e-commerce
Beyond the big cities, Bharat is calling the shots on India’s growth
MUMBAI: India’s growth story is quietly changing address and it no longer reads Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru. A new report from Rukam Capital argues that the real momentum in consumption is now being driven by Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, small towns and emerging urban clusters, where behaviour is shaped less by hype and more by trust, proof and relevance.
Titled Beyond Metros: The Real Story of Bharat’s Next 500 Million, the study lands at a moment when nearly 65 per cent of India’s population lives outside the metros. Backed by GST-led formalisation, rising affordability and deep digital penetration from near-universal 3G and 4G access to the everyday use of UPI, the report positions Bharat as the engine of India’s next phase of consumption-led growth.
Crucially, the research overturns long-held assumptions about non-metro consumers. Far from being impulsive or easily swayed by celebrity endorsements, today’s Bharat shopper is deliberate and research-driven. Discovery is increasingly video-first and social-led, with Youtube emerging as a primary influence, 37 per cent of consumers rely on video reviews, while 32 per cent discover products via social platforms. E-commerce, too, has become a research tool, used by 35 per cent of consumers well before purchase decisions are made.
Trust, the report finds, is the real currency. Word-of-mouth influences 22 per cent of Tier 2 and Tier 3 buyers, while 43 per cent of Tier 3 consumers verify brands through official websites before buying. Customer service matters early, with 32 per cent factoring service interactions into pre-purchase decisions. Sustainability and safety cues also carry weight, influencing 23% of consumers but only when backed by peer reassurance rather than marketing gloss.
Spending patterns reflect discipline over impulse. UPI now powers transactions for 67 per cent of non-metro consumers, while discount tracking is common in Tier 2 cities. Festivals still drive discretionary spending in Tier 3 markets. Quick commerce adoption remains modest at 36 per cent, underscoring that instant gratification is not yet the default outside metros.
Platforms, meanwhile, are valued for utility, not noise. Whatsapp reaches close to 90 per cent penetration and functions as Bharat’s digital backbone. OTT consumption is driven by vernacular relevance, with JioHotstar leading usage at over 54 per cent across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. Gaming has also emerged as a serious influence channel, with over half of consumers in these regions responding to in-game advertising.
Commenting on the findings, Rukam Capital founder and managing partner Archana Jahagirdar said the study reveals a consumer who is confident, consistent and grounded. The opportunity for brands, she noted, lies not in aspiration-led messaging but in building trust early, designing for real use cases and staying rooted in local context.
Conducted with Yougov across more than 5,000 respondents in 18 states, the report makes one thing clear: Bharat’s next 500 million consumers are not waiting in the wings. They are already shaping demand, rewriting influence, and setting the terms for India’s trillion-dollar retail ambition.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
