eSamudaay, the world’s first local commerce (LCommerce) platform transforms into a Super App framework. Using this framework, LCommerce entrepreneurs can launch local Super Apps exclusively for local communities and will offer a gamut of services like grocery, kitchen supplies, apparel, services like food, health & wellness and pharmacy. Newer verticals like mobility, home services like plumbing, electrical repair and newspaper subscriptions are currently being tested. In the next 12 months, Super App will be operational across 100+ cities including Mysore, Shillong, Mahoba and Kochi.
eSamudaay’s first local commerce platform in Udupi has already transitioned into a super app and is clocking over 100 orders/day. The company is actively opening up its platform for more local businesses in smaller towns to come online through the super app. This evolution of the eSamudaay platform is to purely support local aspiring entrepreneurs and smaller businesses who lack technology support and market access. eSamudaay developer first platform and has an open API architecture. Developers across India can build modules on top of eSamudaay and tailor it as per the specific needs of a local circle. Blockchain based technology will be used to ensure ownership of technology with module lies with developers and local entrepreneurs. In the next 18 months, the eSamudaay developer community will have 100,000 members.
Morgan Stanley researcher Mark Goodridge estimates that the size of the super app market in Southeast Asia is currently worth about USD 4 billion. This is expected to accelerate almost six times to USD 23 billion by 2025. With increasing levels of digitisation, greater affordability of smartphones, and a COVID induced preference for digital, super apps are finding greater acceptance for their utility.
While the current super app narrative is predominantly controlled by large conglomerates and are centralised, eSamudaay’s super app is not owned by one company and the app aims to decentralise everything from processes to technology. The company will provide end-to-end assistance and offer all the digital tools to run the super app by a local entrepreneur. The local entrepreneur will own and operate the super app and the platform will give him the flexibility to launch as many verticals as possible in the super app. eSamudaay’s decentralised model enables the data to remain within a community for serving the needs of the community only. The app takes into account the requirements of communities from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Arunachal Pradesh to Rann of Kutch and allows the local entrepreneur to customise the super app based on the location, language and culture of his/her/their communities.
On the launch of the super app Ravinder Mahori, Co-founder & CTO, eSamudaay said “Decentralization is at the core of eSamudaay’s vision and we believe technology is an enabler and not a disruptor. The power should be given to the users, not just to operate the business but to build and own the technology as well. The eSamudaay decentralised super app allows local communities to embrace digital without losing the essence of its culture. We would also like to invite developers across India to build modules on top of eSamudaay. eSamudaay wants to do for commerce what WordPress did for websites. We are an open source API and these modules can be used by digital entrepreneurs across small towns of India to serve the local community better. Together, we can ensure the human touch in local businesses is retained and sustained.”
Since the company’s launch in July 2020, eSamudaay is enabling L-commerce across cities and towns of India by creating a network of digital entrepreneurs who independently-run local eCommerce initiatives that serve producers and consumers in their own circles or communities. Today, with the super app, eSamudaay will have the ability to offer bouquet services and develop region specific super apps across the nation. The firm is on a mission to make local economies digital and self-reliant. The company aims to develop over 100 LCommerce networks in the next 1 year across India empowering 1000s of MSMEs and small businesses in nooks and corners of the nation.
