Tag: amazon india

Posted in Economic

Why I changed my mind on Amazon and Swiggy.

Posted on by veeskitchen

In Middle east where we are based, I was struck with a very severe viral fever when I ran a temperature of 108 F for a continuous 10 day period. I needed at least two IV injections. Even so, my temperature would be back within 2 hours. I don’t know where I picked up this virus early this year = whether from mall or from our walking in the parks. Later I was told that most of the residents had received a vaccination for this mysterious virus that I didn’t. Many were falling sick and some required hospitalization.

In this period I was asked to have ORS for regaining my lost strength, being a vegetarian. My problem is that I am borderline diabetic. I am not on any pill but I am not supposed to take direct sugar as much as possible = and that too something equal to glucose. I try to keep control by adopting lifestyle changes. Sugarfree ORS was not available over the counter or by order anywhere in Middle East. I was forced to have the ORS with sugar pumped in in generous millies ! The doctor who attended me told me that ORS sugarfree possibly was available in India. Market in India is vast that there is nothing that is not available. I made a mental note to get it during my next home visit.

I asked for sugarfree ORS in pharmacies but nobody had it including the Apollo. There I placed my order, just in case, because they normally source it from others if they don’t stock it. The pharmacist told me only the tetrapacks of 100 ml were available. ORS tetrapack sounded funny even if priced at 45 bucks one pack. Again, you cannot take liquids abroad beyond 1 liter by air. The tetrapacks came in handy whenever I came home from a harsh sun, chilled in my fridge.

During this visit I searched the Amazon and was surprised as well as shocked to note that a whole long list of sugarfree ORS is available as sachets to be dissolved in a glass of water – just the like the sugared ORS sachets I found in Doha. More than delighted. We don’t take the Glucon D kind of thing regularly but when we feel extremely week after travel etc., drained of our energies, this can come in handy.

I don’t regularly order food from Swiggy but their Instamart definitely benefits me. Even the quality of vegetables and fruits is good. Within 10 to 20 minutes maximum on order, I get the subji. We can order the veggies after turning on the gas stove! Living in a polluted metro like Chennai which is also dug up entirely for Metrorail expansion plans facing the wrath of the monsoons at the same time, Instamart is a godsend with quickest service time. For working couples, it can’t get better.

Ten to fifteen years back, I used to order kurtis (rarely) online from those like Jabong. My books were ordered from Flipkart. Flipkart sold out to Walmart. Myntra is owned by Flipkart. Jabong sold out to Myntra. Why should these desis sell out to Amazon and Walmart and bow out. They make a quick profit and then they make a beeline for exit. Big global brand thrive on REINVESTMENT, not on selling the business once you make a landfall. Ploughing back of profits into the trade is the business mantra that our Indian entrepreneurs fail to grasp.

Compared to Ola I have also felt that Uber has better discipline and working ethics. Learn what is best from others.

I have reached the age where comfort and service matter to me most for which I am willing to pay the right price. If the Indian service providers fall short of standards, it is their problem.

Tata’s used to be grotesque car 15-20 years back. But both Tata and Mahindra upgraded themselves and they are the fastest selling India=made sedans and suvs in India today that are also being exported. Their steel and safety features have earned them 5 star rating.

https://www.acko.com/car-guide/safest-cars-in-india/

At least 5 of the top 10 safest cars in India are now India made.

I also notice that Amazon sources its supplies from numerous small sellers and traders. India Mart is there as well but here, you have to bulk-order. India Mart is mostly for wholesalers. Amazon allows for lowest unit of order.

Would rather put my faith and trust on Amazon and Walmart than on Ambani and Adani!

Posted in Economic

Amazon to Reliance will be like frying pan to fire.

