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The Observer An IIJNM publication
One Stop Centre to help women facing trauma yet to get off the ground | P 2
Vol 19, Issue 17
Adilin Beatrice C
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echnical glitches in the award-winning Karnataka Mobile One app is forcing people to stop using it. Chirashwini S, a college student, said: “I recharged my Metro card for Rs1,000 using the app in 2019. Money got deducted from my account but was not credited to my Metro card. Annoyed, I made calls to customer care to get my money back. After that, I stopped using the application.” Chirashwini is not alone. Prakash Perumal, a mechanical engineer, said: “I transacted through the app for some time. It worked well. But one day, while I was recharging my BMRCL card for Rs 100, the money was deducted but not credited to my Metro card. Since it was a small amount, I let it go and stopped using the app.” Sanghavi, a housewife, is hesitant to use the app after hearing about such mishaps from her friends. “Two of my friends told
Following continuous disruptions in August 2019, BMRCL officials asked Metro users to not use the app to recharge Metro cards me the app has problems with transactions. They said they had lost money while trying to recharge their BMRCL cards. I downloaded but had problems signing in. So I uninstalled it.” Following continuous disruptions in August 2019, BMRCL officials asked Metro users to not use the app to recharge Metro cards. Users could not sign in.
Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Daycare centres do not bother to register, BBMP lets them be | P 3
Technical glitches force users to dump Karnataka Mobile One Money debited is not put in Metro card: Users
@theweeklyobserver
Harshi Srinivas, project manager of the Karnataka Mobile One app, Electronic Delivery for Citizen Services (EDCS), informed The Observer: “The application is facing minor technical glitches due to a rebuilding process. Currently, even BMRCL recharges have been made perfect, and 8,000 to 10,000 transactions take place through the app in a month. Since the old version and its features are outdated, we are working on producing a better version. The app will be on track within a week, and all transactions made henceforth will be successful. Transactions are a very small part in the app. Other than that, the app focuses on SMS services and is used by around 90 Karnataka government departments on daily basis.” Gopi Krishna, a software engineer, said: “There are a lot of issues that cause technical glitches in the app. Transaction errors are mostly because of open code usage, cross-device testing and network compatibility.” While transferring cash on a 4G mobile, network issues reduce the speed to 3G or 2G. This disturbs the transaction dur to this resulting in deduction of money. The glitch can be rectified by revamping the app.
According to a source in the Karnataka e-governance department, the app has been downloaded on 4 lakh Android and 45,000 iOS mobiles till date. The app won a gold medal at the World Government Summit in Dubai for crossing the transaction amount of Rs.13.51 crore in 2016. Only 0.4% of Karnataka’s mobile users seem to have downloaded the app, according to data published by Karnataka Evaluation Authority, in association with the Centre for e-Governance in 2017. Karnataka Mobile One, launched by President Pranab Mukherjee to mark the Digital India initiative in December 2014, is a one-stop platform for 4,500 services of state and central government departments as well as private service providers. Services available through the app include utility bill, income and property tax payment; Sakala services; bus and railway ticket booking; application for various government and private services in the categories of healthcare, banking, travel, legal, agriculture and other areas. Payments can be made through credit card, Internet banking, debit card, IMPS, cash cards and wallets. adilin.b@iijnm.org
News briefs Supreme court refuses to stay Citizenship Amendment Act A three-judge Bench led by CJI Sharad A. Bobde on Wednesday did not heed pleas to even postpone the process of collecting population data to identify illegal migrants or “doubtful citizens” on the basis of their religion. The CJI indicated petitions against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) may eventually be referred to a Constitution Bench for a decision on its merits. But it refused to stay the Act. Trump warns European Union of a trade war US President Donald Trump relaunched a major trade offensive against Europe on Wednesday, threatening to hit the EuropeanUnion (EU) with damaging auto tariffs if Europeans do not agree a long-delayed trade deal. He warned that EU cars will face a 25 percent tariffs if US and Brussels do not reach a trade deal. High Court stops eviction of people from Bellandur The Karnataka HC on restrained the State authorities from evicting or disturbing those living in sheds in survey No. 35/2 of Kariyammana Agrahara, Bellandur, behind Mantri Espana apartments, and in Devarabeesanahalli and Kundalahalli, all areas situated in BBMP’s ward number 151. Police demolished 150 makeshift houses in Kariyammana Agrahara on Jan 20.
