Reliance vs foreign e-commerce giants

Integrating retail and telecom, mobilising kiranas, plus regulatory advantages could make it a formidable force

Late last month at a “Vibrant Gujarat” event Mukesh Ambani announced that Reliance Retail and his telecom venture Jio would collaborate to launch an e-commerce platform that would involve 12,00,000 small retailers in the state.

The announcement, which offered more detail on Reliance’s e-commerce plans announced in July last year, marked a shrewd understanding of the politics of the business. The spectre of deep-pocketed foreign e-commerce giants wiping out the kirana community has long haunted the political establishment. Co-opting the kirana community, — Reliance aims to rope in 20 million kiranas and small retailers — to ensure last-mile delivery is