Vibe Coding

    Expanding Chat-Based App Ecosystem

    Chat-based application development is becoming more and more reliable with specialised tools and platforms coming up for different types of applications and different parts of the application life cycle. For example, platforms like Replit are being used to quickly create UIs for websites and prototypes for applications. Products like Airtable are also providing chat interfaces for the tasks that were previously done manually. TableSprint provides a platform to chat and build enterprise applications at speed.

    The Path Forward for Businesses

    The pace at which chat-based application building is being adopted by individuals and organisations confirms the ease of use of this approach and the excitement of creators to innovate. As the platforms are becoming better at addressing the questions around security, scale and privacy of data, their integration into the mainstream app development for businesses is also happening faster. 

    💡
    The content in this article reflects the author’s practical insights into chat-based no-code development, based on his work at TableSprint.

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  • How Global Capability Centers (GCCs) Are Reshaping India’s Workforce Landscape

    This article has been contributed by Mr. Saurabh Sharma, Founder and CEO at Agile 360 Degree

    Once seen as back-office extensions, India’s GCCs are now scripting the digital playbooks for global giants like SAP, Microsoft, and Walmart. These centers are now driving innovation, engineering, and transformation programs globally. In the process, they are not just expanding in scale; they are reshaping India’s workforce across skill sets, cities, and sectors. India currently hosts over 1,600 GCCs, employing approximately 1.9 million professionals. Collectively, these centers contributed $64.6 billion in revenue as of 2024. The sector is projected to expand to $105 billion by 2030, with around 2,400 GCCs employing over 2.8 million people. In the last three years, the number of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India has significantly increased, with many relocating from China or Eastern Europe due to cost pressures and geopolitical shifts.

    This momentum is not limited to tech majors. BFSI, pharma, aerospace, retail, and even consumer goods firms are expanding or establishing centers. Companies like PepsiCo, Walmart, Bosch, and Novo Nordisk are increasingly tasking their India centers with core digital and product mandates, areas that were earlier tightly held by headquarters.

    The Talent Premium: A Boon or Bane?

    While GCCs are upgrading India’s workforce in many ways, they are also contributing to wage inflation in key skill areas. According to industry data, salaries for AI/ML engineers and cloud architects have gone up by 18–22% over the past 2 years, pricing out many startups and mid-sized firms from the talent race. This “talent premium” may also lead to a hollowing out of traditional sectors, unless there is broader ecosystem-level investment in training, academia, and cross-sector collaboration.

    While it may be good for the professionals, but at an overall level, it might increase the cost and make India a less competitive space for GCC in future.

    Rise of Tier-2 Powerhouses. Will it work?

    With rising costs and talent saturation in cities like Bengaluru and Pune, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are setting up operations in Tier-2 locations such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, Trivandrum, and Bhubaneswar. These centres are not just for support, they are helping companies access new talent pools, reduce attrition, and spread operations more evenly. Examples include Hitachi Vantara’s engineering center in Coimbatore and Wells Fargo’s growth in Hyderabad and Chennai.

    However, this shift brings challenges. Infrastructure gaps, limited faculty strength in technical institutes, and fewer partnerships between industry and academia in these regions can slow progress. But, this trend is likely to stay due to rising cost of operations in metropolitan cities in India.

    The Rise of New-Age Tech Talent Blueprint. Is it for Real?

    GCCs Expanding Beyond Cost Efficiency
    GCCs Expanding Beyond Cost Efficiency

    The kind of talent GCCs need today looks very different from a few years ago. These centres, once focused mostly on routine IT services, now look for professionals who can combine technical skills with business understanding and design thinking. Roles in AI, analytics, DevOps, and cybersecurity are becoming core, pushing many professionals to take up microcredentials and targeted certifications to stay relevant. Much of this shift is being driven by the growing use of Artificial Intelligence. According to the EY India GCC Pulse Survey 2024, nearly 70% of GCCs are already investing in generative AI. Around 78% are training their teams for it, and 37% are piloting real use cases. The focus is moving beyond experimentation, with AI being used to improve how teams are managed and how risks are handled.

