Building in India, exporting to world, assert business honchos

NEW DELHI: India's consumer market, young demographics and digital infrastructure are giving companies edge, industry leaders said while discussing how businesses are building for India and exporting those models worldwide.

Shiva Shailendran Sekar, director and head of revenue, categories at Uber India & South Asia, said the country's uniqueness is its strength. "The kind of challenges and opportunities that we have in India are unique, which helps us in multiple ways," he said.

Many of Uber's recent innovations are "India First products" now being exported. "A lot of tech for Uber globally is being built out of India," he said, adding that the company has evolved from a four-wheeler ride-sharing service "to becoming a one-stop shop for mobility for all consumer needs in India".

"What works in India will definitely work in a lot of other markets," Sekar said, adding that India offers the advantage of testing and refining products at scale before taking them overseas.

Rajesh Chandan, chairman of Elements Wellness and Indiashopee, said low internet costs - "just Rs 10-15 per GB" - have created a powerful scaling advantage, enabling tier two and tier three cities to export goods and reach a global audience.

With fully digital transactions and over 2,350 customer resolutions handled, he said the digital ecosystem builds trust among small traders. But scale must be matched by quality. "If we want our products to be picked in the world, then we need to focus on quality," he said, adding that with India opening up through FTAs and gaining global acceptance, he sees greater potential in preventive healthcare.

Ruchika Panesar, country head for India at NatWest Group, said India's advantage lies in "the demographics" and "talent". "When we bring interns into the organisation, it's equally important that they are working on production scale projects rather than dummy ones," she said.

Sanjay Salunkhe, CMD of Jaro Institute of Technology, said India's youth is its strongest asset. "65% of our population is below the age of 35."

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