Hyderabad, December 16, 2023: T-Hub-incubated start-up Chotu today unveiled chotu QR code, where customers can search, browse, add to cart and place order. After receiving an order, the shopkeeper can send a bill and take payments, just like real-life. Pakka local, Pakka online! All this can happen directly on WhatsApp, in Telugu or any Indian language.
The launch event was graced by Sri M Srinivasa Rao (MSR), CEO of T-Hub as the chief guest. Joining him were distinguished guests Wing Commander Anthony Anish, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at T-Hub, and Dr. Shanta Thoutam, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) at Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) along with the founders of chotu founders Y Ravi and Vamshi Panjala.
More than 1000 shops like kiranas, bakeries, fruits and vegetables vendors in Telangana & AP have already gone online. Anyone can visit chotu.com and create an instant online shop for free. No documents required, just WhatsApp is enough. After the free trial period, monthly rental starts from just ₹99, a welcome break from high shop rents we often hear.
Speaking at the launch event, Sri M Srinivasa Rao, CEO, T-Hub said. ”At T-Hub, we want to empower entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. There are an estimated 1.3 Crore kirana shops alone in India. PhonePe and PayTM have 3.5 Crore merchants each. While UPI democratised digital payments, there is a clear digital divide on the e-commerce front. We believe chotu can bridge that digital divide”.
Y Ravi, co-founder of chotu said, “At chotu our vision is to empower every local shop to go online. Trust & convenience are their inherent strengths. When coupled with our simple tech, they become unbeatable. Ordering, billing and payment feels like a WhatsApp chat. The flexibility of pricing, sourcing and payment gives the local shops total control over their business”.
Vamshi Panjala, co-founder of chotu concluded, “The chotu QR can convert walkins into repeat online customers seamlessly. Hyderabad is the birthplace for pan-India movies. Inspired by this we are launching in Telugu states first, but very soon we will launch shops for all Indian languages”.
Both Ravi and Vamshi graduated from IIM Bangalore, and have earlier studied at IIT Delhi & Osmania. They have over 30 years leadership experience at Microsoft, airtel and Jio. They are determined to empower every local shop, go online. chotu can indeed change the local shopping experience in India.
