Social Selling and Commerce

ChatGPT just picked up your UPI pin, and India is watching. Imagine: you ask a chatbot, “Order my usual groceries,” and instead of redirecting you to an app, it says: “Done. Payment processed. On its way.” That’s no sci-fi. That’s the new pilot from National Payments Corporation of India (National Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI)), Razorpay and OpenAI turning ChatGPT into a full-blown shopping agent. Reuters+2 Entrepreneur+2 Here’s how it works: You tell ChatGPT: “Buy ingredients for a Thai-style curry from bigbasket.” The AI scans the catalogue, shows options, and you tap “Yes”. It completes the order using UPI (via NPCI’s network + Razorpay’s stack) without you leaving the chat. mint And yes, your safety, tracking & cancellation are in the fine print. You remain in control. Gadgets 360 Why this matters: The UPI network in India already processes 20 billion+ transactions monthly. This is the new layer. Reuters+1 “Agentic payments” = AI, with your pre-authorisation, buying on your behalf. Not just clicks, but conversations. Entrepreneur Banking partners like Axis Bank & Airtel Payments Bank are already in. Business Standard+1 But here’s where the alarm bells ring for CXOs, fintech leaders, and brand strategists: Are you ready for a world where discovery + payment = one chat, no app switch? How will your brand show up inside a conversational agent instead of a screen of icons? What happens when control shifts: you consent once, and the agent acts multiple times? And yes, sharing payment/bank details with AI means zero friction but max trust required. So, let’s ask the tough question: Will you hand over your wallet to a chatbot or stay glued to multi-app chaos? Bold ask to the innovators: If you’re working on AI payments, conversational commerce, or CX disruption, let’s talk. Because this pilot isn’t just a feature; it’s a frontier. #AI #ConversationalCommerce #Fintech #UPI #AgenticPayments #ChatGPT #Razorpay #NPCI #OpenAI #CustomerExperience #Innovation #DigitalPayments #CXStrategy #PilotProject #NextGenCX #Linkedinreads

I've been reflecting on one major trend from last year that I feel will be hard to ignore in 2025: Gen Z’s relationship with brands and social media. This generation doesn’t just consume content, they drive it. And they do so with a level of authenticity and transparency that demands our attention. For Gen Z, brand loyalty isn’t built on flashy ads or influencer endorsements alone. It’s about values. It’s about knowing what the brand stands for and aligning with causes they care about: be it sustainability, inclusivity, or social justice. Here’s how I’ve been thinking about this shift as an entrepreneur: For Gen Z, being true to themselves is really important. They want brands that embrace uniqueness and support personal expression. To connect with them, we need to be authentic and offer products and messages that let them express who they really are. Social Media is the New Word of Mouth: If you’re not engaging in the conversations Gen Z is having on social media, you’re missing out. They trust their peers and online communities more than traditional advertising, and their feedback is immediate and powerful. Experience Over Projection: For this generation, it’s not just about seeing an ad but engaging with a brand in a meaningful way. Whether through personalized experiences, interactive campaigns, or exclusive content, creating a connection is more valuable than ever. Gen Z is not just shaping the future of business but is redefining what it means to build loyalty and trust. Is your brand ready for this shift?

