India's Retailers Overcome Growth Barriers with B2B Quick Commerce

“India isn’t price sensitive. India is value intelligent.” At the panel featuring Harsh Agarwal, CEO, Gini & Jony Ltd.; Priyanka Gupta, Director, GKB Opticals; Pradeep Krishnakumar, Co-Founder, Zouk; Kamlesh Samaliya, Founder, Kamlesh Khichdiwala, moderated by Anurag Sharma, Senior Business Journalist, ETRetail, one thing became clear: the Indian consumer has evolved faster than most brands give them credit for. The new Indian buyer doesn’t chase the lowest price. They calculate trade-offs. Across categories, a few sharp patterns emerged: * Value is perception before it is price. If the product, story and promise resonate, the price tag is evaluated later. Not the other way around. * Discounting is a strategy, but also a trap. Train customers to wait for sales, and you quietly erode brand equity. Right pricing upfront builds steadier cash flows and stronger loyalty. * Quality has moved up the priority ladder. Especially post-Covid, consumers are reading labels, questioning ingredients and paying premiums when the benefit feels justified. * Premium can scale if it feels fair. From fashion to eyewear to food, customers are willing to stretch budgets, but only within a band they’ve mentally defined. The biggest shift? Today’s consumer isn’t asking, “Is this cheap?” They’re asking, “Is this worth it?” Know more: https://lnkd.in/dNBxWJiU #ETRetailGIRS #GIRS #ETRetail #Omnichannel #ConversationalCommerce #RetailInnovation #CustomerExperience #SocialCommerce #AIinRetail #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfRetail #IndiaRetail

India’s retail story is quietly entering a decisive decade. From the rapid rise of phygital commerce to the growing economic power of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, India’s consumption engine is being reshaped far beyond the metros. Our latest analysis looks at how technology, trade shifts and changing consumer behaviour could push the India retail market 2030 towards the $2 trillion mark. https://lnkd.in/gdtwcW-n #IndiaRetail #RetailTransformation #Tier2Cities #ConsumerEconomy #DigitalCommerce #SupplyChain #IndianEconomy #TheEasternStrategist

Delhi Market Visit 🇮🇳 This trip to Karol Bagh and Sadar Bazar is not just a business visit. It’s a reminder of how India actually trades. Yes, I am here to purchase products. But more importantly, I am here to understand markets. How do thousands of shops selling similar products survive together? How does such massive inventory flow daily through narrow lanes? How does trust replace systems in traditional commerce? Standing in these markets, one thing is undeniable: India’s retail strength was built long before modern e-commerce. These clusters are not outdated — they are highly optimized, relationship-driven supply chains. As the founder of Markeet, sourcing from markets like these is not just procurement. It is learning from ecosystems that already operate at national scale without technology layers. Before trying to digitize commerce, you must first respect how it has thrived for decades. Shopping. Observing. Learning. Building. — Suraj Kumar Founder, Markeet

A cart click builds trial.   A store shelf builds confidence.   A neighbourhood retailer builds loyalty.   India rewards brands that show up everywhere.   @iinc @sundariyer #IndianRetail #BrandBuilding #CXO  Many brands confuse discovery with dominance.  Getting added to cart is a start.  But it is not trust.  E-commerce gives you reach.  It creates trial.  It tests your pricing and positioning.  Modern retail does something different.  When a consumer sees you on a shelf beside established names,  credibility transfers silently.  It signals permanence.  And then comes the most underestimated layer.  The neighbourhood retailer.  Where recommendations are personal.  Where repeat purchase becomes habit.  Where brands become part of daily life.  Trial is digital.  Confidence is physical.  Loyalty is relational.  India is not a single-channel market.  It is a layered trust economy.  At i inc, we help brands design this layered presence deliberately.  Marketplace engines for velocity.  Modern trade systems for credibility.  Regional and local distribution for depth.  Because real scale in India does not come from being visible in one place.  It comes from being unavoidable across all decision points.  The real question for leadership is simple.  Are you optimizing for transactions,  or architecting trust across channels?  #Sundariyer #iinc #callme #DMSundariyer #RetailStrategy #ConsumerBrands #GrowthLeadership #ScalingBusinesses

In India, marketplaces give you reach. Modern retail gives you credibility. Regional chains give you depth. Yet many brands try to scale using just one lever. They push hard on marketplaces and celebrate top-line growth. Or they chase modern trade listings and assume presence equals offtake. Or they build strong regional distribution but never leverage digital demand. What we see repeatedly is this: Marketplaces help you travel fast across the country. Modern retail signals to consumers and trade partners that you are a serious brand. Regional chains and distributors build repeat movement and working capital stability. Real scale happens when these three are designed to work together. Not in silos. Not reactively. But with clarity on pricing, pack strategy, margins, and channel roles. In the last few months, we’ve worked closely with brands that hit a ceiling because these channels were operating independently. Online discounting was hurting offline confidence. Modern retail expectations were misaligned with regional distributor economics. Depth existed, but alignment didn’t. This is where we at I Inc step in. We help brands structure marketplaces, modern retail, and regional distribution as an integrated growth system, not three separate battles. Disciplined channel strategy is what turns growth into scale. If this situation sounds familiar, happy to exchange notes. #Sundariyer #iinc #EcommerceIndia #ModernRetail #RetailDistribution #IndianBrands #BrandGrowth

