Ideaz

There is now an abundance of online websites and apps for fulfilling customer needs, often at very short notice. But there are still some requirements that they are unable to fulfill. For instance, the other day, my niece was looking for a special wire mesh for a school project that needed to be submitted in a couple of days. Then, a fresher in our college who hails from Orissa ran out of a medication for a special health condition he suffers from. He was not willing to upload his prescription to the medicine delivery apps for privacy concerns, but wanted the medicine urgently. Again, a few days ago I wanted to gift a special handicraft item from Telengana to a friend who was leaving in the evening. Also, when my parents visited Hyderabad earlier this year, they wanted to buy a specific silk product, but only after having a feel of the product. The trouble was that they had very little time in hand to visit the best stores in a large city like Hyderabad without interference from middlemen.

In all these instances, I could not get solutions from the current online apps. Even products that are available in the current apps are at times not deliverable to certain locations within a specified period of time. There is limited help available from Google Maps and websites like justdial.com in each case. But they still require the customer to make many phone calls. Besides, in many cases, the phone numbers and address details posted on existing apps do not work. At the same time, a large metro like Hyderabad indeed has a solution for each of the above needs. It is only a matter of connecting the provider with the customer.

My idea is to build an online search app for Hyderabad city (which may later be replicated for other metros) for products that are available in Hyderabad and its suburbs, along with the correct contact details of the shops where they are available. The aim will be to cover businesses that are not traditionally covered by existing online apps, like artisanal products, handloom and handicraft stores, and stores that stock tools and items for DIY projects, apart from pharmacies and vet shops. The customer will be allowed to connect directly with the business that stocks the required item so that a quick store visit or pick-up can be mutually arranged after confirming that the item is indeed available there.

The search will initially be limited to first-hand goods, but later it will be extended to second-hand items as well. In fact, initially it will be limited to second-hand goods on the Mahindra University campus, where students, especially those leaving campus after graduation, often wish to sell some of their belongings urgently, but are unable to connect with a large enough group of prospective buyers quickly. Later, this will be scaled to cover campuses of other educational institutions and other parts of the city.
The stakeholders will be all the businesses of Hyderabad and its suburbs, as mentioned earlier.
The beneficiaries will be all businesses and residents and tourists in Hyderabad and its suburbs who require quick and/or appropriate solutions and are willing to arrange a store pick-up on their own. Even the Government of the state will be happy to promote the app among tourists and residents alike.

The technology will be based on the known ones for the current apps. It will not require the service of delivery agents. Instead, the emphasis will be on a robust and updated record of the inventories and contact details of the businesses of Hyderabad and its suburbs.

Hyderabad business, Local products, Niche shopping, Last-minute store visit.