E-commerce surges in India's 'Urban Bharat' cities matching metro connectivity
Business
A new report says e-commerce is taking off in India's tier two and tier three cities: what the study calls "Urban Bharat."
These areas now make up about one-third of the urban population and are just as digitally connected as big metros.
Online shopping here has grown fast, jumping from just over one-fifth in 2016 to nearly one-third of people by 2025, while metro growth has slowed down.
Convenience drives Urban Bharat shopping
Convenience is a huge reason (by 2025, almost half of Urban Bharat shoppers said online shopping makes life easier).
Trust in e-commerce is growing too, though more slowly.