Startups, investors bet big on rural commerce

As Internet penetration deepens across rural India, consumerism in these regions is surging, drawing the attention of startups and venture capitalists eager to tap into this expanding market.

From online marketplaces and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands to logistics providers and retail software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms, a growing number of companies are targeting rural commerce as the next big growth frontier.