₹800 Crore Beverage Playbook: How an Auto Driver Built a Cola Empire Without Ads India doesn’t have a beverage problem; it's a distribution problem. 1. Old model: Celebrity endorsements, massive ad budgets, urban-first strategy, and premium pricing. 2. New model: Kirana-first distribution, zero ad dependency, local taste engineering and aggressive pricing. This shift is powered by Sathya Shankar through SG Corporation. ✅ THE NUMBERS 1. Revenue: ₹800 Cr 2. Retail reach: 100,000+ outlets 3. Manufacturing: 4+ plants 4. Pricing: 30–40% lower than MNCs 5. Retailer margins: 15–20% higher than competitors Low price for consumers. High margin for retailers. ✅ The Real Insight: Distribution Beats Branding Global giants sell aspiration. Shankar sold availability. Always in stock. Always chilled. Always visible. - Because in India, if it’s not in the fridge, it doesn’t exist. This is shelf-share economics, not mindshare. ✅ Where the Real Money Is Made 1. Product doesn’t build beverage brands. Distribution does. Focus on Tier 2 & Tier 3 markets. Deep kirana penetration. Strong retailer incentives & retailer chooses what sells fastest. And what earns them more 2. Result: Front-row fridge placement. Every time. That’s the moat. ✅ Hyper-Local Advantage 1. While MNCs globalize taste, SG localises it. Jeera soda for Indian palate Strong, spicy flavour profiles are designed for heat & mass consumption. This is not adaptation. This is native product design. 2. Because Indian consumers don’t want subtle. They want impact. ✅ Origin Advantage The early years weren’t a struggle. They're training. 1. Auto driving → understanding demand patterns 2. Distribution work → learning last-mile logistics 3. Saving capital → building ground-up knowledge ✅ Hidden Moat: Retail Economics - Why do kirana stores push this brand? Simple: They earn more. Higher margins vs global brands. Faster inventory turnover. Local supply reliability - In FMCG, the retailer is the real gatekeeper. Win the retailer → win the market. - Luxury purchases like Rolls-Royce or Bentley aren’t just indulgences. They are signals. Builds supplier trust, unlocks credit lines and creates a perception of scale. In business, perception is leverage, and leverage drives growth. - SG Corporation is now upgrading AI-led logistics tracking, real-time bottle return systems & lower glass logistics cost. - Plus: Entry into packaged snacks. - Target: ₹1,500 Crore scale This is moving from beverage brand → FMCG platform. ✅ Let me share the #Rajspectives 1. Distribution is the real moat in FMCG. 2. Retailers decide winners, not ads. 3. Local taste beats global branding. 4. Margins drive placement. Placement drives sales. 5. Solve for the mass market, and scale follows. Sathya Shankar didn’t try to beat Coca-Cola or Pepsi at branding. He beat them at availability. Because in India, the brand that reaches the smallest shop. Controls the biggest market. #india #fmcg #business #startups #distribution #strategy

In retail, many chase the next big thing—a new style, a new way to reach consumers—triggering a frantic race to adopt. But most trends fade as fast as they appear. The real game-changers are curated habits that prove they can stand the test of time. I’ve championed social commerce as the future of retail for over a decade. In hindsight, that barely scratches the surface. It’s now a deeply ingrained consumer behavior. The imperative isn’t just to adopt it, but to evolve with it—constantly and intentionally. At HSN, social commerce was core to our strategy. We pioneered the blend of shopping and entertainment. That’s the essence: finding the sweet spot where entertainment, connection, and commerce converge. Soon after, platforms like Twitch began enabling users to both game and shop in real time, blending entertainment with commerce. Fanatics has successfully leaned into this model as well, immersing fans in live experiences while showcasing gear in action, often worn by their favorite athletes and community, turning fandom into a powerful trust signal. More recently, TikTok Shop collapsed the purchase funnel into a single scroll. It's no longer discover, then buy. Now, it’s see it, want it, buy it—seamlessly, in-platform. So, as we look ahead, how do I see this "social commerce habit" evolving? Here's what I expect: 🔹 Creator Integration is Non-Negotiable. For Gen Z, in particular, TikTok Shop has become a primary discovery engine. They trust their favorite creators to genuinely try products and offer honest feedback. The more brands lean into authentic partnerships with creators, the more trust they build in this integrated shopping experience. It’s about relationship-driven commerce. 🔹 Embrace a Zero-Click World. Speed and simplicity are paramount. Consumers need to be able to see, buy, and receive as fast as humanly possible. This means minimal clicks, minimal friction, and no moments for reconsideration. It's about instant gratification and removing all barriers between desire and ownership. 🔹 Elevate Live Shopping. This is a powerful return to the personal connection and real-time interaction that defined the best of traditional retail. Shoppable videos and live sessions transform social media into a personalized shopping aisle. Imagine experts demonstrating products, showing how they fit or can be styled, all in real-time, tailored to your interests. It brings humanity back to digital retail. 🔹 Unlock the Power of Virtual Try-Ons. A longstanding hurdle in e-commerce is "try before you buy." AI-enabled virtual try-on features solves that, making online shopping more immersive and convenient. This translates directly into higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and customers spending more valuable time interacting with your brand digitally. It’s time to stop treating social commerce like a trend. This is commerce, full stop. It’s a fundamental consumer behavior that belongs at the center of every modern retail strategy.

