40 Under 40: The emergence of Dunzo

To see the full list, click here.

With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to lockdowns across several Indian states, the delivery of essential goods was the need of the hour. And Bengaluru-based hyperlocal delivery app, Dunzo, emerged as one of the pre-eminent options. Since January 2021, Dunzo has witnessed 350% growth in medicine orders, while other essential items, such as groceries, saw a growth of 318%, as of April. The venture started as a WhatsApp group for deliveries in 2015, and it saw success in a short span of time. This led to Google investing in Dunzo, making it the Internet giant’s first direct investment in an Indian startup. The pandemic has ushered in a huge demand for hyperlocal delivery services, and in this space Dunzo competes very closely with the likes of deep-pocketed Swiggy and Zomato. Seeing the rapid surge in demand, Dunzo plans to set up 250 micro-fulfilment centres to serve over 700 neighbourhoods.