India Ecommerce

Most of the consumers still think Flipkart is the first e-commerce company in India. But the truth is Rediff, ebay and some other companies have been in the market much before these new companies. So why these early birds were not able to make an impact?

This may be due to various reasons.

1.   Easy internet access to consumers was missing in those days

2.   Less variety of products.

3.    Packaging Hygiene.

4.   Late Delivery.

5.    No Refund in case of bad products

6.    And last and the most important is “Marketing”.

The good tactic Flipkart used was to target the middle class consumers as they are aware that India is a price centric market and many people eye for discounts on FMCG and electronics products, instead of a branded “Swiss Knife”. After 2007, the ecommerce magma was hot and ready to erupt. Soon it did with companies like Snapdeal, Amazon and other small players, funded heavily by investors and gave a kick to the business.

We started buying most of our products from these sites at very attractive price. Of course who doesn't want to save money and time? To add to the convenience is doorstep delivery. So why did the local, small general store business failed and how come ecommerce companies are selling products with huge discounts? Its' simply because they buy in bulk quantities. This is the same story with other two giants Snapdeal and Amazon.

For example a local shop will purchase 50 toothpaste pieces as per consumption in his shop. A toothpaste MRP is Rs 50. On buying 50 pieces, let's say the wholesale price is Rs.48 or may be Rs.46. Since the shopkeeper also wants to make some profit; he would give a discount of one rupee to his few regular customers. But the case is different in case of supermarket and ecommerce companies. They buy 10k toothpaste tubes not from the wholesaler but directly from the company. For 10K tubes, the company will charge not more than Rs.35. In this case, they can easily slash the rate to Rs.10 but will still make profit.

Also, we all know that companies spend huge amount on marketing & promotion whereas that's not the case with local stores.

Another reason what I felt is lack of choices from local vendor along with bad service.

Remember those days when you got a bad battery from the local shop and he refused to exchange the product? I believe we all had our bad experiences. The best that the shop owner would do is to say “I will show it to the company dealer” blah blah blah and nothing happened after two days.

Ecommerce has given a leverage of returning the product in case of manufacturing defect, wrong size, color, and if in some case we don’t like the product.

However there is a dark side of the picture too. Ecommerce is full of fraud stories too! In one case, the customer got two mangos instead of a smart phone..Really! We are looking at a saturation level for this ecommerce bubble. New companies are popping up every day with attractive discounts. The reality is far from what they claim.

Most of the small ecommerce companies are selling first copy of brands, there supply chain department is not effective and many times not able to deliver the right product. In case of dispute, there is no proper customer service. Examples of such companies are-Shop clues, Industrybuying.com, Star CJ etc.

Sometimes back big IT companies like HP and Lenovo stopped all warranty services to products bought online because according to them they are killing their own retail business by selling it on a huge difference, but somehow it was sorted.  The one billion sale of Flipkart was in huge controversy between the consumers and also with other ecommerce companies. Some of the companies are even selling product directly from the local dealer or what they claim; in case of Flipkart they have their own company by the name of WS Retails.

I understand that we all want discount but at the same time, couple of things we have to keep in our mind before clicking on the payment option:

1.       Try to buy from a reputed company as chances of getting cheated will be low

2.       Try not to buy clothes and shoes as most of the time you will end up with a wrong size or color. It’s better if we buy these things from the retail outlet as we can always try the product.

3.       Electronic items like TV, Camera, and Cellphones must be purchased after doing a research on the warranty period from the day you receive the product.

4.       Before buying from a new site do read their return and exchange policy. I have encountered a company who have mentioned that some products are not refundable, but there actual terms and condition says “All products can be returned in 7 days”.

5.       Before making the payment make sure it’s a secure site. Do check for https:// and always use OTP.

Veg Chinese Choupsey.

I have never imagined that a silly experiment would turn to be a great dish! I christened it Veg Chinese Choupsey.

Wife made sandwiches for breakfast filled with mashed potatoes, raw onions and cucumber topped with black pepper and salt. The left over of the sandwich filling clicked in my mind and made me do an experiment which made this dish born.

Had some Masala Oats left in a container, which nobody touched since over a month. It did magic to the dish.