Creator economy: What your beauty brand needs to know. The beauty industry has surpassed $600 billion globally and continues to grow. But the real engine of growth isn’t glossy ads or celebrity endorsements anymore. It’s digital-first creators. The creator economy was valued at $203.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.18 trillion by 2030. There are over 400 million creators worldwide as of 2024. →Today’s CONSUMER. Gen Z and Gen Alpha trust creators far more than brands or traditional celebrities. The “viral sellout effect” is real, one authentic video can empty global inventories, as seen with Dior Lip Oil or Rare Beauty blush. These generations are experimental buyers, willing to try new products based on creator recommendations. For you as managers, this means creators aren’t just marketing partners, they drive real demand. →Behind creation, STRATEGY. Building a creator strategy starts with defining your brand’s core values, target audience, and unique positioning, then selecting the right mix of creators, from nano to celebrity, to amplify your message. Focus on authentic, engaging content that resonates with your audience, and choose platforms that align with your market. Leading the strategy requires clear goals, consistent communication, and performance tracking through metrics like engagement, conversions, and earned media value. →Partnership MODELS: Treat creators as partners, nurture long-term relationships, and adapt campaigns strategy based on trends and feedback to ensure sustained impact and growth. +Sponsored content to boost awareness. +Affiliate programs and discount codes to drive measurable sales. +Co-branded or creator-led product lines, as seen with Fenty, Rare or Rhode. +Live shopping and social commerce: TikTok, Instagram, and Douyin. +User-generated content (UGC) that can be repurposed as high-performing advertising. →Metrics BUSINESS. +Conversion rate: Which creators actually drive purchases? +Earned Media Value (EMV): What is the dollar value of organic mentions? +Virality cycle: How long does a product remain relevant after hype? +Engagement rate: Are audiences interacting deeply through comments, shares, and saves? Bottom line. Creators are no longer a supplementary tactic, instead of top-down advertising, demand now comes from authentic, relatable voices at the grassroots level. For you as managers and founders, the is clear: build a creators strategy, track meaningful results, and long-term partnerships. This is how beauty brands win in a creator-driven market. Find my curated search and get inspired for your next successful launch. Featured brands: Rhode #beautybusiness #beautyprofessionals #luxurybusiness #luxuryprofessionals #genZ

Myntra stopped paying influencers upfront, yet their creator revenue doubled in 12 months. While most brands pay influencers upfront, track impressions, and hope sales follow, Myntra flipped the model entirely. They didn't chase traditional influencers with brand deals. They turned 3.5 million customers into creators who started posting about products they already owned. Here's how it actually works: 📍 Customer buys a product they like  📍 They post about it on social media  📍 When someone purchases through their content, they get a percentage based commission from that sale   The scale Myntra reached: → 160,000 influencers post Myntra-linked content monthly  → 9 billion impressions generated off-app every month  → 3 million user-generated posts on the platform What surprised me? A majority of Myntra’s growth now comes from non‑metro cities, with about 65% of new users outside the big metros. This model scaled because users who engage with creator content are 25% more likely to buy, and also since all creator payouts are commission-linked, no huge marketing spend. In FY24, creator-led sales contributed ~5% of Myntra's revenue. In FY25 year, it doubled to 10%. Myntra plans to grow from 3.5 million to 10 million creators by 2026. The revenue share from social commerce is expected to double again next year. For brands still debating whether creator commerce is worth the investment, the numbers are already speaking. It is indeed easier for a marketplace to do this, but lot of learnings for brands. What percentage of your brand's sales is influenced by creator content today? Is your brand still paying for reach or paying for results?

���𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: dLocal just launched dMoRe. Its own Merchant of Record solution for emerging markets. And it's a real move beyond payment processing. Here's what's happening: dLocal already runs the payment rails across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and LatAm. Now it's adding the legal, tax and compliance layer on top, so global brands can sell locally without setting up their own entities in every country. Starting with Gaming and SaaS. A few things that stand out: • Market entry from up to a year → up to 8 weeks • Built on dLocal's own rails, not a 3rd-party processor • 1,000+ local payment methods (Pix, GCash) • Conversion uplifts of up to 25% • Local processing volume growth over 100% Why this matters: Emerging markets added 109 million people to the global consumer class in 2024 alone. In LatAm, 74% of online transactions already cross borders. The demand is already there. The operational setup is what slows brands down. Deloitte says global enterprises spend up to 70% of their expansion effort just managing regulatory hurdles. 💬 "Most merchants think of Merchant of Record as a back-office fix. It's actually a growth lever." André Canú, VP of Growth at dLocal. dLocal started as a way to collect payments in hard markets. Now it wants to be the way in. Source/more info: https://lnkd.in/djrNu3UV Find this helpful? [ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ] Anything to add about this subject? [𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁] Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

