WOMEN - THE NEW DECISION MAKER OF RURAL INDIAN HOUSEHOLD It is a known fact that rural India is a growing market with a large potential customer base.

Companies are still figuring ways to enter and grow here.

In urban India, only 21% of women are working.2.Many women buy things on their own.3.An astounding 84% travel outside their village to the main headquarters to buy.

They want value for their money and are ready to make the extra effort to get the best product.In addition to this, we have Microfinance companies and cooperative banks that give rural women the financial support they need to become entrepreneurs.

Finally, women in rural India have an option to get affordable micro-credit and hence are exploring income-generating opportunities.

This has helped them gain self-esteem and confidence.

On one hand where India has become the 2nd largest consumer of the internet in the world, on the other sales of consumer durables and finance schemes have rocketed in the country.72 Networks which is a PAN India distribution house specializing in last-mile delivery with a particular focus on rural areas has come up with their year-end survey on the rise of spending in rural areas across different sectors.According to the research, the rural population is forecasted to cross 900 million by 2020, constituting 65% of the total population, i.e.

The urban population comprises of only 35% of the cherry with a combined population of 461 million.The study also indicates that the spending of rural households across sectors has grown dramatically over the years.

Housing & Utilities is the segment in which the rural population has shown their maximum interest with a combined investment of 2610 million USD followed by the Finance & Insurance segment with a combined investment of 2553 million USD.

The other sectors to support this suit are the Clothing & Footwear segment with 1194 million USD and Consumer Durables with 414 USD.This is the era where OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi, Nokia, etc.

have entered a steep competition in a billion-dollar Indian market where the average middle-class consumer is growing day by day.

They are investing a lot of money in their distribution channels as they want to reach out to the remotest corners of India.

The digital revolution has redefined many aspects of human life and this trend is not settling anytime soon, in fact, many technological advancements are foreseen in this space.

Modern businesses rely a lot on logistics solutions and among many others, AI has made technological disruption in the logistics sector as well.

Artificial Intelligence has a huge presence in our personal lives and its application in businesses is increasing at a fast pace.

Post data extraction and classification, robotic process automation can help input the data into accounting software to generate order, execute the payment and send a confirmation email to the customer, without human intervention at any point.

EY’s fraud detection system has recorded 97% accuracy and many companies with high repetitive tasks are planning to follow the path.

COGNITIVE CONTRACTS Logistics and supply chain management companies, worldwide, manage networks of facilities and several vehicles.

  The Internet in the Indian market has brought a massive change in the past few years.

It has increased the demand for electronic products like mobile phones, laptops, tv, etc.

These commodities have rocketed in the country, making India the second-largest consumer market.

Major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Nokia etc want to reach out to the remotest corners of India.

As a majority of the Indian population living in tier-3,4 cities and urban areas are still untapped by these huge brands.

It can be a game-changer to them if somehow their products have access to this huge market.

72 NETWORKS SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF LAST MILE DELIVERY IN THE LOGISTICS VERTICAL How 72 Networks leverages AI & IoT in its functioning 72 Networks uses a full tech-enabled last-mile delivery platform with AI and ML as the essence of their tech infrastructure.

They have their own indigenous route optimization tool, automatic task allocation system, deep learning software easing last-mile contact in remote areas with questionable network connectivity of the end customers and much more.Details about the core technology infrastructure of  72 Networks started with a basic warehouse management software.

72 Networks has its own indigenous CRM software – Pragati CRM.

It supports sales management, delivers feedback and insights and facilitates team communication.

This CRM software allows all the operations to be carried from a single platform and hence, integrates uniformity and brings consistency in work.72 Networks have gone a step ahead with its inhouse android based SCM application, Pragati POD.

It connects seamlessly with various MFIs' core banking systems to enable the integration of the above services.

 By Srinivas LNew age logistics companies are using technology to make massive supply chains easier to manage.

Effortless and accurate real-time tracking of products is among the many reasons why 4G facilitated the e-commerce industry.

They know the near to accurate location and time of the deliveries.

In instances when an order is canceled while in transit, they are alerted immediately saving effort, time, and their employers’ money.

By providing SMEs real-time tracking of incoming and outgoing deliveries, new age logistics companies are making shipping more straightforward than ever before.

Artificial intelligence is helping the supply chain managers manage huge supply chains by assisting in decision making.

 Rural India is growing exponentially and presents the huge untapped potential for Indian products and services.

However, poor infrastructure, low connectivity, lack of proper channels are the reasons why many companies are unable to penetrate these markets properly.

How can companies overcome these hurdles and seize opportunities in these areas?

They are:Leveraging existing sales and distribution network -A lot of companies have a strong distribution network, because of which they are already present in most corners of the country.