Fearing they will lose money, cab Stuck during sign-up, drivers are wary of using FASTag safety app disappoints
Say they are not issued receipts at toll booths Aman Bhardwaj
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ab drivers and cab agencies in Bengaluru are hesitant to link their bank accountswith FASTag fearing losing their money. They complain about toll booths charging more money from them. According to the road transport and highwaysministry, all the seven NHAI toll plazas in and around Bengaluru will have 3-4
A cab driver said that earlier he got discounts for a round-trip payment but not anymore | Credit: Aman Bharadwaj lanes that will accept cash payments; the rest will be FASTag lanes until all problems in trans-
actions are resolved. Currently there are various issues in the implementing FASTag. Ramesh, a cab driver, informed The Observer: “We have to submit receipts of toll paid in our offices, but because of FASTag, we are not getting receiptsafter paying toll. Staff at toll booths refuse to give us receipts.” Rama Murthy, another cab driver, said: “Instead of paying Rs 135 on the airport road, I have been charged double at the toll plaza once.” “Earlier we got discounts for a round-trip payment but It’s of won’t apply anymore.” Cab drivers not willing to adopt FASTag, P 3
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hough more than 2.4 lakh people have downloaded the Suraksha personal safety app recently, many are at a loss because of it has a technical issue. The registration page in the app often freezes while registering. Anjana D, an employee of an IT company, said: “After downloading it, we have to register our name, phone number and add two emergency contacts. When I tried doing this, the app got stuck on the page. When I tried going back, it didn’t work.” An engineering student from the city, Vinothini R, informed The Observer: “I recently heard
When the red button is tapped, messages are sent to the two contact numbers | Credit: Aarthi N about the app and tried downloading it. After registration, it just got stuck with the page that appeared. Introducing the app for the safety of women is a great initiative, but such technical errors should be resolved as early as possible.” Rise in app downloads, P 2
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The Observer Thursday, January 23, 2020
One Stop Centre to help Awareness has led to rise in app downloads women facing trauma yet to get off the ground T Adilin Beatrice C
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he Centre’s One Stop Centre (OSC), or Sakhi, which is supposed to assist women who face trauma after violence, is itself looking for support. Four years after the launch of the scheme, the construction of a permanent place for OSC in Bengaluru has not begun. An official from Karnataka’s women and child development department who didn’t want to be named said: “We had a trauma centre in Victoria Hospital. But it was not under the Centre’s One Stop Centre scheme. It was the Gelathi special treatment unit started by the state government. Since the beginning of the month, that too is closed as the One Stop Centre building is at the starting stage of construction in Madiwala. Once the construction is complete, women under pressure can take shelter there. The building will have all the facilities.” OSCs are intended to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture, will be facilitated with support and redressal. Aggrieved women facing any kind of violence due to attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honor-related crimes, acid attacks or witch-hunting who have reached out or been referred
Citizen’s Voice Rogue regime Recent reports indicating that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman might have been involved in Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s phone hack is a grim reminder of the rogue regime's willingness to go to any extent to safeguard itself. Despite several previous measures which were viewed as liberal, Saudi Arabia remains a dangerous country. Niket Nishant
One Stop Centres are intended to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace | Courtesy: Pexels to the OSC will be provided with specialized services like providing treatment, registering FIR, legal assistance and counselling. Victimized women are allowed to stay at OSCs for six months to one year. But currently, such a shelter is not available in the city. Brinda Adige, a women’s rights activist, said: “In the beginning, Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) treated women under an OSC scheme. They provided them with a psychologist and psychiatrist to give counseling, and a legal adviser to take care of official matters. But that, too, didn’t have a residential facility. As far as I know, the facility is in a bad condition due to lack of funds from the government. OSC is a basic need of every woman who undergoes bad incidents and is looking for a place to shelter them. But the OSC in Bengaluru is not fulfilling that.” A BBH employee informed The Observer an OSC is function-
ing in the hospital. But the centre doesn’t have a shelter for abandoned women. Doctors examine the victim and give treatment. If the victim is in a bad condition, she is admitted in the hospital for further treatment. Navya Shree, an advocate who deals with women harassment cases, said: “In a decade when violence against women is increasing, schemes like OSC … should function properly. The women welfare department should look into the matter and take immediate action to have a temporary OSC which provides shelter somewhere.” The OSC in Victoria Hospital premises near City Market was set up in June, 2016. The scheme is funded through the Nirbhaya Fund. The Centre provides 100% financial assistance to the state government or UT administration under the OSC Scheme. adilin.b@iijnm.org