    SAP Labs India is a strong example of this shift. Its Bengaluru center developed ‘Joule,’ a generative AI copilot designed to improve user experience across SAP’s cloud applications. By responding to natural language prompts, Joule helps automate workflows and deliver real-time insights, now embedded across SAP platforms globally. Hence, there’s a clear move toward trusting Indian talent with more responsibility. This reflects a growing comfort with Indian professionals who bring a mix of operational knowledge, global exposure, and experience with digital systems.

    But adapting to this pace of change isn’t easy. The demand for new skills is rising faster than many companies can train for. Several GCCs have indicated that their mid-level employees will need serious reskilling to continue working on digital-first projects.

    Workforce Diversity: A Rising Priority?

    Another area where GCCs are making a noticeable difference is workforce diversity. Compared to IT services and other sectors, they are ahead in implementing structured diversity and inclusion strategies. This includes return-to-work programs, inclusive hiring practices, and leadership development pathways. According to a TeamLease Digital report titled Women at the Heart of India’s Digital Evolution, the share of women in the tech workforce within GCCs is expected to grow from 25% today to 35% by 2027.

    Conclusion

    Global Capability Centers have moved well beyond cost efficiency. They are now growth centers, driving digital initiatives, developing leaders, creating employment in new geographies, and redefining what global operations can look like. But their influence is not unidirectional. As they raise the bar for talent, salaries, and skill expectations, they are also creating ripple effects across India’s broader workforce ecosystem, bringing both opportunities and challenges. India’s GCC revolution isn’t just rewriting job roles, it’s redrawing the map of global operations; the question now is whether the rest of the ecosystem can keep pace or be left behind. 

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  • How to Start Selling on Q-Commerce: Fees, Contracts & Essentials

    This article has been contributed by Griffith David, Founder and CEO, of Habanero Foods.

    The rapid quick commerce industry in India is undergoing a remarkable transformation, soaring from $300 million in 2022 to an astounding $7.1 billion by the fiscal year 2025, as per a report released by Cornell University. Additionally, the report forecasts a 24-fold increase in gross order value, with estimates suggesting it will hit $35 billion by 2030. This sector is showing impressive growth, and it has outpaced conventional e-commerce.

    At its heart, quick commerce is all about a vast network of cleverly positioned “dark stores”—those nifty little warehouses that cater to online orders—to ensure hyper-local fulfillment and lightning-fast delivery, often wrapped up in just 10-30 minutes. Initially, all about groceries, this sector has rapidly expanded to cover personal care goodies, household must-haves, electronics, mobile gadgets, and even a variety of fashion items, pulling in a colorful mix of businesses, including fresh direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. India’s quick commerce market is booming like never before, completely changing the shopping game for consumers.

    Thanks to rising urbanization, higher disposable incomes, and an insatiable desire for instant gratification, this growth is nothing short of remarkable. For businesses, this rapid expansion is a golden opportunity. But thriving in this cutthroat environment demands a solid grasp of operational frameworks, pricing strategies, contractual commitments, and the must-know best practices of these platforms.

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    Getting Started: Essential Steps for Businesses

    Starting a quick-commerce business in India is all about following some key steps. First off, businesses have to get officially registered in India, typically picking from options like sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership (LLP), or a corporation. Additionally, it’s crucial to secure the right licenses for certain product categories. For example, online food businesses need to get an FSSAI license, regardless of their earnings. A valid GSTIN and PAN card are also essential since GST registration is a must for all e-commerce ventures in India. Second, choosing the right platform is crucial. Although major rapid commerce providers share similar core features, they vary in focus areas, geographic coverage, and commission structures.

    It is advisable to thoroughly research each platform’s features, target audiences, and selected product categories, considering factors like operational cities and logistical challenges. According to a report from Cornell University, in the initial quarter of 2025, a dominant platform holds about 47% of the market share, whereas the others represent 29% and 24%, respectively.

