In India, small businesses are
everywhere — the corner mechanic, the neighbourhood caterer, the tuition
teacher next door. Together, they power the bulk of our economy. Yet when it
comes to being discovered in the digital age, they are often left stranded.
Traditional directories like
JustDial once promised visibility, but their relevance is fading. Revenues have
swung dramatically in recent years, margins have been volatile, and their
pay-per-lead model feels increasingly mismatched with the cash flows of small
traders. Even when results appear, they are often one-way — a name and number,
with little scope for genuine engagement or trust-building.
At the same time, the promise of
artificial intelligence hasn’t yet solved the discovery gap. Large AI models
are extraordinary at general knowledge, but they stumble on local context:
opening hours that change daily, stock that sells out by evening, or promotions
that vary by neighbourhood. For a customer looking for a plumber who can come
today or a florist still open after 9pm, “hallucinated” answers are more
frustrating than helpful.
The Invisible Majority
This gap matters because a
staggering number of small businesses remain digitally invisible. Research
suggests more than 40% lack any meaningful online presence, and among those who
try, most describe digital marketing as expensive or too complex. In metros,
this invisibility might be offset by big chains and aggregators. But in tier-2
and tier-3 cities, where local shops and services are the true lifeline, the
mismatch between consumer demand and digital supply is glaring.
Consumers are certainly looking.
Nearly half of Google searches today have a local intent, and “near me” queries
have grown more than fivefold in recent years. But the infrastructure to serve
those searches is broken. Traditional directories haven’t adapted. Social media
platforms aren’t designed for real-time service discovery. And AI, in its
current form, isn’t reliable enough to be the answer.
Meeting People Where They Already Are
This is why discovery needs a
reset. The future will not be about yet another app download — especially in a
country where most people use only a handful of apps consistently and suffer from
“app fatigue.” Instead, the answer lies in embedding discovery where people
already spend their digital lives: conversational platforms, messaging spaces,
and lightweight tools that feel natural rather than burdensome.
Here, new players are stepping in.
One example is Bino, a WhatsApp-native discovery platform designed to
bridge small businesses with local customers. Unlike directories that simply
list contacts, Bino allows businesses to participate in two powerful
ways:
- Instant Listings & Bookings: A business can add its
products or services so customers can directly view and book them.
- Real-Time Offers & Deals: More interestingly,
businesses can respond instantly to customer searches with their own
offers — turning discovery into a live negotiation and making deals
dynamic and contextual.
For a shopkeeper in Indore or a
salon in Guwahati, this means being discoverable without complex websites or ad
budgets — and doing so through the same WhatsApp interface they already use
daily.
AI as an Equaliser
What makes this moment different
from earlier attempts is the maturity of AI as an enabler rather than a
replacement. When integrated thoughtfully, AI can help small businesses
manage conversations, respond in multiple languages, and keep information
updated without hiring a marketing agency. For customers, it means a more
intuitive search — asking a question in natural language and being connected to
a relevant, available local business in seconds.
In this sense, platforms like
Bino are not just discovery tools but equalizers. They lower the barriers for
the smallest of businesses to be seen, heard, and chosen in an AI-driven world.
And they do so in ways that are affordable and accessible — critical in a
country where small margins make or break livelihoods.
A Market Ready for Change
The Indian location-based
services market is already worth $1.52 billion and projected to triple by 2030.
That growth will not be captured by yesterday’s models. Instead, it will belong
to platforms that recognise three truths:
- Small businesses need discovery to be simple.
- Consumers want discovery to be conversational
and real-time.
- AI must work in service of local context, not
in abstraction.
The Way Forward
India is at a turning point in
how local businesses are discovered. The past — dominated by static directories
and keyword search — is losing relevance. The present — with its AI experiments
and app fatigue — is transitional. The future will be conversational,
AI-enabled, and rooted in everyday platforms.
Whether it is a tailor in Jaipur,
a driving school in Bengaluru, or a dentist in Lucknow, discovery must move
from being a headache to being a lifeline. The tools that succeed will be those
that make technology feel invisible — where a small business owner doesn’t have
to learn marketing jargon or manage dashboards, but can simply do what they’ve
always done: serve customers.
That is why the emergence of
WhatsApp-native and AI-assisted discovery platforms like Bino is more than a
business story. It is a chance to reimagine how India’s local businesses, long
underserved in the digital era, finally get the visibility they deserve.