Andy Mukherjee, Columnist

Bezos Versus Ambani Isn’t the Only Fight in India’s Retail

A tech startup is revolutionizing the back-end for millions of small shops. The founders are doing it their way.

March 1, 2021 at 10:30 PM UTC

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. Previously, he worked for Reuters, the Straits Times and Bloomberg News.

Ready-made garments on display at a shop in Varanasi. — Ready-made garments on display at a shop in Varanasi.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh

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A bruising battle for supremacy between two of the world’s richest men is hogging the limelight, but the silent changes in India’s retail landscape deserve equal attention.

The ongoing digital transformation of the corner kirana stores, tens of millions of shops catering to 1.3 billion consumers, will matter for everyone from Unilever NV and Procter & Gamble Co. to State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender. It will also be important to Amazon.com Inc. boss Jeff Bezos and Reliance Industries Ltd. Chairman Mukesh Ambani.