    Product Preparation and Documentation

    Preparing products for the fast-paced commerce environment is essential, as this model relies on quick consumption and attractive packaging. Businesses should tailor their product offerings to increase sales, focusing on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), everyday essentials, and those irresistible impulse buys. Dark stores usually carry a wide range of stock-keeping units (SKUs), with a large share dedicated to items that fly off the shelves.

    Packaging should be designed for smaller, often single-use formats, making sure they are durable for swift handling and delivery. Maintaining product quality and freshness is crucial, especially for perishable goods, to ensure customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases. The documentation and registration process is mostly uniform across different platforms, necessitating detailed information about the business and personal details, along with key documents. Typically, this includes email verification, submission of business details, GSTIN, bank information, and high-quality images and descriptions of products.

    Licensing, Onboarding, and Crucial Criteria

    Obtaining an FSSAI license is essential for food products, and some platforms may require that these products be sent to their warehouses, necessitating an APOB (Additional Place of Business) license for that particular site. Furthermore, some platforms might impose a product activation fee, which could be deducted from an advertising account.

    While a few platforms can complete initial verification within 30 to 45 business days with varying onboarding fees based on revenue and product type, others require businesses to complete a registration form and submit business registration certificates, GST details, PAN, proof of address, and bank account information, followed by a partnership agreement and training for the seller platform. Essential requirements for all platforms consist of GSTIN, PAN Card, bank account information, business registration certificates, proof of business or warehouse address, FSSAI license, medicine license (if relevant), trademark certificates or authorization letters, and a digital signature.

    Listing Products and Inventory Management

    Once the approval process receives the go-ahead, sellers must meticulously list their products and monitor inventory closely via the seller dashboard. A customer’s trust always leans upon accurate detail. So, it is of utmost importance that product names, descriptions, MRP, and selling prices are perfectly visible to the customers. Managing inventory in real-time is vital; regular updates that show current stock levels are necessary to prevent stockouts and order cancellations, which can negatively impact seller ratings. Platforms often provide tools or APIs for smooth inventory synchronization, and it is important to develop strong internal inventory management systems that incorporate smart distribution (placing products closer to customers).

    Pricing and Advertising Strategies

    Pricing and advertising strategies need thorough research. Analyzing the prices set by competitors is crucial for determining the pricing of your products. Additionally, understanding how the platform’s commission operates is essential, as it varies based on the product type and is becoming more flexible. For example, a platform may implement a commission structure that changes according to the selling price, beginning with a smaller percentage for less expensive items and increasing to a larger percentage for more expensive ones.

    Hence, it is crucial to factor in these commissions, along with possible warehousing and advertising costs, when developing a pricing strategy, since total platform fees can sometimes surpass 30-45%, as reported by a reputed news platform. Utilizing in-app advertising, special promotions, discounts, and bundled offers from the platforms can significantly boost visibility and sales. Furthermore, some platforms may even provide support for initial marketing investments, as ad revenue is becoming increasingly important for their sustainability.

    Order Fulfillment and Financial Considerations

    While quick commerce platforms manage last-mile delivery, the seller plays a vital role in effective order fulfillment. This involves promptly processing orders as they come in through the seller app, securely packaging items according to platform standards, and quickly handing over packed orders to delivery partners. Real-time notifications, like marking orders as ready for pickup, are also important. It’s crucial to grasp how the payment cycle of the platform operates, usually on a weekly schedule, and how funds are funneled into the seller’s bank account. Keeping a close eye on settlement records is a surefire way to monitor your earnings with precision.

    For businesses aiming to hit the ground running in commerce, understanding the ins and outs of financial and contract details is essential. Commission structures aren’t set in stone; they can shift depending on the type of product, pricing tiers, and the brand’s standing, often providing heftier commissions for sought-after or high-end items. Besides commissions, companies might also encounter additional costs tied to warehousing, which encompasses receiving, storage, fulfillment, and inventory removal, along with marketing expenses and potentially fees for onboarding or activating products.