Continued from page 1 he Observer faced the same issue while registering on the app. Additional commissioner of police K Ajay Kumar conceded there is a technical issue. “We recently found that there is a bug in the software. It will be rectified as early as possible. “Many have downloaded the app only after much awareness. They install it for their safety. The app is not just for women. Anybody can install and use it when necessary.it is generally assumed that it is only for the safety of women, it can also be used to report other incidents like a quarrel between two people, medical help or any other emergency.” Many people who tried to register themselves on the app have said in their Google Play reviews that the registration hangs and they are unable to use it. Women’s rights activist, Brinda Adige said: “Where women’s safety is concerned, I do not believe in these apps. The government presumes that all women will have an Android (mobile) or an iPhone. If the woman has any other phone, this app cannot be accessed and it will be of no use to her. So in that case, what can be done? The government should also look into these factors.” Taking about the downside of the app, she added: “A Hoysala apparently reaches the spot in about 8 minutes, and this is only when an incident happens within the city. We are worried about what happens after 6 pm and about incidents that happen on lonely streets.... What is the facility of Hoysala outside the socalled city limits? Women are in the same spot as earlier.” When the red button is tapped, messages are sent to the two
CATTLE WOES: GARBAGE BECOMES FOOD
contact numbers the user provides during their registration. Also, the camera is switched on immediately to take pictures of the surroundings without anyone noticing it to send it to the officers on duty. A call from the control room to the user is promised in 40 to 60 seconds, according to the official. When The Observer asked three women who had installed the app earlier last year to test the time taken for the control room to call them back, they received calls in 10-15 minutes. The Bengaluru police commissioner organised awareness programmes about the app. The number of downloads increased rapidly after the drive. According to a New Indian Express report on December 4, 2019, more than 40,000 people downloaded the app in just two days after the awareness drive by the police department. Suraksha did not receive much public support following its launch in 2017. It has gained popularity after while and several people have downloaded it after the gruesome rape and murder of a veterinarian in November 2019 in Hyderabad. aarthi.n@iijnm.org
Weather Temperature: Maximum: 30 degree Celsius Minimum: 15 degree Celsius Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 45% Wind: 18 km/h
Quiz Corner
Collectors mix waste People do not segregate dry and wet waste as per the rules.The BBMP is also not doing anything about it. We segregate the waste, but it is of no use because the collectors mix it. Riya Singh Stop burning plastic Burning heaps of plastic waste on the outskirts of the city, especially near farms, damage crops and degrade their quality. It harmful for both the environment and people’s health. Authorities should look into the matter. Chirag Dutta
More than 2.4 lakh people have downloaded the Suraksha safety app | Courtesy: KPN
Wholesale fruit sellers near Chickpete metro station dump garbage at street corners. This causes stench and forces passersby to cover their nose. It also affects the health of bovines who feed on the garbage. The garbage dump is home to swarm of mosquitoes and flies. Stray cattle in and aound the area near KR Market has been a persistent problem untackled by BBMP.| Credit: Shoby Krishna G
1.Which of the following countries has agreed to accept the payment of export of oil and petroleum products to India, in rupee terms instead of dollar or any other currency? 2.As per the newspaper reports Government of India has finally agreed to purchase advanced MRMRs for its naval forces. What are these MRMRs? 3.Which agencies/organizations decided to cancel 122 Licenses of 2G Spectrum issued by the Government of India to various companies and asked the Government to do the process afresh? 4.Which country approved a new constitution of the country in a referendum through secret voting held in February 2012? For answers see page 3
The Observer Thursday, January 23,2020
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NHAI authorities plan to explain FASTag benefits
FLYOVER DEMOLITION BRINGS PAIN
Continued from page 1 ishwanatha, an Uber driver, shared: “Sometimes the scanner does not work properly, and we have to wait for some time. Because of this, we are unable to drop off passengers at the airport on time.” Lanes are choked because of one car. Samar, an IT company employee who travels through toll plazas frequently, said: “The software for FASTag is still not working. We are facing a lot of transaction problems. The software is also not accepting the payment in the first transaction.” The owner of SLV Motors, a car showroom, who refused to be named said: “Our drivers are not convinced with the FASTag system because they are afraid of losing money from their bank accounts. They are also scared their bank details will be shared.” “We are still paying cash at toll plazas. We request the KIA authorities to make discounts for us because we travel 2-3 times every day to the airport.” According to media reports, a man recently lost Rs 50,000 in a FASTag fraud in Bengaluru. The fraud has made cab drivers and owners wary of using FASTag; they say they are are happy paying cash at toll plazas.
