A great shift is underway in how we buy, eat, move, work and sell owing to technological intervention. Tech platforms—whether a Swiggy, Amazon or Uber in India, a PickMe in Sri Lanka or a Pathao in Bangladesh and Nepal—have eased the pressure of modern life. They have freed up our time, provided jobs to grateful millions, and delivered guilty pleasures and last-minute necessities to online buyers.
But behind the dazzle of the digital, much is opaque. Gig workers live a precarious life, while internet retailers cope with the oppressive rules of global behemoths. Consumers wonder if there are consequences to instant gratification and extreme ease of living.
OTTP Retail delves into the wondrous new world of e-commerce by connecting diverse stories and perspectives gathered across South Asia—from Delhi to Dhaka, Colombo to Kathmandu. It explores the emotional dynamics between the different actors on this stage, the workings of tech companies and the implications for policy. Deeply personal and broadly nuanced, this book is essential reading to understand this extraordinary digital age we inhabit.