    Mastering Partnership Contracts

    When bringing new partners on board, companies have to sign a standard partnership agreement with the quick commerce platform. It’s crucial to take a close look at these agreements. The reason these agreements are so vital is that they contain specific details about commission rates, payment terms, return policies, and how to deal with damaged or returned items (including potential customer return fees for seller-related issues). They also include information about inventory management responsibilities (like stock reconciliation and losses) and order fulfillment Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which should be thoroughly assessed. SLAs detail the expected preparation and handover times, along with penalties for non-compliance. The terms for data sharing and usage are particularly critical, as they outline how the platform can manage sales data and customer information, especially considering regulations like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023.

    Clauses about marketing and promotion responsibilities, including who pays for the related costs, are also important. Additionally, it’s essential to pay attention to methods for resolving disputes and arbitration clauses. Termination clauses, which cover notice periods and conditions for ending the partnership, as well as product liability and quality assurance measures that clarify responsibilities for defects, round out the key areas that need review. While larger, established brands might have significant negotiating power, newer or smaller sellers are more inclined to accept the platform’s standard terms.

    Driving Success Through Data and Strategy

    Overall, making choices rooted in data is crucial. Keeping an eye on platform performance metrics (like sales trends, customer habits, delivery times, popular products, and return rates) sets the stage for continuous improvements in product choices, pricing strategies, and marketing plans. The rapid evolution of commerce in India offers a fantastic chance for businesses eager to grow quickly and serve a tech-savvy audience.

    By carefully analyzing what the platform requires, monitoring expenses and agreements, and prioritizing key operational efficiencies while ensuring excellent customer satisfaction, sellers can carve out a successful niche in this dynamic and ever-changing market. Although starting out might seem overwhelming, the immense potential for growth and brand visibility in today’s fast-paced business environment makes it a highly rewarding opportunity for contemporary Indian companies.

  • How EVs Empower Delivery Partners and Drive Sustainable Grocery Logistics

    The article has been contributed by Pushpank Kaushik, CEO & Head of Business Development (Subcontinent, Middle East and Southeast Asia) at Jassper Shipping.

    In the past five years, India’s grocery landscape has undergone a digital transformation. Fuelled by rising smartphone usage, the spread of 4G networks, and a pandemic-induced shift in consumer behavior, online grocery delivery has emerged as a staple in urban and semi-urban households. As per RedSeer Consulting, India’s online grocery market is projected to reach $26 billion by 2027, up from just $3.8 billion in 2021. Platforms like Blinkit, BigBasket, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart are not only promising convenience, but also altering consuming patterns.

    At the heart of this hyper-efficient system are delivery partners, the unsung heroes who bridge the last mile between warehouses and doorsteps. They guarantee on-time delivery despite erratic traffic, weather, and infrastructure obstacles while frequently working under extreme time pressure.

    The Evolving Grocery Delivery Landscape

    The expectations from grocery delivery platforms are shifting rapidly. Consumers now demand:

    • 10-minute deliveries in metros
    • Flexible delivery windows in tier-2 cities
    • Live tracking, real-time communication, and cashless payments

    To meet these expectations, platforms rely on micro-warehouses (dark stores), real-time inventory tracking, and geo-optimization tools. But none of this technology matters without human mobility specifically, the delivery partner on two wheels.

    A new class of gig workers has emerged, driven by flexible work hours and quick payouts. In 2023 alone, it’s estimated that over 2.5 million Indians worked as delivery personnel across food and grocery platforms. A problem is experienced by these workers—demand is increasing, but so are their expenses, especially for fuel.

