Digital adoption helped sustain some segments of Indian retail and brought the country closer to the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, even amidst a crippling public health crisis. This is one of the findings of a book titled The Future of Indian Retail: Stories from the Ground which has recently been published by the Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based tech policy think tank.
The book is the culmination of a survey-based study conducted by the Centre at the end of 2020, to understand the impact of technology on Indian retail in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The study, conducted with support from the India SME Forum, documented the experiences of a diverse group of two dozen proprietors of small and medium enterprises that represent the domestic retail market. The book showcases these voices from the ground through their experiences of interaction with technology.
Speaking about the impact of the nationwide lockdown on her business, Arpita Doshi, an e-retailer from Gujarat who sells plant-based beverage pre-mixes said, “The nationwide lockdown impacted our distribution channel. Offline stores worked in reduced capacity as footfall from consumers had to decrease, so our sales also decreased.”
However, as for her online business she added, “When we started our online business, our sales figures were only in thousands. But by 2020, our sales figure will have increased three times!”
The real-life stories documented in this publication highlight the entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity with which small entities tackled a fundamental disruption in their business due to the pandemic and the ensuing nationwide lockdown.
At the same time, the book provides valuable insights into the constraints that small enterprises face while adopting digital solutions.
Parul Bajoria, a clothing and accessories e-retailer from West Bengal cited a lack of outside assistance and guidance in transitioning to an e-commerce business as a major challenge in starting her online journey. This was a common sentiment expressed by many e-retailers in the study. Similarly, several e-retailers stated the importance of digital marketing in e-retailing but cited it as a challenge considering they lacked the necessary technical skills to perform such a task.
As we move towards the digital transformation of industry, dubbed ‘Industry 4.0’, it will be important for policymakers, business forums and industry associations to work together to overcome these challenges. For example, the improvement of underlying infrastructure and logistics mechanisms will require sustained and targeted investment. Similarly, business owners and employees will require skill and capacity building to effectively integrate digital solution into their operations.