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Daycare centres do not bother to register, BBMP lets them be
Many are not aware they need to be registered
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Aarthi N
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any daycare centres functioning from houses and apartments are illegal as they are not registered with BBMP. It is mandatory to register these centres with BBMP. Registration is almost nil as owners and parents who admit their children are unaware of the provision. BBMP turns a blind eye as they do not want to crack down or close down the centres, which benefit children. A BBMP official who refused to give his name said: “Daycare centres are supposed to be registered with BBMP. They run illegally and are mostly set up in residential and commercial areas. We do not question them because they are spaces for children.” Parents say they check only about the facilities provided in these centres. Bavadharini D, a school teacher and mother of a two-yearold girl, informed The Observer: “A daycare centre is near my house, and it is easy for me to pick my daughter after work. This is the only factor I checked before admitting my daughter. Also, the
Parents leaving their kids at daycare centres check about the facilities but don’t bother whether they are registered | Courtesy: Latha R caretaker lives near my house from registration. and I know her.” Shabrin Taj, who runs Facilities for children are more Escalones Montessori & Day Care important, said Loshini S, a com- Centre, said: “The daycare cenputer engineer working in an IT tres should be registered with the firm and mother of a four-year- local body, but I’m not sure if we old. “I wanted my son to have a have registered under BBMP.” good play area. Another factor I She said officials do not visit the was concerned about was the centre to conduct checks. caretaker,” she said. Prabha Narayanan of Cuddle & The guidelines for creches and Care - Daycare & Activity Centre daycare centres include proce- said the same. “The registration dures for registration; norms for rule came only a few years back, the age group of children; number and not many know about it. of children; safety of children; There was no awareness about it monitoring or supervision of and we did not know where we creches; financial assistance for have to go and register.” setting up a new creche; and Vasu Sharma, a former chairupgradation of existing creches. person of the Child Welfare ComHome-based creche with just mittee, said: “Parents should one or two children are exempted pressure the government to make
strong rules. Daycare centres should be evaluated every now and then for the safety of the children who are between one and six years. Safety of the child is very important.” Did the Child Welfare Committee ask the BBMP to conduct a survey of how many daycentres or crèches exist? “We informed them but nothing happened. These centres should be registered legally but none do. (The official from ICPS says the same thing) Also, the government should have a written document to say daycare centres are to be registered and checked regularly,” Sharma said. Daycare centres come under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of the women and child development department. An official from ICPS informed The Observer it is mandatory for the centres to register themselves. “Registration is for the safety of the children. If they do not register, BBMP should take action against them,” she added. Only crèches are mentioned in the Karnataka Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Rules, 2019. The amendment has added Rule 6A which mandates to provide creche facility children up to six years of age for every establishment where more than 50 employees are employed. aarthi.n@iijnm.org
SP Somashekar, project director of NHAI, said, “We know regular users of toll roads have gradually shifted to the new system, and the number is likely to increase. We are planning to discuss the matter with the authorities concerned to educate drivers on the benefits of FASTag.” Ashish Verma, a road and transport expert, said: “NHAI has to come up with a secure server for recharging FASTags.They also have to minimize the minimum balance in the FASTag account so that people will recharge according to their use.” aman.b@iijnm.org
Around the city •Art of Mind Control, free workshop at Isckon, Rajajinagar, January 25, 5pm-6.30pm •Power BI Workshop in Bangalore, Become Power BI Expert with Srinivas Sirigirisetty January 25, 4-5pm •Idea to Opportunity, a free workshop for start-ups, Accel LaunchPad, January 25,10am •Launchpad Women Founders’ Summit by Google & 91springboard, January 25, 9.30am-2pm •Testing Olympiad 2020, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Convention Centre, Whitefield, January 30, 8am-5pm
Quiz Answers 1. Iran 2. Aircrafts 3. Supreme Court of India 4. Syria 5. South Sudan
