As e-commerce continues to reshape global retail, India stands apart in one vital way: Kirana stores remain the backbone of how the country shops. These neighbourhood shops, often family-run and deeply trusted within their communities, are central to daily life across India.
We have always believed that the future of Indian retail lies not in replacing the old with the new, but in bridging the two. That belief is embodied in our approach to ‘phygital’ retail, a seamless blend of physical presence and digital convenience.
How Shikhar began, and where it stands today
We launched Shikhar in 2018 with the simple goal of creating a mobile platform that enables Kirana stores to place orders more conveniently. Since then, Shikhar has grown into India’s largest FMCG eB2B platform with over 1.4 million retailers onboarded.
While it started as an ordering app, Shikhar today is a comprehensive platform designed to meet the evolving needs of the retailer. From our Smart Basket feature that pre-populates regular orders in two clicks, to AI-powered product recommendations using store shelf image recognition, Shikhar delivers an experience that mirrors modern e-commerce.
Phygital in action
Shikhar brings the best of both worlds to our retailers. On the one hand, it empowers them with cutting-edge technology such as simplified ordering flows and AI-led suggestions, giving more control, speed, and accuracy than ever before. On the other hand, Shikhar remains grounded in what Kirana store owners value: flexibility, trust, and human connection.
A powerful example was the use of Generative AI to democratise advertising. Through the AI module, retailers could create celebrity-endorsed video promotions for their stores, without any external agency support. With just a few clicks, they could personalise messaging, select products, and share custom videos with their shoppers. During the initial launch of the campaign, we had one video being generated every ten seconds.
Business impact where it matters most
Shikhar is transforming traditional trade. Retailers who once ordered monthly are now placing multiple orders weekly. With reduced need to overstock, they can rotate capital faster and maintain better cash flow. The personalised promotions are also driving greater footfall into stores, helping increase shopper engagement and brand visibility.
Behind this is a shared commitment to quality. Just as our factory teams innovate with tools like PROMIS (Predictive Operations and Maintenance Information Systems) to ensure zero-defect production, our front-end systems like Shikhar ensure that quality and performance reach the final mile.
Looking ahead to the future of Shikhar
Shikhar will continue to evolve, with new AI capabilities, user experience enhancements, and more intuitive features in the pipeline.
Our vision is to make Shikhar more than a transactional tool into a complete ecosystem for business growth. Whether through multilingual support, voice-enabled interfaces, or deeper analytics, we will keep building a platform that empowers India’s retailers to thrive in a digital world.
Because when our Kirana stores succeed, India’s communities flourish and aspirations are unlocked—and that’s the future we’re committed to building.