HYDERABAD (India CSR): Small local businesses across India are increasingly losing customers to large online delivery and marketplace apps, as consumer behaviour shifts toward digital convenience. From kirana stores and bakeries to salons and neighbourhood clinics, merchants are struggling to compete with platforms that offer instant discovery but often at the cost of high commissions and reduced control.
While online apps bring visibility, they also create dependency, forcing local sellers to absorb heavy platform fees and follow rigid systems. Many neighbourhood businesses lack the resources, technical expertise or budgets to establish a digital presence independently, widening the digital divide between hyperlocal stores and aggregator-led platforms.
Recognising this growing challenge, chotu.com is positioning itself as a digital enabler built exclusively for neighbourhood businesses. Incorporated in 2021, the platform aims to help local merchants go online quickly, affordably and without complexity.
chotu.com allows merchants to create a digital storefront within seconds through its web platform or mobile app. Designed with simplicity at its core, the platform ensures that even first-time digital users can start selling online effortlessly. Ready-made shop templates and visual catalogues help merchants showcase products and services without the need for technical knowledge.
The platform supports a wide range of everyday retail and service categories, including kirana stores, medical shops, bakeries, restaurants, sweet shops, dairy parlours, fruit and vegetable vendors, salons, tailors, florists, stationery stores and sports shops. Service-based businesses such as astrologers, caterers, dental clinics, nutritionists, pest control services, carpenters and Ayurvedic shops are also covered. Food-focused outlets like biryani centres, cafés, fast food joints, chat bhandars and home food providers further highlight the platform’s broad applicability.
A major differentiator for chotu.com is its free lifetime basic service. Merchants can create and manage their digital store without paying any commission or hidden charges — a key pain point with most online apps. For those seeking advanced features, chotu.com offers affordable premium plans starting at INR 99 for one week, INR 199 for one month and INR 1,999 for one year, keeping pricing accessible for small businesses.
Instead of introducing complex order management systems, chotu.com leverages WhatsApp as the primary ordering channel, allowing merchants and customers to interact on a familiar platform. Each store comes with a unique link and QR code, enabling easy promotion both online and offline.
Local discovery is another focus area for the platform. Strong neighbourhood-level SEO ensures that nearby customers can easily find local shops. Users browse categories on the chotu.com app or website, view nearby businesses and place orders directly with merchants via WhatsApp — ensuring zero intermediary control.
Founded by Ravisankar Y, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, Chotu.com is driven by a vision to bridge the digital gap for India’s small businesses.
The platform aims to help neighbourhood merchants compete on convenience without sacrificing margins or ownership.
As India’s local commerce adapts to an online-first economy, chotu.com presents a practical solution for businesses looking to retain customers without relying on large aggregator apps.
(India CSR)
