Amit Daga's Blogs & Publications

“Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes.” – Gene Hill I remember bringing her home. She was so small and cuddly with her tiny paws and soft white fur. She bounced around the room with eyes flashing and ear flopping. When I sat down to watch TV, she would hop on my lap, looking for attention. She never asked for anything more than for me to pat her head so she could go to sleep next to me. Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart. I will never forget this day when my Jill passed away. Jill.... Yes that was her name. My snow white.. Yesterday, almost at age of 12, she stopped eating and drinking since morning. I took her for a bath and deworming to CP Vet and afterwards while I was bringing her back, she ...

Driven by urbanization, attitudinal shifts and income growth, India’s retail market is expected to double from US$ 600 billion in 2015 to US$ 1 trillion by 2020 as per IBEF. The tremendous growth of e-commerce market also plays an integral role in the high scale development of the retail sector; by 2020, ecommerce will be a $700 billion market (B2B) with 530 million shoppers by 2025, coming at par with offline stores within a span of five years. Against the backdrop of robust investment in the sector and proliferation of internet users, India is now expected to become the world’s fastest growing e-commerce market.  e-Retail growing at a breakneck speed The past decade witnessed an increase in consumer spending, entry of key e-retail players, faster internet speeds on reliable telecom networks, expanded reach and increased adoption of online services as well as a greater need for convenience. As a result, traditional brick and mortar models today are witnessing a d...

According to Morgan Stanley, the past year’s e-commerce sales were approximately billion with probability of the market expanding up to seven times higher According to the Central Statistics Organisation (CSO) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), with various positive factions thriving, including that of E-Retail,India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world. As recent as few years, India has noted a constructive rise in people venturing out for online retail. The past year’s ecommerce sales were approximately $16 billion with chances of market expanding up to seven times higher, according to Morgan Stanley. Channelized by this robust investment in the sector and swift increase in the number of netizens, various agencies predict that Indian e-commerce sales are expected to reach US$ 120 billion by 2020. Three of the main driving factors to supplement this rise would be the inculcation of niche players, role of FDI and GST and how e-retail is changing the face ...

Hundreds of employees are being handed the pink slip by beleaguered companies like  Snapdeal  and  Stayzilla  after these firms went into cost cutting mode. Many e-Retail players are on the verge of expansion, and are now looking at a talent pool that needs jobs and that can help them to grow to a new level and create a buzz in the industry Snapdeal last week went into crisis mode  after talks for a bridge round of funding with existing investor SoftBank were deferred because of differences over valuation. However,  Founder & MD, Deal Kya Hai, Amit Daga  says the current layoffs are not something to bemoan. In fact, they could be an opportunity for many in the industry – other newbies/start-ups – at the very threshold of expansion. “All other players on the verge of expansion are now looking at a talent pool in the industry that needs jobs, and these skilled set of individuals are the ones who can help e-Retailers ...

According to the Central Statistics Organisation (CSO) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), with various positive factions thriving, including that of E-Retail, India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world. As recent as few years, India has noted a constructive rise in people venturing out for online retail. The past year ’ s e-commerce sales were approximately $16 billion with chances of market expanding up to seven times higher, according to Morgan Stanley. Channelized by this robust investment in the sector and swift increase in the number of netizens, various agencies predict that Indian e-commerce sales are expected to reach US$ 120 billion by 2020. Three of the main driving factors to supplement this rise would be the inculcation of niche players, role of FDI and GST and how e-retail is changing the face of food and grocery for good. Niche players: a key part of e-growth The recent rise in digital literacy has led to an influx of investment in e-...

India has essentially been a cash-based economy, amassing a value of physical currency estimated to be over 11% of GDP, topping the graph among emerging economies. However, there is still a proportion of India’s population who cannot avail banks and has inadequate access to technology-driven financial services. The Government of India and the central bank have tried their uttermost, laying significant emphasis on financial inclusion and making banking and payment services accessible to all. In this uptight ecosystem, digital payment has injected a fresh lease of air to the flagging payment methods.   At present, mobile payments form a minute part of the overall digital payments industry in India. With the contribution from phones and tablets increasing to 30 per cent by 2020, mobile payments in India are estimated to grow to 115 crores in the upcoming years. With advancement in features, digital wallet operators have gained widespread adoption in recent times, bu...

The implementation of technology within the retail space is shaping how consumers interact with brands. A number of technology trends over the past five years have dramatically altered the retail landscape. Today, consumers have become increasingly savvy at taking more control of their shopping experiences. Smart retailers understand that deciphering shoppers’ behaviour is instrumental for a unified success. Retailers are warming up to sending target specific messages to their customers, creating an exclusive, personalized experience, unmatched by competitors. The foundation for this revamping lies in the attempt to utilize a massive amount of data that is easily available to retailers and channel, benefiting both, the retailers and their customers. Here’s how big retailers are using technology to provide value to consumers and increase their revenue scale: Improved Customer Service Customer service being the key in sustentation of business growth in current market scenar...

In the coming 15 years India will see a rise in people opting for online retail. The past year’s e-commerce sales were approximately $16 billion with chances of market expanding up to seven times higher, according to Morgan Stanley. This has attracted an influx of investment in e-commerce firms, opening up the market for new players to set up their bases.  Online retailing has had a heady impact on the sales turnover of brick and mortar stores, urging traditional players to opt for digital counterparts of physical stores. Growth Factors The current business environment in India is coercive enough to enhance the growth of the online retail in India. Key factors that can contribute to the growth of online retail in India include - a)   Increase in the number of Internet users and online buyers:   According to a research done by Google, the number of netizens from India is expected to reach 500 million by 2018. An   estimated increa...

Recently O2O (online-to-offline) has become the buzz word in ecommerce industry where companies like Myntra, Jazzmyride, Lenskart etc. have strengthened their brand portfolio. The whole concept of O2O is to bring experience to the customers and boost product credibility and build a reference point in the minds of customers. Reverse O2O Customer is king of the market and the trends show that people go to showrooms and compare product prices. Online businesses are left wanting for the quality standards of the product so a brand store helps to kill those demons in customers mind. However, now as the etail business has flourished this has given confidence to many dealers and distributors to go for the online model which can be termed as reverse O2O in the current times. The only hurdle that remains is to build credibility amongst the masses to generate traffic on the portal and side by side selling the products through leading ecommerce players, dealers, and offline stores. Hence, ...