It is a crawl for vehicles that pass by the under-demolition Jayadeva flyover. They take 15 minutes to travel around 500 meters near a traffic signal. The razing of the structure began on January 20. BMRCL has estimated the work, done at night, will be completed in 90 days. Residents of the area suffer the sound of heavy machinery at night. In the morning, they have to put up with dust particles floating in the air. People walking by cover their nose. The demolition is meant to make way for an elevated corridor-cum-Metro line that will be constructed soon | Credit: Adilin Beatrice C
Cab drivers are hesitant to use FASTags as they are scared that their bank details would be shared to others | Credit: Aman Bhardwaj
Team Observer Editor: Aman Bhardwaj Copy editors: Aarthi N, Adilin Beatrice C, Aman Bhardwaj, Shoby Krishna G Reporters: Aarthi N, Adilin Beatrice C, Aman Bhardwaj, Shoby Krishna G Photo editor: Aarthi N, Adilin Beatrice C, Aman Bhardwaj, Shoby Krishna G Page layout: Aarthi N, Adilin Beatrice C, Shoby Krishna G Supplements: Rythima Agarwal, Sanchari Ghatak Supplement page layout: Meghna Das Chowdhury
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The Observer Thursday, January 23, 2020
Technology The Day of the Drones
SUPPLEMENT
Unmanned aerial vehicles are the future, but we’re taking time deciding how best to use them, says Sanchari Ghatak
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rone technology,that seeped into the mainstream through action camera and aerial photography,has spawned a host of startups. With the commercialisation of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, drone startups have expanded their range of applications from land surveys and security to crop spraying and forest management. But innovation and funding go hand-in-hand and the Indian drone sector has been snagged by both hesitation among investors and concerns around regulations. Says Rajat Sharma, co-founder of Envent Digital Technologies, a drone-services provider based in Gurugram,“The key problem that everyone in the Drone as a Service (DaaS) industry is facing right now is complying with the latest drone regulations published by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).” Besides various safety regulations, the DGCA regulations require that all drones(except nanos or craft weighing up to 250 grams) are‘no permission no take-off’(NPNT) compliant.NPNT
Drones: The bug robots mapping the Indian technical fabric | Credit: Pexels is a software program that enables every remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) to obtain valid permissions through the digital sky platform before they start operating in India. Operators must obtain a unique identification number (UIN) from DGCA for operating in controlled airspace (where the
air traffic control services are active) and affix it to the drone. They must also obtain an unmanned aircraft operator permit (UAOP) and should seek permission for each flight through thedigital sky platform. Sharma, along with the cofounders of his company, started a web and app-development startup that provided digital marketing and video editing services. Right now, their key objective in the DaaS industry is to provide drone-based filming and surveying services. “This industry is really new in the country,” says Sharma. “Manufacturers do not have a good quality NPNT compliant drone that can match the quality and performance level of DJI (the Chinese gobal leader) drones. The digital sky platform is also not yet ready so, if we go by these regulations,drones will not take off anywhere in the country. For now, all we can do is get a NPNT drone and get it registered on the digital sky website. There’s simply no scope of flying.” The cost of a NPNT drone is almost 10 times that of a regular
drone and very few companies manufacture NPNT compliant drones in India. But they’re absolutely essential for a variety of critical services, for example healthcare. A drone successfully transported a unit of blood from a remote primary health care center in the Tehri district of Uttarakhand to a blood bank 32 kms away. The drone completed the journey in 18 minutes, compared to almost an hour if transported by road. Thus, a number of startups have entered the business confident that solutions will be found. They include Bangalore-based startup Aarav Unmanned Systems who manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) specialised in 3D mapping, precision agriculture and image processing;Gurugram-based startup, Indshine, whose softwareprovides an online platform for 2D and 3D drone map viewing; Kolkata-based Drones Tech Lab, who manufacture and distribute surveillance drones; and New Delhi-based Cron Systems that works in border security. “Indshine is simplifying maps
complexity and introducing a collaborative platform to enable organisations for quick and improved decision making in agriculture, mining and construction sector,” says Saksham Bhutani, the vice president of the company.