They only need to expand this network further to expand their reach and be present in the remote villages.Hub and spoke model -This model is comparatively an easier to manage model in which stocks are sent to one central 'hub' and then distributed to other parts (spokes) from there.

It helps in dispatching goods in bulk to one area and hence reduces cost.Feet on the street -This model entails using the local talent to introduce the brand to the villagers and engage them with the company.

72 NETWORKS: BRIDGING THE GAP TO GENERATE BUSINESSES AND ENHANCING RURAL LIVES 72 Networks have its own indigenous CRM software, Pragati CRM.

It supports sales management, delivers feedback and insights and facilitates team communication.

This CRM software allows all our operations to be carried from a single platform and hence, integrates uniformity and brings consistency in our work.

Instead of all the efforts, these tech giants are still working to decode the last mile delivery options in tier-3,4 cities and rural areas.

The geographical locations of these places are still a big challenge that they would like to overcome in the near future.It's PAN India distribution house specializing in Last-Mile Delivery with special focus on Rural Areas is opening up new options for OEM’s now.

Few of their happy MFC Clients are Fullerton India, Fusion Microfinance, Satin, Arohan, etc and few of there OEM partners are Samsung, Motorola, MI, Nokia, Godrej, etc.72 Networks is responsible for employment generation in the most remote and outback areas of rural India.

  The Internet in the Indian market has brought a massive change in the past few years.

It has increased the demand for electronic products like mobile phones, laptops, tv, etc.

These commodities have rocketed in the country, making India the second-largest consumer market.

Major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Nokia, etc want to reach out to the remotest corners of India.

As a majority of the Indian population living in tier-3,4 cities and urban areas are still untapped by these huge brands.

It can be a game-changer to them if somehow their products have access to this huge market.

The daily evolution of technology has led to increased productivity, lower costs, and fewer errors in the supply chain.

Technology is striking every sector of the logistics segment.

Although IoT devices have been in the picture for a while now, they continue evolving and impacting the future of logistics, giving more accurate in-transit transparency and better delivery of products.

ROLE PLAYED BY IMPROVED TRACKING The next important development in the logistic market is a technology that helps determine the location of products after they have been dispatched.

Modern GPS solutions allow companies to manage logistics and help in automated route planning.

OUTCOMES OF GPS ACCURACY GPS accuracy has increased drastically during the past decade.

 72 Networks which is a PAN India distribution house specializing in last-mile delivery with a particular focus on rural areas has come up with their year-end survey on the rise of spending in rural areas across different sectors.

According to the research, the rural population is forecasted to cross 900 million by 2020, constituting 65% of the total population, i.e.

The study also indicates that the spending of rural households across sectors has grown dramatically over the years.

have entered a steep competition in a billion-dollar Indian market where the average middle-class consumer is growing day by day.

They are investing a lot of money in their distribution channels as they want to reach out to the remotest corners of India.

are spending millions to enhance their last-mile delivery process but still are far away from it.

  OEM’s like Samsung, Xiaomi, Nokia, etc have entered a steep competition in a billion-dollar Indian market where the average middle-class consumer is growing day by day.

They are investing a lot of money in their distribution channels as they want to reach out to the remotest corners of India.

Creating a distribution channel along with an integrated logistics network for urban India is a very expensive affair and will take a long time.

But the fact also cannot be denied that a majority of Indian population living in tier-3,4 cities and urban areas are still untapped by these huge OEM players.

The complexity of the situation can be judged by the fact that e-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart, etc are spending millions to enhance their last-mile delivery process but still are far away from it.

While these giants are battling it out to reach to the remotest corners of the country, we have a player named 72 Networks which is a PAN India distribution house specializing in last-mile delivery with special focus on rural areas.

  72 Networks ; a new age PAN India distribution enterprise, is digging deep into the cross-selling market of the OEM’s as they are helping them to reach out to an alternate channel of almost 15 Crore consumers.

On a monthly level, a reputed OEM typically does about 75,000 mobile phones, about 40,000 televisions and refrigerators a month.

From April to date the total rural deliveries concluded by 72 Networks is about 1,40,000 units including 70,000 Samsung mobile phones and 35,000 Samsung refrigerators.

These MFIs offer a member base of over 15 crores as an untapped market for these OEMs.

Sharing his views on the same, Srinivas L , CEO & Co-Founder of 72 Networks said, “This year has been very eventful and successful for 72 Networks in terms of adaptation of new technological advancements and an increase in the overall volume of individual deliveries.

We have achieved many milestones this year so far, incorporating AI and ML as the backbone of our delivery infrastructure to create a robust distribution system that the last mile delivery system can leverage in Rural Pockets, being one of them.