Smartphones (and Motorcycles) Fuel Hyperlocal E-Commerce in India

By: George Anders

Narrated by: Todd Mundt

The heat wave gripping India on a day in late May feels particularly intense in the booming Delhi suburb of Gurgaon. Temperatures have soared to 109 °F by 12:30 p.m., and they aren't done rising. Lizards are looking for shade. A profusion of new office parks, roads, and malls has obliterated any vegetation that might have preserved a little of the previous night's coolness. And yet Albinder Dhindsa is smiling as he looks out his window, because this sort of weather is perfect for business. Dhindsa runs Grofers, a fast-growing online retailer that delivers groceries and other everyday goods within 90 minutes of an order. His customers: anyone who hates the hassles of running errands in noisy, crowded (and hot) Indian cities.©Massachusetts Institute of Technology (P)Massachusetts Institute of Technology