In a shallow pan, I dry roasted half a cup vermicelli with two spoons of masala oats, till they turned light brown. That gave a crispy twist to it. Then I mixed the sandwich filling with the roasted mixture. I chopped a medium sized onion and added it to the dish. Added a little water, stirred it, dropped in a scoop of vegetarian mayonnaise  and let it simmer for four to five minutes.

And the dish was ready in no time! With the first bite of the dish, my wife said it tasted like Chinese! Hence christened it Veg Chinese Choupsey. Trust me, it was superb. Atleast I was happy with my culinary experiment. 

 This is how the delicacy looked like- 

Home made Chinese Veg Choupsey

A lot more to experiment and treat my taste buds with. 

Stay tuned for more! 

Barbeque Nation-Sohna Road Gurgaon

"BBQN is better than any grill in NCR" this is what I here from everyone. After a huge "Tamasha" in CP Bar where I had the most disastrous experience and an attack from paid freeloaders, I decided to visit the famous Barbeque Nation at Sohna Road, Gurgaon with my wife to celebrate V day.  

As we entered the premises, the security informed us about free parking for BBQ guests. They have a well managed valet parking so that guests don't feel harassed to spot a parking place.

The manager at the reception greeted us with a smile and requested us to sit in the waiting corner for 5-10 minutes.  The wait was over soon and we got our seat. The first thing what I observed is the accurate height of the tables, suitable for everybody. The distance between the chairs and the Barbeque is within reach for four guests and the seats are also quite comfortable. Not to forget the cleanliness and hygiene.

There was a little glitch in the washroom of water shortage for which the manager apologized and came to me after few minutes to inform that it has been fixed. This is a perfect example that the staff is serious about every small  problem the guests face.

And now food time :) We got a very warm welcome from Biku, a very friendly staff who attended us. I opted for lemon ice tea and my wife settled for fresh lime in the complimentary drinks. They were refreshing and amazing. A surprise Valentine Cake was served to us. What could be more warm and sweet than this!  

Among the starters we had:  

Cajun spicy Patoto – Must have, the taste is awesome full 5 on 5

Paneer Malai Tikka- Good 4 on 5

Labanese grill Veg- 4/5

Barbeque Pinaple-3/5

Chilli Corn Steak3/5

Veg Kabab-4.5/5

I hope my wife can give much better reviews on Veg and I dug in most into non-veg food

Non Veg Starters

Peri Peri Chicken- 5/5

Tandoori Tangri-4.5/5

Moroccon Seekh Kabab-5/5

Were also served with sweet Bread which was fresh and soft yes of course tastes pleasant. We enjoyed our Barbeque.

The courteous staff made sure that guests are happy and satisfied. So they went to each table and asked for feedback. They also offered to customize food in case someone wanted. The staff was on the toes singing songs for guests celebrating their anniversary or birthdays.

Then it was time for main course. I can only write for non veg; I am sure my better half had the same experience with veg.

Non Veg

Chicken Dum Biryani Masala-4/5

Burani Ghost- 5/5

Nimbu Makhan Ka Murg-4.5/5

Fish and Hot Garlic Sauce- 5/5

Out of the above I am in love with Burani Ghost and Fish and Hot garlic Sauce. We were almost full but as a true Indian we always have reserve for sweets. Desserts had an amazing variety and the taste drove us crazy J

 

Walnut Brownie with peanuts-5/5

Phirnee-5/5

Pan Icecream with Gulkand and Khas Syrup-5/5

Angoori Gulab Zamun-4.5/5

Charlotte de Royal mango cake-5/5

Out of all the Pan Ice Cream and Phirnee was out of this world.  It seems desserts were prepared by experienced chef because they were not overloaded with sweets unlike the regular Indian sweets.

As we finished our heavenly lunch, and were preparing to leave, in came the last surprise of the day. The floor manager came with a camera and took a picture of us together. I assumed it would be for their wall or soft board display. While waiting for our car to arrive, the manager came back with the hard copy of our picture nicely framed.  

Conclusion- The overall experience was beyond words. We met with very friendly staff and honest gestures from them. The food, the ambience, staff all were excellent.

Good Job BBQN. We surely will come again.

Informal Bar- Janpath

I was invited for a food bloggers meet with my wife to Informal in CP, on 19th December'15. As we entered, i couldn't resist taking pictures because of the beautiful aesthetics. The ceiling was lit up with colorful light bulbs and the old wooden work on the walls was quite attractive. They also have two barber chairs to surprise guests with Vodka shots.

