indias growth engine continued to gather steam last year with a swift and robust recovery from the challenges posed by various global headwinds this growth is a testament to the strong foundations of indias economy and the adaptability of the nations multiple industries and sectors one sector that has continued and will continue on its upward trajectory is grocery retail it dominates the indian retail ecosystem comprising 74 of total retail in indiawhile online grocery currently makes up for a small slice of grocery retail in india it is poised to grow considerably in the coming years we are witnessing a clear shift from consumers towards online channels to shop for their grocery needs ecommerce has made this possible with its vast product selection panindia supply chain affordable payment constructs and postpurchase services we have also witnessed strong demand for online grocery from consumers in tier2 and tier3 markets driven by the need for highquality products and household items from reputed brands at a great value advt key challenges in the online grocery industry before the online grocery can come into its own it must navigate many challenges some of them are high storage and delivery costs higher operating losses ushering in a change in consumer habits and bridging the technology gap in rural markets there is incredible diversity in india understanding what the customers need from their household requirements on a daytoday basis and stocking that up and working with local sellers and farmers is imperative boosting infrastructure requirements of regional micro small and medium enterprises sellers and local farmers to get more comprehensive market access will also create a resilient and efficient ecosystem for online groceryfactors to be considered while building a farmtofork supply chainanother key challenge lies in the packaging management and delivery of fresh produce customers prefer buying fresh fruits and vegetables and the inability to do this can be detrimental to companies looking to build an online grocery business creating a farmtofork supply chain is critical to building a resilient and inclusive agribusiness supply chain for this partnerships should be forged with farmer producer organizations to enable the growth of local farming and market access for them training and building capacity for farmers will also bridge the gap between the farmers produce and the consumers needs ecommerce players must also work closely with food processors and sellers to create a holistic ecosystem enabling efficient delivery of produce from farm to fork advt another factor to be kept in mind is that value is one of the biggest drivers for consumers in buying groceries and considering alternatives in india 44 of consumers believe importance is critical in buying groceries consumers are looking for a balance between a reasonable price and good quality thus ecommerce players must provide customers with the best experience paired with easy accessibility affordability and convenience to meet their requirements for daily essentials while bringing muchneeded market access for farmers food processing companies and msmes companies must also build and scale up their