    Challenges Faced by Delivery Partners Today

    Despite being the backbone of the logistics chain, delivery partners grapple with several pressing challenges:

    • High Fuel Costs:  With petrol prices hovering between INR 95– INR 110/litre in major cities, two-wheelers often incur a fuel expense of INR 250–INR 400/day, eating into their daily earnings.
    • Income Insecurity: Many partners do not receive fixed incomes. Earnings are incentive-driven and vary depending on demand, delivery zones, and platform restrictions. After fuel, maintenance, and service expenses, net daily profits may decrease to INR 400- INR600.
    • Lack of Benefits: Most partners are classified as gig workers and lack health insurance, accident coverage, or retirement benefits.
    • Mental and Physical Fatigue: Long working hours, harsh weather, and traffic congestion all contribute to weariness, accidents, and burnout. According to an Aajeevika Bureau report from 2022, over 55% of delivery workers reported working more than 10 hours per day, often without breaks.

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    Electric Vehicles: A Viable Game-Changer

    Given the rising operational costs and climate concerns, electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) are being hailed as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. Electric vehicles (EVs) bring major benefits  for delivery partners. Such as : 

    • Low Cost Maintenance and Fuel: The biggest benefit is lower fuel costs—charging an EV costs only INR 10–INR 15 a day, compared to INR 250–INR 400 for petrol two-wheelers. Additionally, because EVs have fewer moving parts, require less maintenance, and have lower repair costs, maintenance is less expensive.
    • Higher Earnings: Partners can increase net monthly income by INR 4,000–INR 6,000 through fuel and maintenance savings. A NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) study found that delivery partners using EVs could increase their net monthly earnings by INR 4,000–INR 6,000 due to fuel and maintenance savings. As with average monthly earnings of INR 25,000–INR 30,000, along with medical benefits and weekly offs, the reduced operating costs of EVs allow for better take-home pay.
    • Government Support: Support is being provided by the Indian government through the FAME-II scheme, which gives subsidies of up to INR 15,000 on electric two-wheelers, making them more affordable for gig workers.
    • Less Fatigue, More Deliveries: Smoother, quieter EV rides reduce physical strain, while fewer breakdowns and faster maintenance help delivery partners complete more orders in a day.
    • Vehicle Option: EV 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers offer delivery partners greater flexibility in cargo capacity and delivery types. This enables more efficient service for diverse customer needs, while benefiting from lower operating costs and environmental advantages. As a result, earning potential and job opportunities are expanded.
    • Improved job satisfaction and wider access: Lower costs and improved working conditions improve morale and retention, while affordable electric vehicles make delivery jobs more accessible to women and marginalized groups.

    A Gender-Inclusive Opportunity

    Interestingly, the EV movement in last-mile delivery also opens doors for greater gender inclusion. Women presently account for fewer than 2% of India’s gig delivery workers. Barriers include the following:

    • Safety concerns during travel
    • Lack of access to two-wheelers
    • Social stigma around riding petrol bikes or working late hours

    EVs being quieter, lighter, and often more compact can help lower the entry barrier for women. Pilot initiatives have been introduced by Zomato and BigBasket to train and onboard women delivery partners. Leased EVs, safety equipment, and fixed routes are being provided. Gender-focused training sessions and onboarding drives are also being held in Pune, Bengaluru, and Jaipur by NGOs in partnership with EV-sharing startups.

    An electric mobility transition can be not just green, but inclusive if paired with structural support for safety, flexible work hours, and micro-financing.

    The rapid growth of online grocery delivery is transforming urban and semi-urban India but it risks overburdening the very workers who power it. For delivery partners, switching to electric vehicles (EVs) presents an opportunity for tangible, quantifiable improvements in their everyday lives in addition to environmental benefits.

    However, this transition will only succeed through coordinated action. Quick commerce platforms, policymakers, and EV providers must work together to expand charging infrastructure, offer affordable financing options, ensure reliable repair services, and, most importantly, include delivery workers in decision-making. True sustainability in last-mile delivery depends not just on cleaner vehicles but on fairer, more supportive conditions for those who ride them.