They also have a very unique concept of lockers in which the guest can lock their half finished liquor and recollect on next visit. That earns them a brownie point!

 
The staff was really quick and very courteous. Even the managers are very nice and they ensured that no guest was unattended .Not every restaurant has a staff always smiling :) They have a live DJ performing with good foot tapping numbers. Informal's ground floor is big enough to accommodate around 70-80 people. The first floor is again spacious with terrace bar was well. The first floor space is good for 20-30 guests.

The food was not that great but "OK". The chicken bites in charcoal tasted good but I missed the smoky flavor. The mojito was average again. Bread basket with herbs butter was nice. We tried Dahi Kabab in starters which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

The place also offered live sufi music on weekly basis and I am sure that is very unique. I would love to go there next time to enjoy an evening with music and beer. Overall we are satisfied with the service and food considering the fact that Informal is new in the industry. I will give them 4/5. It is a must visit place for a Friday evening party.

Manali Trip- Day 2

Next morning I woke up little early to catch some early morning images. I managed to capture some beautiful images of the nature around. The first light on mountains and trees felt like inner bliss. Had to climb an unstable stair to capture good images.

Our taxi was right on time to pick us. It was a neat cab and not to forget the friendly driver. We started sharp at 8:30 am to avoid traffic later. The road towards Rohtang was narrow and controlled by the Indian Army. I also realized as we ascended the hills, the oxygen level also depleted. After a ride of more than 2 hours we reached our destination. It was almost deserted! This was because of the adventure activity ban and also because we reached early. I had to face a huge disappointment as there was no snow. The only white land we could spot was very high.

We trekked up the vertical hills, stumbling on the rocky path and struggling with low oxygen. I tried to push my limits but it had become impossible. I was on a verge of collapsing! I am not fat but not fit either for this kind of situation. I did manage to climb a good height but not enough to touch the snow.  I then decided to descend as it was going beyond my stamina.

 The good part was the beautiful mountain, playful clouds and scenic beauty! I captured few good images there.

We drove to Solang Valley from Rohtang. We stopped for lunch at Marhi village, the last village before Rohtang. A small Buddhist temple decorated with colorful flags opposite to the eating spot attracted us and we entered the premises. Along the road was a herd mountain sheep with their owners.  There was also a small stack of stones which seemed like an offering to the GOD’s of the valley. Every click was beautiful. Lest I should have missed those moments. We also experienced clouds blocking our road and that was the 1^st time I experienced something like that. It was magical to see clouds such close! I could not take many pictures because moisture from clouds would damage my cam lenses.

We arrived in Solang Valley after 45 minutes.  As expected, there wasn’t much rush because of the ban on snow activities. The only attraction left there is the rope way trolley to ferry you to a hill top. The 10 minute ride was costly-  Rs.500 each. It was my 1^st experience in a ropeway so didn’t want to miss that.  

The ride was great and soon we reached the top. We spent some time with a cup of tea amid the raw nature. Initially we thought the only way to reach there was the rope way but soon we discovered horse foot marks and dung. So there was a different way in.

We spent almost an hour and then again turned back to the ropeway down.  I click some more pics and we returned to our hotel.

 We also got a chance to Visit Manu Temple. This is only temple of Manu Rishi, legend says that he is the creator of human race in India.

 From the very beginning of this trip I was trying to locate a small forest (as seen on google map) with some birds but unable to locate it as the locals said that there was no forest. The only one is situated on the highway which is far. But something I saw all the time on our way to hotel was a small building with visitors all the time. Since our bus was scheduled for departure at 4:30pm, we had ample time post1pm.  So we thought to spent rest of our time on Mall Road. Again while crossing the same building I thought to have a look and “bingo” it was actually a small forest. A dream came true as I was entered the forest cum bird zoo. A peaceful and mesmerizing place it was! The forest was not big but still very beautiful and full of trees. We enjoyed our walk in the forest. As we entered little deep inside we spotted some cages with Himalyan birds. They are Himalayan Monal with peacock like neck and duck shaped body. The exuberant colors of the Monal were beautiful.

 

That was the end to our Manali trip. I hope to help some backpackers with this blog.

