19 articles tagged
Meta moved to per-message billing on 1 July 2025 and raised India's marketing rate on 1 January 2026. The list rate is only part of the bill: BSP platform fees, per-message markup and 18% GST sit on top, and three
The build quote is the part of an ecommerce app budget that stops mattering. Gateway percentages, store commissions, platform fees and RBI tokenisation rules run forever. Real 2026 numbers, and how to scope against them.
Shopify rebuilt Hydrogen with Vercel as a toolkit that runs on Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit and three more. It is the biggest headless change since launch, and the reason most D2C brands should not replatform onto it this
OpenAI shut Instant Checkout in March 2026, six months after launch, with about a dozen merchants live. Google's UCP kept expanding. Here is how UCP, ACP and AP2 actually stack up, and what to build first.
McKinsey projects agentic commerce will drive $3-5 trillion by 2030. Shopify's UCP makes D2C stores AI-shoppable. A readiness guide for product data, schema, and checkout so AI agents recommend and buy from you.
Credit Line on UPI (CLOU) turns any UPI QR into a credit checkout, at roughly a fifth of the acquisition cost of a credit card. Here is what it changes for Indian D2C brands, merchants, and fintech builders in 2026.
AI resolves support tickets at roughly $0.62 versus $7.40 for a human agent, and D2C brands regularly deflect 70-80% of contacts. Here is when to buy an off-the-shelf agent, when to build custom, and how eCorpIT ships
WhatsApp business messages open at about 98%, India has over 550 million users, and RCS is closing on SMS. Here is a 2026 conversion playbook for Indian D2C brands using WhatsApp and RCS together.
UPI processed 28.92 lakh crore rupees in June 2026 as the PhonePe-Google Pay duopoly slipped below 80% for the first time. What diversification, NPCI's 30% cap, and the MDR debate mean for D2C checkout in 2026.
AI agents influenced $262 billion of 2025 holiday sales, and AI traffic now converts 42% better. This guide shows D2C brands how to get recommended by ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity shopping agents in 2026.
iOS 27 adds Create a Pass and receipt bill-split to Apple Wallet. Here are six use cases for Indian D2C and retail brands, with a clear read on what works in India today and what waits on Apple Pay.
ONDC now spans more than 3 lakh sellers and 400+ cities, with commission ceilings near 3% against the 15-25% marketplaces charge. Here is what that scale means for a D2C brand, how to get on the network, and where it
ONDC and quick commerce pull a D2C brand in opposite directions: near-3% commission and open reach versus 10-minute delivery at 18-35% fees. Here is how to choose between them in 2026, by category, margin, and goal
India's D2C market is worth $108.76 billion in 2026, but discounting no longer buys growth. As acquisition costs climb, brands are placing seven technology bets, from first-party data to WhatsApp commerce, that build
Discounting is a race to the bottom. Here are seven retail and D2C technology plays Indian brands can run in 2026 — from AI on WhatsApp and ONDC to credit-on-UPI, retail media and RTO reduction — each with the 2026 data
India's 10-minute economy is rewiring retail. Quick-commerce GMV hit Rs 11,000 crore in one month in 2026, dark stores are multiplying, and ONDC is cutting commissions. A 2026 playbook for D2C and retail founders.
India's quick commerce is a near-$7 billion channel in 2026, led by Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. A 2026 playbook for D2C founders on choosing the storefront, OMS, dark-store, last-mile, and ONDC stack.
India's quick commerce is led by Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto, while ONDC cuts take rates to about 3%. Here are 5 D2C tech plays, from dark-store SKU strategy to AI forecasting and first-party data, for 2026.
Quick commerce now sets the pace for Indian retail, but its 18 to 35% commissions can quietly kill a D2C margin. Here are nine practical playbooks for 2026 founders, covering channel mix, dark stores, ONDC, pricing