  • Demystifying Generative AI in Contract Management: Practical Implications for Indian Businesses Seeking Efficiency and Security

    This article has been attributed to Aditya Pandranki, Founder and CEO, DOQFY

    Increased use of AI to streamline automation is driving a significant transformation in contract lifecycle management (CLM).What earlier used to be a manual, labour intensive and error prone domain is now being replace by a more advanced technology. 

    Research indicates that almost 70% of companies have trouble effectively managing contracts, but only 5% have automated their procedures. This disparity leads to ineffective manual approvals, dependence on several middlemen, and increased non-compliance or legal risks. As a result, CEOs around the world are realising how crucial it is to use AI to streamline contract processes in order to cut processing and review times by as much as 50%.

    AI has the potential to enhance legal professionals’ skills, not replace them, despite concerns to the contrary. AI gives frees times for Legal professionals to concentrate on more strategic and high-stakes negotiation while AI itself can manage the monotonous and mechanical parts of contract management. As businesses grow and volume of work increases, so does contract volumes, in such a scenario AI is very helpful as it doesn’t get tired and is capable of performing tasks round the clock. 

    AI assistants can significantly cut down on review time without sacrificing quality in high-volume settings where the average review time per contract can reach 92 minutes. Top Indian companies have started integrating generative AI into their contract management systems to accelerate the contract processes, and ensure that it is complaint with latest laws. This hybrid model of humans working with AI for increased productivity, is quickly becoming the new norm.

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    Converting Knowledge into Strategic Business Intelligence

    AI can convert insights into business intelligence, this is a game changer for businesses looking to put the data into productive use. Now, organisations can keep track of contract renewal dates, which clauses cause disputes, who approved each version, and why some contracts are constantly delayed. Such a technology can also help in general business plans like pricing negotiations, vendor selection, and customer engagement models. 

    The Function of AI in Contract Management

    From contract drafting to performance monitoring, artificial intelligence plays a part at every stage of the contract lifecycle. Automated error detection and notification guarantee that the produced drafts comply with business guidelines and industry standards.

    AI tools act as intelligent assistants when examining contracts, they point out any legal red flags, inconsistencies, or risk factors. It can also identify problems like indemnity clauses, inconsistencies in the governing laws, or odd payment terms.

    Contract Summaries

    AI is also very helpful in contract summaries. Non-legal stakeholders, like finance, HR or operations executives, can now read complicated contracts with ease as AI systems are able to provide customised summaries according to the technical expertise and requirements of the stakeholder. 

    AI generates contract summaries using a blend of NLP, clause classification, and custom rule engines. The system combines extractive and abstractive summarisation to deliver clear, role-based insights, while flagging deviations from approved standards. Summaries are configurable by business needs, ensuring both legal and non-legal users get tailored, actionable information. Technically, this pipeline integrates OCR, clause segmentation, context-aware NLP models, and custom rule engines, all tuned to the appropriate regulatory requirements and compliance workflows.

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    Improving Risk Management and Compliance

    Staying compliant and keeping track of clauses and legal updates in an increasingly dynamic regulatory environment is one of the biggest challenges in contract management. AI-powered CLM systems continuously check contracts against changing legal frameworks, and send notifications when terms need to be updated or renegotiated. The end product is a real-time compliance matrix that assists businesses in reducing their legal risk before it becomes more 

    AI tools reviewing contracts in the Indian regulatory landscape most commonly flag clauses related to termination, indemnity, jurisdiction, dispute resolution, and data protection. 

    Predictive Analysis

    Strong predictive analytics is another benefit of advanced AI. AI models can point out contracts which are at risk of breach, identify common negotiation bottlenecks, or predict the need for renewal by examining past contract data. Decision-makers can now take proactive measures rather than reactive action.

    Predictive analytics in contract management relies on a mix of supervised learning models, time-series forecasting, and NLP. 

    Productive Use of Contract Data by AI

    Big businesses frequently handle thousands of contracts. AI makes these documents from mere static files to sources of intelligence. AI searches and compares contracts by leveraging natural language processing (NLP), clause classification, and semantic similarity models.  The ability to extract structured insights from unstructured legal text helps legal teams monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as contract turnaround time, clause negotiation success rates, renewal cycles, and penalty triggers.