Manali Trip-Day 1

If you plan for a short trip to escape the city hustle, then make it to a hill station away from traffic pollution and noise. Keeping this philosophy in mind my wife and I planned for a trip to Manali in September 2015.

The first step is to book an economical hotel as most of the time we venture out and the only time spent in a hotel room is at night while sleeping or getting ready in morning. So spending on a luxury room makes no sense. A colleague at my wife’s office suggested a budget hotel “Rohtang Mansuli” located near to circuit house. In the first glance at the pictures online I fell in love with the surroundings of the hotel with a big garden with beautiful flowers. The hotel is partially covered with plants which gives a very nice tree house look. We booked our hotel tickets from Chandralok building. A piece of advice- to book tickets of Govt operated Volvos as they are punctual and trusted. Also they don’t have odd pick up points. We headed to Himachal Tourism Bhawan (Mandi House, Delhi) for Volvo tickets. Yes I know we can book online but we wanted to keep it safe because last minute surprises are always bad.

We had planned for a 3 day trip as 1 full day is good enough for Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley until you indulgence in adventure sports. Post a 13 hour tiring Volvo ride, we made it to Manali bus stand by 11am.  The walk towards our hotel which was not even 2 km was an endurance task because the roads are inclined upwards. With each step we lost our energy and oxygen considering the heavy travel bags on our back.

Rohtang Manalsu’s rooms were decent with basic facilities and a non-working television in one corner. Post a quick lunch and nap, we were back in shape and ready for our first sightseeing. Half day was already gone so we toured Hidimba Devi temple and Mall road, as they were within a radius of 2 Km from our hotel.

The way towards Hidimba Devi Temple is full of Deodar trees. Picturesque and serene, the walk was mesmerizing with sunshine playing in the cover of leaves and clouds posing for the shutterbugs. The temple premises is located amid huge trees and greenery. At a first look it seemed more of an old Japanese house. The outer walls was decorated with skulls of wild animals mostly deer and mountain sheep. The best part was due to its location most tourists avoid visiting the temple or miss it assuming it to be a usual Hindu temple. But the surrounding is marvelous. As we entered the small temple, the lovely fragrance of scented sticks greeted our senses. The temple is peaceful and quiet.

The small forest surrounding the temple is also something what I couldn’t miss. The forest premises was absolutely peaceful inside the lush green forest. The sound of water from nearby river just added to the beauty of the place.

 

Ladies with mountain rabbits thronged the place lending the animals for pictures at rupees twenty to pose for pictures; don’t understand how they are doing it because it is not permitted under the wildlife protection act. We also encountered a foreigner sitting with a snake and renting it for picture. Imagine a lady like her giving us tips for good luck who looked like she lost all of her money in drugs! People will also try to sell local sex boosters like shilajit and herbs for hair growth. Ttrust me they will also give you 100% guarantee for the result.

We reached Mall road after 20 minute walk from Hidimba Devi Temple. Mall road is small and full of local shops mostly selling foods and souvenirs. One can also pick local clothes like the famous Himachali cap.

 

We heard about the worth visiting Tibetan Monastery on Mall Road. My excitement knew no bounds since it was my first experience. The place is very beautiful and calm. The main entrance of the temple was “guarded” with very friendly dogs. My wife was like n heaven as those dogs were super cute and cuddly. I also experienced turning the prayer wheel chanting the mantra which my wife taught me. She even clicked a selfie with one of the dogs.

 

 

 

On our way back we went to the office of Himachal taxi union to book a taxi to Rohtang pass and Solang valley. We found a very honest driver and he broke a shocking piece of news to us. All activities in Rohtang and Solang were terminated by the National Green Tribunal court and the only activity left was the ropeway in Solang Valley. He agreed to ferry us to both the places in Rs.1500. Due to the restrictions, tourism has dropped in Manali and hence the huge discount on fares. He even told us about AAP campaign by the name of “Himachal Bachao” to help the local taxi drivers. We planned the itenary for the next day and agreed to leave from hotel at 8:30 am next morning.

I felt something different when I returned to the hotel room. There was complete silence. We city residents are not used to such silence so it was little strange for me. But honestly it was very relaxing.

Next morning I woke up little early to catch some early morning images. I managed to capture some beautiful images of hills, trees and also the hotel garden. The first light of the Sun on mountains and trees felt like inner bliss.

Day two of the trip coming soon...