Day 7/100 Voltas Limited - A TATA Enterprise -1533 Equity Research Series The Rise of E-Commerce in Consumer Durables India currently has around 14% online salience in consumer durables retail, which is still behind markets like China, where online sales account for 60–70% of total retail sales. Within India, online penetration is stronger in TVs (22–25%), while major white goods such as air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators are at 10–14%. A major catalyst for growth is the Government of India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative. It aims to: ✔️ Expand buyer choices ✔️ Increase visibility for small retailers & manufacturers ✔️ Strengthen digital infrastructure ✔️ Raise e-commerce retail penetration from 8% (FY23) to 25% (FY25) By 2030, India’s e-commerce GMV could reach $250–300 billion, driven by: 🔹 Wider brand availability 🔹 Convenience of home delivery 🔹 Expansion into Tier 2, Tier 3 cities & rural India 🔹 Stronger installation & after-sales service networks 🔹 Growth of multi-brand service providers 🔹 Better availability of spare parts 🔹 Rise of the resale market The focus is not just on selling products online, but on creating a holistic customer experience ecosystem. India’s digital retail journey is just getting started — and the next decade looks transformational. #Day7of100 #Ecommerce #ConsumerDurables #ONDC #DigitalIndia #RetailTransformation #SupplyChain #CustomerExperience #PGDMJourney #ManagementLearning #Amazon #Flipkart #Tata #SmcGlobal #Motilaloshwal #Adityabirlacapital

The brands that win in India are not the ones with the most ads.   They are the ones the consumer keeps seeing — online, in stores, and in their own locality. #BrandStrategy #IndiaBusiness #ConsumerBehavior #GrowthLeadership #RetailStrategy @iinc @sundariyer Advertising creates awareness. Visibility creates memory. And memory creates preference. I once reviewed two competing brands in the same category. One had a far bigger digital budget. The other had modest ads — but stronger in-store presence and deeper local distribution. Guess which one moved faster off the shelf. India is not won on screens alone. It is won in kirana counters. In apartment notice boards. In regional chains. In repeated sightings that quietly build trust. Online visibility builds aspiration. Retail visibility builds credibility. Local presence builds familiarity. Familiarity compounds. And in India, compounding beats campaigns. At @iinc, we help brands design this compounding effect deliberately. From marketplace acceleration to modern trade execution. From regional expansion strategy to on-ground visibility frameworks. Because sustainable growth is not about shouting louder. It is about showing up consistently where it matters most. As leaders, are we investing in noise — or in presence? #Sundariyer #iinc #callme #DMSundariyer #CXO #Omnichannel #ConsumerBrands #ScaleWithPurpose #LeadershipMatters

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘈𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤. Supply chains break. Demand spikes. Delays cascade. The difference between brands that stumble and brands that scale? Intelligence that adapts in real time. Leaders discuss how AI is transforming supply chain resilience -- predicting disruptions before they happen, rerouting faster than humans can react, and turning volatility into a competitive edge. 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 Anoop Nair, CPO, Marketplace, AJIO.com Bhavin Kothari CIO & Head-Supply Chain & Logistics, ace turtle Manish Bhushan, E-Commerce Head, Buckaroo India Manisha Choraria, Business Lead, Marketplaces TechnoSport Shifali Singla, VP- Product & SCM, Lacoste India Pawanjeet S.,Head Sales, ClickPost 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 Shainil Shah, Senior Director, Business Development, Acuver Consulting 📍𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 28-29 January 2026 | Sheraton Grand Whitefield Bengaluru #Indiafashionforum #Fashionbusiness #businessoffashion #Businessintelligence #Businessgrowth #businessdevelopment #Fashionbrands #Fashioncompanies #Fashionintelligence #Fashioninsights #Fashioncompanies #Globalfashionbrands #networking #Connections #Exhibition #25yearsofIFF #LegacyofIFF

Perspective from Manisha Choraria on how AI is shaping supply chain resilience; anticipating disruptions earlier, enabling faster responses, and helping businesses manage volatility more effectively. A practical view of what future-ready operations increasingly look like.

Visibility online can be bought.   Shelf space must be earned.   Local loyalty must be built.   The brands that understand this last longer. #BrandBuilding #RetailLeadership #ConsumerBrands #IndiaBusiness #CXO @iinc @sundariyer Too many founders confuse reach with relevance. I have seen brands spike on performance marketing. ROAS looks beautiful. Dashboards glow green. But walk into a modern retail store and the shelf tells a different story. No secondary display. No promoter push. No replenishment discipline. And in regional chains? No relationship. No recall. No loyalty. India does not reward surface visibility. It rewards depth. Online visibility can be switched on with money. Shelf space demands velocity, margins, and credibility. Local loyalty demands time, presence, and respect. The brands that last are the ones that build all three layers deliberately. At @iinc, we work with brands to move from visibility to durability. Marketplace strategies that drive profitable scale, not vanity spikes. Modern retail execution that strengthens sell-through, compliance, and shelf dominance. Regional relationship frameworks that turn distributors and store owners into long-term allies. Because sustainable growth in India is not a media decision. It is an ecosystem commitment. As leaders, are we buying attention, or are we building endurance? #Sundariyer #iinc #callme #DMSundariyer #GrowthStrategy #Omnichannel #RetailStrategy #LeadershipMatters #ScaleWithPurpose