Why everyone loves an all-in-one app

Short video app Chingari’s founder Sumit Ghosh recently said he doesn’t want his app to just be an entertainment platform like Tiktok, but wants to build a ‘super app’ like a Wechat that can meet all the digital needs of users, including entertainment, education, and e-commerce.

“If you’re just a short-video app, people will come on your platform for a short time. To become a part of someone’s life, we want to provide more than just entertainment,” says Ghosh. The rise of e-commerce in India is making Indian behemoths such as the Tatas to build their own version of all-in-one superapps. The intent, say experts, is to increase customer base while retaining existing ones, especially in the consumer -business.

For a consumer, superapps are apps within an app that offer multifaceted experiences, save phone space, and provide access to a plethora of services.

“Tatas have already done a superapp model not in the online but in the offline world. They sell everything from salt, steel, apparel, gold to buildings. A superapp approach is an obvious step for them as they can maximise their revenue from this user base,” says Rahul Singh, CEO and cofounder at influential marketing firm Winkl.

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio, which entered a $5.7-billion deal with Whatsapp owner Facebook, is also building its own digital empire through Jiomart. Reliance Retail also acquired a majority equity stake in Chennai-based online pharmacy delivery start-up Netmeds for ~620 crore and a 15 per cent stake in online lingerie brand Zivame recently. “Superapps are easy to use, friction-free, and functional. From a marketing perspective, you already have an audience to market to, as well as a wealth of data that will help you shape the right offering and pitch it to the right people at the right time,” says Somdutta Singh, founder and CEO of e-commerce management firm Assiduus. However, getting users onto these superapps will not be easy, as the market already has strong players such as Amazon, Bigbasket, Zomato, Swiggy, Makemytrip, and Bookmyshow.

Several firms have tried their hands at this but have failed, with only a few, such as Paytm, gaining traction.