Posted on by veeskitchen

If India gets rid of Amazon, I will be the first happiest. Only I don’t want it to be replaced by the Reliance of Ambanis. In which case I would rather Amazon stays put. The foreign players are far better in service. With them we have fair dealings. Staff quality is exceptional or best across the board. If Amazon must close in India, then Reliance and Tata also must exit the retailing business. I as a principle NEVER SHOP FROM RELIANCE RETAIL. I have bought from the Westside of Tata, and harbour some guilt feelings about it. Tell me one area that these two huge business houses have not disturbed or have spared. Titan sent home all small time watch repairers and downed the shutters of dozens of watch-clock shops. What happened to HMT? Is Titan all one hundred percent Indian. What about Timex and foreign brands on display. Titan Eye Plus has taken over all the businesses of practising opthalmologists in my city Chennai and across entire India, that even I prefer changing my glasses here rather than our family optics we used to go to for decades. They employ a round-the-clock opthalmologist that you don’t even have to seek anyone for consultation. Its all under their one roof. Now we Indians wear Ray-ban and Essilor even for Varilux lenses., i mean the progressive lenses. See, even varilux is imported brand. Never stepped into Reliance Trends once that sent so many, many, retailers and small boutique owners packing. NEVER GOT A RELIANCE 4G PHONE. As much as possible avoid Uber or Ola. I prefer to use the services of a loyal automan who used to ply my son to school. Unlike the foreign app cabs and cabbies, the auto wallah used to get my son veg puff if he ever would pick him up late from school in the evenings. That is the humanitarian touch we all enjoyed in businesses and trade dealings in India until the thoughtless industrialists collaborated with foreign investors to bring it all down. Traditional market is long since gone in India. First of all how many can talk about Futures trading in our markets. Have you ever seen a tweet on what damage is being done to small farmers. Who are these bigshots doing the talking? What has F1 got to do with India. This is obscene that one must even think on these lines. India is not merely Delhi and Mumbai. India is also Chennai and Madurai and Kochi and Mangalore and Viayawada. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept the fact that I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO DELHI ALTHOUGH I HAVE TOURED A DOZEN WORLD COUNTRIES. I don’t even have the urge to see my capital city. YET I AM INDIAN AND NO LESS. And I admire Arvind Kejriwal even if I cannot belong with his political party. People down south, at least vast majority Tamils, cannot speak Hindi and are not even aware that an SRK or Amitabh Bachchan exists. The bestest Indian restaurants to my knowledge across the world may be Saravana Bhavan and Annapurna and Udipi, definitely not five star. These are from south. Bombay Chowpathy, Tandoor and the Kailash Parbath and of course now Zaffron are leading north Indian restaurants to my practical knowledge. We are NRIs for over 25 years now. The Saravana Bhavan chain caters to middle class NRIs or PIOs not the diamond trading Gujjus (who have reputation for fleeing the country bankrupt). India must become self-reliant totally, but improving human resources quality and potential is a must in this case. Our infamous ‘chaltha hai’ attitude must be dealt with first. Extremely proud of Indigo flight landing on India made gear (navigational system Gagan). Now that is truly desi and patriotic. I hope these bureaucrats stop suggesting to masses what is right and what is wrong and what we must do. We all have our eyes open and we can see what’s going on. I would any day prefer to get back to pre-Amazon times but then I am asking this one question: why should the Flipkart guys sell out. What happened to Jabong. Our selfish Indian bros exit making quick bucks the moment an opportunity presents itself. At least the Amazon are doing a wonderful job. Amazonless days are welcome, but don’t fill that with Reliance, is what I would like to tell Modi government. So whatever happened to Reliance oil in Krishna Godavari basin. Why should we ever trust an Indian business/industrialist.

PS: Amazon earned its rightful place in India during the emergency imposed upon us by back-to-back lockdowns when the pandemic reached us, even as nations including ours were grappling with the sudden influx of Covid. Everyone else failed our masses but Amazon did not. What were Big Basket etc., doing. Theirs and even the Dunzo app were down and ill equipped. Those who managed to get through and place orders were still left in lurch without delivery. The capacity of Amazon – is something I realized in this crisis situation. Lived upto its name literally. If not for Amazon, I am not sure what would have happened to us. The supplies were prompt, the website did not crash and no mix-ups either. And no inflated price over the markup.