By India Action ProjectMaking the last mile of distribution visible and efficient.
DigiBharat digitises the ordering, invoicing and inventory flow between distributors and rural retailers. Starting with agri-input and FMCG supply chains in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Designed to scale nationally.
The problem
What happens between the warehouse and the village shelf is invisible.
Rural retailers order stock by phone or memory. They track inventory manually. Distributors and brands have no data on what moves at the retail level. Stockouts happen silently. Credit is tracked on paper. Order errors are common.
Existing tools serve distributors and brands but do not reach the retailer. App-based solutions have failed in rural India because retailers will not adopt new technology.
How DigiBharat works
Five steps from distributor to retailer.
- 1
Distributor joins DigiBharat. Product catalogue syncs automatically.
- 2
Salesman enters orders on the app instead of a notebook. Invoices generate automatically.
- 3
Retailer receives WhatsApp confirmation with order details, delivery date and outstanding balance. No app download required.
- 4
System learns purchase patterns and sends seasonal reorder nudges tied to crop calendars and consumption cycles.
- 5
Digi Saathis provide field support during the first 30 to 60 days, ensuring adoption where technology alone does not work.
What makes this different
Built for the realities of rural commerce.
Passive retailer adoption
The retailer does not download an app, create an account, or learn a new workflow. Everything works through WhatsApp, which they already use.
Field-assisted onboarding
IAP's network of 800+ trained Digi Saathis across 64 districts in Gujarat and Maharashtra provides structured onboarding. No other platform has a pre-built rural trust network.
Built for FMCG and agri supply chains
Seasonal demand modelling, reorder logic and stockout detection tuned to real rural consumption patterns, from FMCG SKUs to crop-cycle agri inputs. Built for the realities of Bharat, not generic e-commerce.
Built for
One platform, four stakeholders.
Distributors
Digitise ordering, reduce invoice errors, track retailer credit, and see which retailers are active or declining.
Retailers
Receive order confirmations and delivery updates on WhatsApp. No effort required.
Brands
Gain visibility into retail level stock movement. Inform demand forecasting with real transaction data instead of distributor dispatch estimates.
Consumers
Indirect benefit: better availability of FMCG, agri and household products at the village shop. Fewer trips to the nearest town for everyday essentials.
Partner with us
Pilot DigiBharat with your distribution network.
Interested in piloting DigiBharat with your distributors, brand network, or retailer base? Tell us a little about your work and we'll reach out within a week.
- Direct conversation with our field team
- Custom pilot scoped to your geography
- Onboarding via our Digi Saathi network
An India Action Project product
Backed by a network that already lives in rural Bharat.
Explore all our workIncubated and supported by
India Action Project is incubated and supported by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre at IIT Kanpur.