Even though startups such as BigBasket have experimented with the dark stores in the past, the model never gained wide traction in India, unlike the West

But the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased focus on on-demand hyperlocal capabilities in the essentials space has made dark stores more viable for startups despite the relatively higher costs 

Will India’s hyperlocal delivery players and consumer brands gravitate towards dark stores despite some of the drawbacks to meet consumer demand or will kiranas step in to bridge the gap?

Author

Meha has engineering and MBA degrees, but she has always been a writer at heart. It was the perfect combination of utilising her research and analytical skills and her enthusiasm for writing that sparked her interest in writing about the Indian startup ecosystem – the latest tech and gadgets and the startups that create them. She is always on the lookout for industry-specific stories in niche areas of interest such as ecommerce, fintech, greentech and more.