    Indian enterprises typically handle large volumes of unstructured contract data annually. Large and mid-sized companies often process thousands to tens of thousands of contracts each year across various departments such as legal, HR, procurement, sales and compliance. In cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, there is a rapid expansion of data centres and digital infrastructure which is also driving contract volumes related to IT services, cloud, and outsourcing. Large Indian enterprises manage around 5,000 to 20,000 contracts annually across various different departments, this shows the complexity and scale of their business operations and regulatory environment.

    Conclusion

    AI in legal operations in India is set to evolve rapidly from task automation to helping in strategy. Over the next few years, contract tools will also progress from doing simple contract drafting and clause tagging to making more advanced predictive analysis, offering insights on risk and litigation likelihood. With laws like the DPDP Act and increasing regulatory scrutiny from bodies like RBI and IRDAI, AI models will also become more compliance-aware and provide real-time updates.

    Legal tech platforms will also consolidate into unified systems integrating contracts, litigation, compliance, and IP, offering intelligent dashboards for decision-making. Natural language interfaces and AI-powered legal assistants will democratise access, allowing business users to interact with legal systems via chat or voice. 

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  • How AI-Powered Sales Enablement Startups Are Transforming B2B Sales in India?

    This article has been contributed by Anindita Banik, CEO, SmartWinnr 

    In India, when it comes to business and selling, it has traditionally always been a relationship-driven, manual, intuitive judgment-based approach. But over the past couple of years, the dramatic rise of digital technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), has changed the way B2B sales teams work on their strategies, introducing never-before-seen efficiencies and effectiveness.  

    Some would argue about its overall effect on the market, but one can’t deny its demand, as many AI-powered sales enablement startups have emerged at the forefront of this transformation. It has significantly reshaped India’s sales ecosystem through automation, predictive analytics, and personalized customer engagement.  

    What is AI-Powered Sales Enablement? 

    AI-driven sales enablement is about leveraging emerging technologies such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and natural language processing to optimize the sales process. The idea is to enable sales teams by minimizing mundane manual work and understanding customer behavior on a new level. 

    Here are some of AI’s best abilities in the realm of sales. These are just the tip of the iceberg, but it’ll make you curious enough to read on for sure.  

    • Priority: AI reviews historical and up-to-the-minute customer information to prioritize the most promising leads for the economy of resources. 
    • Personalized Communication: AI enables personalized buyer experiences by suggesting specific content for individual customers’ needs and interests. 
    • Automation: Using automation, mundane activities like arranging meetings, tracking follow-ups, and clerical work get automated, and sales reps have a better chance to focus on strategic customer conversations. 
    • Performance Analytics: AI offers real-time coaching and immediate feedback during sales conversations, improving salesperson effectiveness instantly. Some AI roleplay software even offers objection handling to the extent that it makes conversation with AI feel like how it goes in real pitch scenarios.  

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    The Coming to Light of AI Sales Startups in India 

    The Indian startup ecosystem has rapidly embraced AI technologies, positioning the nation as a significant player in global sales technology innovation. Many Startups have illustrated how Indian enterprises are successfully leveraging AI to achieve meaningful impacts in sales efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

    These startups have attracted notable investment, validating the market’s trust in AI-driven innovation. They have paved the way for a broader cultural shift toward data-driven decision-making across industries, including pharmaceuticals, finance, IT, and healthcare. 

    Impact of AI on B2B Sales Metrics 

    The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into B2B sales processes has led to significant improvements across various performance metrics.  

