Quick commerce a challenge to retailers, will become political issue: Kotak

Financial services veteran Uday Kotak discusses the impact of quick commerce on retailers and the need for Indian competitiveness.

Financial services industry veteran Uday Kotak on Thursday (November 15, 2024) said the successful quick commerce (Q-Com) trade poses a challenge to retailers and will become a political issue.

Speaking at an event, Kotak also pitched for Indian businesses becoming more competitive in a "free and fair trade".

"Q-Com has a challenge to the local retailer and it is a challenge which will come to the political front," he said in comments that come a day after the listing of Swiggy, a prominent name in the Q-Com side.

The founder and non-executive director of private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank said India is a unique country in the world where quick service retail has succeeded, unlike in most other parts of the world where this model has not been as effective.

This is a positive sign, where Indian innovation is working on the ground and some of this value creation is indeed real and sustainable, he said.

However, India is yet to deliver consumer brands like Apple, Meta, Unilever etc which are a key feature in any developed country or region, Kotak said, exhorting Indian businesses to focus on product and creativity.

Kotak also said that the protection for domestic players in the domestic market is "very dangerous" from a long-term competitiveness perspective.