Startups Bridging The Gap For Regional Food Delicacies In India Players of the eCommerce industry have taken another improbable idea and is turning it into a marvelous industry.

eCommerce industry in India is striding new leaps every day. Entrepreneurs are coming up with unique ideas to form businesses that were unimaginable a couple of years ago. Today, with a couple of clicks on your smartphone, you can avail best of the best shopping experience.

Players of the eCommerce industry have taken another improbable idea and is turning it into a marvelous industry. Food industry is also swiftly establishing its foot in the digital arena. So far, books and clothing were the most common items purchased online, but food and beverage industry is clearly realizing its potential and making its way into the eCommerce industry.

India has a very rich food heritage, which has evolved over thousands of years. India's regional and cultural diversity reflects beautifully in its food, as each region has their own traditional cuisines based on the available seasonal produce, livestock, cultural influence, and religious aspects.

Every festival in this country is associated with a specific regional delicacy. Food eCommerce sector has made it possible for people living in far-off places to enjoy food products from different regions of the country.

Urban India is becoming cosmopolitan with people migrating to different parts of India for work. They crave for their favorite food from their hometown, which is not available in their neighborhood. People living in a certain part of the country also wants to experiment famous delicacies from other states of India.

The only way you could enjoy this was by asking friends and family members to bring your favorite food product when they visit you. Food eCommerce delivers your favorite food items from different region to your doorstep.

Currently, food eCommerce is limited to FMCG products or cooked food/restaurant delivery in hyperlocal markets. However, the industry is spreading its wings wider and is involving itself in delivering regional delicacies people crave for but don't get in their neighborhood.

Rise of the Digital Consumers

Consumers are adopting new technology quicker than ever. Rising internet penetration coupled with a demographic dividend – young population, rising standards of living and upwardly mobile middle class, has empowered consumers to increase their expenses many times and most of the growth of consumer business is in the online segment. Over 60 per cent of the eCommerce orders are being placed from smartphones today. Consumers have access to food products from every region of India in just one click or by swiping a smartphone screen now.

Opportunity for Sellers

eCommerce has opened a new avenue for the retailers of regional food delicacies who could earlier sell their products to the consumers in their city of operations only. Using this platform, they can now easily make their products available to their customers across the globe. eCommerce has provided exponential reach to these retailers thereby increasing their revenue.

As more consumers choose to shop online now-a-days, it has also become essential for retailers to change their strategy in accordance with the new reality. Lack of adaptability to new technology and change in consumers' preferences, has made many small businesses to wade away. A 225-year old iconic sweet shop, Ghantewala's closure in Delhi is a significant case study on this.

eCommerce and online sales is becoming an important factor in the revenue of retailers. There are challenges in terms of packaging and timely delivery of food products as these are perishable products. Food eCommerce service providers of India facilitates. The eCommerce platform delivers anywhere in India, in an exclusively designed transit friendly packaging, within a span of 2-6 days and offers Secure Payment mode and COD option to its customers. The company is focused towards offering a curated product range of the most sought after brands thereby delivering a holistic customer experience.

Sellers of Regional delicacies and foods from every region of India can use this portal to distribute their products Pan-India, thereby bridging the gap between the sellers and customers across the country.

Initiatives Taken by the Indian Government

eCommerce is witnessing a huge surge in demand from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, bulk of online transaction already arise from these cities. Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi lead BJP Government's "Digital India" initiative will expand the reach of the eCommerce market to the remote corners of the country as internet and broadband connectivity reaches to India's tier 4 towns.

The government is also revamping India Post and is aiming to provide last-mile connectivity across its over 1.5 lakh branches, of which more than 139,000 are in rural India. This will significantly improve distribution channel for eCommerce related services as delivery and COD option will be available in more remote and rural areas, thus expanding the reach and potential market for e-Commerce players.