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he Ministry of Civil Aviation released the first National Drone Policy in August 2018 legalising the operation of drones in India. While it certainly created new market opportunities, the entry of drones also raised fears of job losses in aviation, spatial data gathering in city planning and administration, photography, agriculture, media and entertainment and other industries. Hence, Drone Policy 2.0, which laid down guidelines for a more rigorous process of approval. But it isn’t foolproof as it ignores the risks posed by the free movement of smaller drones. India has witnessed numerous cases of unidentified drone activity, raising concerns of corporate espionage, threats to privacy, physical safety and trespassing.
Of Cabbages and Kings The online-grocery business is the perfect response to consumer demand for convenience and quality, writes Rhythima Agrawal
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one are the days when one had to bargain with sabziwalas at the local market to buy vegetables. Going to a market was an event because one had to carry enormous plastic bags and find parking before negotiating the piles of produce. The entry of grocery-delivery apps has turnedgreen-grocery shopping on its head. According to CNBC research, online-grocery sales will account for up the 20% of market by 2025. With ever more consumers buying groceries using mobile applications, it is estimated that by the end of this year, the number of grocery-buying mobile users will be double the number of onlinegrocery buyers compared to last year. Clearly, it is only a matter of time before the trend will become even more widespread. So, what makes these apps popular among customers? One of the biggest reasons for the growth of grocery-app usage is convenience. Shoppers can choose to have fresh produce delivered to their homes, or they can pick up
their orders at the store. As people become more comfortable with ordering food from restaurants using an app, grocery stores are also joining such platforms. BigBasket.com is India’s biggest onlinegrocery store and enables a customer to leave the drudgery of shopping for food and adopt a simple method for seeing what’s on offer, placing an order and paying for it. The online retailer operates in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Hyderabad and carries a wide portfolio in excess of 12,000 products and more than 1,000 brands. BigBasket has a system of immediately reimbursing clients if they are dissatisfied with its products, aguarantee that creates customer comfort and loyalty. Says Anuj Bishnoi, business head of BigBasket’s subscription business, BBdaily, “It’s about comfort and stickiness for the customers. The usual buying pattern is divided between necessities and less frequent purchases.Some products which need not be verified or doesn’t re-
quire any touch and feel are the best ones to subscribe for the week/month.” Bishnoi was the cofounder of Morning Cart, a milk and grocery-subscription startup servicing 10,000 households in Bangalore, before it was bought by BigBasket last year. BigBasket faces growing competition from the world’s biggest retailers, Amazon and Walmart, through its acquisition of Flipkart, not to mention a host of small, local players who compete in specific product categories. The critical elements of an online grocery business are tie-ups with local grocery producers and wholesalers (if you aren’t one yourself), and establishing a robust delivery network to make sure orders reach customers in a timely manner. As for how this business makesmoney, the platform charges a commission on each order before transferring the payment to the grocery seller. If you are the seller yourself, you charge for delivery & convenience. Online grocershave the finan-
the entire supply chain – from farms/manufacturers to storehouse & then to the customers – needs to be very robust & time-efficient.
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Tie-ups with local producers is critical for online grocery bussiness | Credit: Pexels cial strength to deal with and compensate customers for delays in delivery, wrong item delivery, returns, etc. But even for them,
hen it comes to vegetables & fruits, most customers prefer to buy only after physically checking them for their freshness & quality. When shopping online, such an option is not possible. So, to persuade customers to buy groceries online remains a persistent challenge. Grocery consumption is the basic human need, and people are increasingly relying on mobile apps to meet their needs. So, the online-grocery business is clearly an idea that hasn’t come a day too soon.The important thing for entrepreneurs planning to enter this sector is to be aware of these challenges & know how to deal with them: by leveraging right technology, discovering trends early and adopting suitable tactics to make the most of the opportunity.