    Here are some detailed statistics highlighting these impacts: 

    • Revenue Growth: As per multiple sources, research has found that 83% of sales teams using AI have experienced revenue growth, compared to 66% of teams not utilizing AI tools.  
    • Lead Generation and Qualification: Companies leveraging AI for lead scoring have achieved 50% more high-quality leads.
    • Productivity and Knowledge Retention: AI assistance has increased worker productivity by 15% on average, particularly benefiting less experienced workers.
    • Accuracy in Sales Forecast: The Report suggests that less than 20% of sales teams achieved forecast accuracy above 75%. Many AI forecasting research studies address this by analyzing customer behavior, market trends, and deal progression. 
    • Operational Efficiency: Sales organizations maximizing AI in their operations have produced more than 50% additional leads and appointments, decreased phone call lengths by 60–70% utilizing AI Coaching, and achieved between 40–60% cost savings in learning & development costs. 

    These statistics underscore the transformative impact of AI on B2B sales, demonstrating improvements in revenue growth, lead generation, productivity, forecast accuracy, win rates, operational efficiency, and quota attainment. By integrating AI into their sales processes, companies can achieve significant performance enhancements and maintain a competitive edge in the market. 

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    Addressing India’s Unique Market Challenges 

    Despite the clear advantages that India has to offer, the diverse Indian market presents unique challenges: 

    • Language Diversity: India’s linguistic complexity is something everyone is well-versed in. Thus, the requirement of AI tools that can manage multilingual and culturally diverse interactions effectively is a must. Especially in AI Roleplays, and you can understand why.  
    • Varying Tech Adoption: Businesses across sectors and regions differ greatly in technological readiness, necessitating flexible and adaptive AI solutions.  
    • Onboarding Timeline: If there is one thing we in India want is the execution and onboarding. Any new tool or strategy, or software should take less time in implications, as when the money is debited from a company’s account, they would require swift onboarding and execution experience.  
    • Data Security Concerns: Given India’s stringent data privacy laws, ensuring robust data protection and compliance remains paramount for successful AI integration. Compliance is not something a company would like to worry about at all.  

    Bottom line? Successfully looking over these complexities requires ongoing innovation, meticulous planning, and adaptive, user-centric solutions. When done correctly, it’ll be a win for you in India. 

    Strategic Imperatives for Effective Integration of AI 

    A strategy is nothing unless you put it into action, keep checking its outcome. Even then one needs to keep on updating it to perfectly fit their needs. Keeping that in mind, to leverage AI effectively in sales, businesses should: 

    • Focus on Workforce Skill Development: Organizations must invest significantly in training programs that enable sales personnel to effectively utilize AI tools. Being knowledgeable about the product or services would bring out the best in any employee. Where most companies fail to focus on knowledge retention, thus leveraging tools to keep your teams up on their toes with knowledge of any new advancements or updates in your product or service is a must.  
    • Ensure Data Integrity: Accurate and relevant data is essential for reliable AI-driven insights and decision-making. Look at it as a student who has studied Engineering and is asked questions about the Arts. LLMs are nothing but these students who are eager to learn but require a knowledge base that is relevant to what they want answers to.  
    • Enhance Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encouraging close collaboration between sales, IT, and business operations teams ensures seamless integration of AI tools. 
    • Proactively Manage Change: Implement structured change management practices, clearly communicating AI adoption benefits to all stakeholders to ensure smooth transitions.  

    In Conclusion, the integration of AI in sales enablement represents a transformational shift in India’s B2B sales sector. The ongoing adoption and evolution of AI promises substantial improvements in productivity, customer relationships, and competitive positioning. 

    To fully realize these benefits, businesses must proactively address adoption challenges and strategically embrace AI technologies. With careful planning, sustained training, and a commitment to innovation, Indian companies are poised not only to lead the regional sales landscape but also to become influential global players in AI-driven sales excellence.  AI’s role in reshaping sales enablement signifies an exciting era for India’s business community, marked by increased efficiency, strategic growth, and unprecedented customer engagement. 

    AI Empowering Sales Enablement: A Future Everyone Can Win
    Explore how artificial intelligence and sales enablement are revolutionizing how businesses approach sales, making efficiency, personalization, and impactful decision-making the new standard.
    StartupTalkySubham Kumar