The global business is shifting online in a big way
Dear Balbir Singh Sooch,
The global business is shifting online in a big way to manage the upheaval, and some of that change may be irreversible. All this will need timely and efficient deliveries of goods and services. It turns the spotlight on an industry that may become the lifeline of cities – last-mile or intra-city transport.
In India, a churn in local truck transport was already underway before the pandemic struck, and that process will hasten now. A further shakeout in organised last-mile logistics appears imminent and only the smartest will survive. Hong Kong’s unicorn Lalamove has already raised the stakes in India.
Last-mile logistics is a USD35 billion market, yet remains the toughest, most complex and a high-cost component of the supply chain, given it is highly fragmented.
Intra-city trucking startups can be the lifeline for Indian cities
While the restrictions are preventing young consumers from leisurely browsing store shelves, pay cuts and layoffs are forcing them to keep a tab on their wallet. However, their behaviour is proving to be price inelastic. If there’s a premium brand or category essential to their habits, they are sticking with it regardless of price and retail access.
What is urban India buying amid lockdown
Free Read: To improve the functioning of the debt market, it is essential to impart instrument-level liquidity. This will have to be a cross-regulatory initiative, with the RBI, Sebi, and CBDT playing key roles. There is also a need for transparency and discipline among credit-rating agencies and unification of trading platforms.
Debt markets need cross-regulatory reforms
Regards,
ET Prime Team