This is the second agentic commerce announcement in just a few days — this time in India, after ChatGPT’s instant checkout rollout in the US. Commerce is moving from conversational to autonomous. Just a week ago, OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT where checkout happens in the chat itself, without redirecting to a website. Now, India has unveiled its own version of agentic commerce. Razorpay, one of India’s leading payments platforms, announced a private beta of Agentic Payments in partnership with NPCI — the organization behind the country’s instant payments network, UPI — and OpenAI. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: • A user can set spending limits — for example, authorizing the AI to make grocery purchases up to ₹2,000. • The AI identifies the relevant products, checks availability, and prepares the order. • Once within the approved limit, the payment is processed securely over UPI, without the need for a PIN, OTP, or app switch. •The spending authority can be changed, capped, or revoked at any time. In effect, this turns the AI into a trusted payment agent, handling low-value, routine transactions within clearly defined boundaries. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂��� is the level of delegation and the underlying infrastructure: • In Instant Checkout, the user still confirms each purchase, and payments are handled through traditional rails like Stripe. • In India’s pilot, payments flow through UPI and rely on new capabilities that let users pre-authorize transactions safely. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲: bringing the entire buying journey — discovery, decision, and payment — into a single, intelligent conversation. But the Indian pilot goes one step further: it tests whether consumers are ready to trust AI with completing real payments — within defined limits and on regulated, national infrastructure. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀: • Payments today still require a human in the loop. Even if an AI system can find the right product or best deal, it has to stop at checkout and wait for the user to confirm — by entering a PIN, typing an OTP, or approving the transaction in an app. • That extra step keeps things secure but breaks the continuity of an AI-driven experience. The process remains intelligent up to the point of execution — and human thereafter. • Agentic payments remove that bottleneck. They introduce a framework where users can pre-authorize small, low-risk transactions, allowing the system to complete them securely, independently, and instantly. Two announcements. In just a few days. Agentic commerce is moving faster than most of us realize. Opinions: my own Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

India's digital economy added ₹21,000 crore from YouTube alone, and this is just the beginning! YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced they've paid Indian creators over ₹21,000 crore in 3 years and will invest ₹850 crore more by 2027. The investment is not only giving economic benefits, but it's also transforming content quality. You must've noticed changes like: ● Technical Guruji (Gaurav Chaudhary) evolved from tech reviews to a full production house with 30+ staff ● Gaurav Taneja (Flying Beast) transformed from smartphone vlogs to multi-camera studio setups with professional editing teams ● Bhuvan Bam (BB Ki Vines) expanded from solo sketches to a team of 15+ professionals producing high-budget web series This quality leap shows in the remarkable numbers: ➡ 100 million active Indian channels uploading content ➡ 15,000+ channels with more than 1 million subscribers ➡ 45 billion hours of global watch time for Indian content  ➡ Top earners are T-Series (₹550+ crore annually), CarryMinati (₹32 crore yearly), and and Technical Guruji (₹40 crore yearly) The numbers show how being distinctly Indian actually drives global viewership. For example, Nick (Beyounick) got 100M+ views by bringing Mumbai street humor to international audiences. With the creator economy booming, even traditional brands can build significant audiences. Taking inspiration from the success of creator-led brands, here are 3 practical steps for your business: 📍 Documenting your craftsmanship and processes for global audiences ➤  The Souled Store, with 16K YouTube subscribers, effectively documents the design collaborations and production glimpses behind their pop culture merchandise for a wider audience. 📍 Creating educational content around your expertise. ➤  Zero 1 by Zerodha, with 481K subscribers, simplifies complex investing concepts. 📍 Building revenue streams from both physical and digital versions of your offering ➤ Bombay Shaving Company’s founder interviews creators and entrepreneurs on their channel 'The Barbershop with Shantanu,' with 400,000+ subscribers, blending commerce and community. You need to make your product twice, once in your factory and then through your story, as both matter now. Ever thought about turning your business process into content? #DigitalEconomy #CreatorEconomy #BusinessStrategy #GlobalMarkets

Creators are becoming the new endcap - the curated, can’t‑miss displays you see at the end of the aisle where discovery, impulse and delight meet convenience. IAB projects U.S. creator ad spend will reach $37B in 2025, growing nearly 4× faster than total media - and eMarketer expects U.S. social commerce to pass $100B in 2026.   That’s more than a trend. The creator economy has moved from experiment to essential. It’s a fundamental shift in how people discover and buy.   But the real shift in 2026 won’t be just more spend on creators. It will be where and how they show up.   In the future, leading creators won’t only influence what people see in their feeds. They’ll work alongside brands to influence what products get made, how they’re presented on the digital shelf, and how they appear in retail media and in stores.   At Walmart, we’re leaning into that through Walmart Creator, which connects creators directly to our assortment and our customers. In my role, I get to see the full picture: when a creator partnership works, when they really connect with their audience with curated shopping experiences, we don’t just see a spike in engagement - we see a deepened loyalty. #BigIdeas2026