Startup Circle: How is eSamudaay building a network of digital entrepreneurs in Small Towns of India?

While large conglomerates dominate the current e-commerce narrative, models like eSamudaay are important to enable decentralized, self-governed digital marketplaces benefitting every stakeholder in the ecosystem. Over the world, monopoly players have hurt SMBs. Thus, experts are pushing for the decentralisation of eCommerce for empowering SMBs and for protecting data. An LCommerce model like eSamudaay provides a huge opportunity for commerce within and between communities, empower small producers and, promote local innovations.

Read Anup Pai, Founder and CEO, eSamudaay talk about the startup and the market.

What is eSamudaay about?

eSamudaay is a Digital Commons “Business in a Box” software stack to provide business opportunities for non-technical entrepreneurs to set-up and scale-up LCommerce Businesses. LCommerce is eCommerce optimised to a local area operated by a local business. We envision the emergence of Local Digital Platforms (DLD) and a Network of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) as a local company that operates a local digital marketplace for the benefit of the local community.

Tell us about your team.

Nirmund Digital Distributions Private Limited has developed and operates eSamudaay. The founding team of Nirmund includes:

• Anup Pai – Banktech and Regtech Professional, Angel Investor and 2X Entrepreneur
• Ravi Haldipur – International Business Development Professional and Small Scale Manufacturing unit owner
• Ravinder Mahori – Technologist focussing on SMBTech and 2X Entrepreneur
• Medarisha Lyngdoh – Complex Technology Led Transformation Program Implementation expert
• Arun S Devarajan – Fintech savant
• Venkatesh Nadhan – Communications Professional, 2X Entrepreneur
• Sudarshan Madhavasimhan – HR Professional, 2X Entrepreneur

The team also includes partners such as Studio Carbon (Design), BlitzSquad (GTM/Rollout), Strategence (Digital Marketing). Every participant including our partners is a shareholder in eSamudaay. Everyone also has an entrepreneurial mindset. We all share a deep sense of purpose that gives us support. We also believe that decentralized networks will prevail in Web 3.0 - The Third Era of the Internet.

What led you to start eSamudaay?

We established eSamudaay during the COVID lockdowns when we saw that there is a massive need for Digital adoption in non-Metro areas as well as a massive demand for entrepreneurial opportunities with a limited capital requirement, especially from the youth. DLD platforms looked like an approach to solve both problems. It also reduced the economy's dependence on big tech platforms.

How are you transforming the e-commerce market?

COVID has placed the need for digital transformation front and centre for businesses of all types and sizes. It has also triggered an acceleration in consumer buying to migrate to large Digital Platforms. There are many SMBTech and KiranaTech products that enable each business to digitize its internal processes. However, the local marketplace i.e. the collection of all sellers and buyers in a local area is a missing piece for these businesses to successfully migrate their business to the online world.

We are an Open API platform to unify all Local Trade together on locally run platforms operated by a local company whose objective is to enable the local economy to benefit from the Data and Digital assets generated locally.

What is the difference between social commerce and local commerce platforms?

Social commerce is an activity where any buying and selling of goods takes place on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram etc. Whereas local commerce is an e-marketplace exclusively catering to local communities. The e-marketplace connects local sellers with local buyers. Thus, models like LCommerce typically help digitize and empower communities in smaller towns/hinterlands.

Walk us through the business model of eSamudaay?

We have a SaaS platform for local e-commerce entrepreneurs. The model enables e-commerce marketplaces in tier-2 and 3 towns, local-community owned companies to have independence. We have a holistic approach that helps local business to migrate to the Digital world. The LCommerce (DAO) model creates an environment for all the Sellers and Producers of a Town to adopt a common, locally run Digital Marketplace. The local area DAO entity provides the technology, cataloguing assistance, marketing, order management, logistics and also marketplace management services.

Through the efforts of the LCommerce entity, a digital equivalent of the Town’s physical marketplace emerges. Thus, buyers can discover and consume local products and services. It also helps companies to create data asset with local ownership. Digital entrepreneurs who wish to set-up businesses in their hometowns can set up and operate the LCommerce entities.

The platform provides local entrepreneurs, producers, delivery agents with all the digital tools necessary to be able to run multi-seller, multi-category digital marketplaces in their community. Each LCommerce will also have its own Super App that will bring together producers and consumers and promote eCommerce within the community. The app will also offer all products and services that are both available and needed in the community, ranging from groceries, kitchen supplies, apparels, services like food, health and wellness, mobility services, home-services etc. Our LCommerce platform will help local businesses and home-producers get prominent online visibility.

What is the traction seen by the company so far?

We recently launched in Udupi and the platform has helped over 50  local businesses go digital. It has so far launched grocery services, restaurant food deliveries. Now, we are looking to launch farm products and pharmacy service on its Udupi exclusive app. We also ran a pilot program communicating the Local e-Commerce opportunity. The platform has started conversations with several aspiring entrepreneurs and teams across India.

How has the year 2020 been for eSamudaay? What are your plans for the next 5 years?

In 2020, COVID has placed the need for Digital transformation front and centre for businesses of all types and sizes. COVID has also triggered an acceleration in consumer buying to migrate to large Digital Platforms. eSamudaay was founded during the COVID lockdowns when we saw that there is a massive need for Digital adoption in non-Metro areas as well as a massive demand for entrepreneurial opportunities with a limited capital requirement, especially from the youth.

In 5 years, we wish to see eSamudaay as a Global leader providing Software solutions to the circular economy.