The Knowledge Company, India

28/10/2026

Rising plastic raw-material prices are putting consumer-goods companies under renewed cost pressure.

In a Mint article by , The Knowledge Company, India Chairman and Managing Director explains that brands have only a limited number of options to absorb persistent packaging inflation. If raw-material prices remain elevated, manufacturers may eventually have to pass more of the burden on to consumers.

Lighter packaging, alternative materials and grammage reductions can offer some relief, but none can come at the cost of product quality, protection or consumer trust.

The real challenge is to balance packaging efficiency, margin protection and consumer value.

Read the complete article in Mint at: https://www.livemint.com/industry/plastic-price-hike-fmcg-companies-packaging-costs-11792644214274.html

27/10/2026

Creators are becoming a route to the checkout

Creator recommendations become a more measurable commercial channel when product discovery connects directly to purchasing.

has joined the Shopping affiliate programme in India. The integration allows eligible creators to tag Snapdeal products in videos, Shorts and livestreams and earn commissions on qualifying purchases.

For value-focused ecommerce, this creates an opportunity to explain products in the context in which consumers might use them.
A useful demonstration can help a shopper judge size, styling, function or suitability. That can be especially valuable when a low-priced product needs more explanation than a catalogue image provides.

The commercial model still needs discipline. Brands and sellers must understand the margin available after creator commissions, platform charges, fulfilment and returns. Product availability also needs to keep pace with content that generates demand.

Performance should be assessed through completed purchases, return rates and customer quality, alongside views and engagement. Those measures help identify which creator relationships can support sustainable growth.

At TKC, we help brands and ecommerce businesses assess acquisition channels and develop profitable channel strategies.

Building a creator-commerce programme or reviewing its returns? Connect with us at [email protected] to align creator selection, product choices and channel economics.

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27/10/2026

Bharat shops differently from one market to the next

India's ecommerce opportunity becomes more accessible when platforms understand how consumers in different markets search, choose and receive products.
app__, , and are using AI across discovery and operations. Reported applications include identifying regional demand, helping shoppers evaluate products and improving address interpretation for deliveries.

For the industry, these applications point towards a practical role for AI: reducing the cost of serving a diverse market well.

Regional preferences affect assortment. Language affects discovery. Address quality affects fulfilment. When businesses connect these signals, they have a better chance of matching what consumers want with what they can reliably deliver.

For brands selling through marketplaces, this also increases the importance of accurate product information, relevant images and dependable availability. Better recommendations are useful only when the underlying offer is clear and deliverable.

Management teams should start with a defined business problem and measure the result through conversion, delivery success, returns or service cost. Each application needs a commercial test before wider investment.

At TKC, we help retail and ecommerce businesses identify operating priorities and shape strategies for growth across markets.

Exploring where AI could improve your commerce model? Connect with us at [email protected] to prioritize use cases around customer needs and measurable business outcomes.

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23/10/2026

India’s packaged-food industry may have a ₹1 lakh crore expiry problem.

India consumes an estimated ₹17 lakh crore of packaged food annually. If 5% to 8% expires before reaching consumers, the retail value of expired inventory could range from approximately ₹85,000 crore to more than ₹1.3 lakh crore.

These are working estimates requiring industry-wide validation. But the underlying question demands attention:

❓What happens to packaged food after it expires?

◼️A financial provision or distributor credit note does not close the risk. Brands must know whether expired stock was recovered, segregated, transported through authorized channels, safely disposed of, and supported by batch-level records.

In his latest article, , Senior Partner at The Knowledge Company (), argues that expiry management must move beyond fragmented warehouse processes and become a formal boardroom agenda.

The objective is not simply to account for expiry. It is to ensure expired products never lose their traceable identity.

Assessing your organization’s expiry exposure? Connect with TKC’s Retail, Consumer Goods & Food Advisory team at [email protected].

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21/10/2026

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

In the debut episode of the O’Clock Podcast, hosted by (Co-Founder & CEO, FYVA), .dudeja (Partner, The Knowledge Company) unpacks why the traditional belief that a handful of organizations dictate fashion trends is a myth.

Today, fashion no longer operates as a top-down hierarchy, it functions as a fluid ecosystem where influence moves bottom-up, top-down, and sideways simultaneously:

➤ Luxury & Designer Brands shape aspiration and inspiration.
➤ Social Media & Algorithms drive rapid accessibility and velocity.
➤ Creators & Consumers shift aesthetics faster than traditional businesses can react.

As Puneet highlights, businesses cannot control where trends originate or how fast aesthetics shift.

The one thing leaders must control is their own commercial decision-making: pausing to evaluate whether a trend actually matters for their specific business and consumer before acting on it.

Watch the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PvRcCoEJxQ

In this episode of Fyva o' Clock, Puneet Dudeja, Partner at The Kno...

20/10/2026

’s exit puts store economics in focus.

Convenience retail needs a compelling reason for customers to choose the store for a specific shopping occasion.

A research firm confirmed the closure of all 31 remaining 7-Eleven stores in India, operated under its partnership with Reliance Retail. It also said it was considering options for its Indian business over the longer term.

For retailers, the development invites a closer examination of how convenience is delivered and paid for in each catchment.

Neighbourhood shops offer proximity and established customer relationships. Quick-commerce platforms offer doorstep access. A branded convenience outlet needs to establish its own relevance within that choice set.

Fresh food, distinctive products or a location linked to daily routines may help create that relevance. Each proposition must generate enough gross profit to support occupancy, staffing, wastage and replenishment costs.

The lesson for market entry is to test the complete format before committing to a large rollout. Customer frequency, basket size and store productivity need to support the model under local conditions.

At TKC, we help retailers assess market-entry propositions, refine formats and evaluate store economics.

Reviewing a convenience format or an underperforming store network? Connect with us at [email protected] to identify where proposition, location and economics need to align.

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19/10/2026

Convenience retail in India is competing with more than supermarkets.

Quick-commerce platforms deliver groceries and everyday products within minutes. Kirana stores offer proximity, familiar assortments and flexible service. Food-delivery apps already serve many immediate meal and snack occasions.

In a article by Sayan Chakraborty, Chairman and Managing Director explains why this changing retail landscape affected and raises important questions for Lawson’s India plans.

For international convenience-store brands, a foreign name and standardized assortment are no longer enough.

The proposition must be locally relevant, digitally connected and distinctive enough to give consumers a reason to leave home.

India does not lack convenience. New entrants must create a better and more relevant version of it.

Read the complete Nikkei Asia article: https://asia.nikkei.com/business/retail/7-eleven-s-india-exit-casts-shadow-over-lawson-s-expansion-plans

19/10/2026

A spontaneous purchase can follow a considered shopping journey.

A -commissioned study found that nine in ten surveyed festive shoppers researched products before buying. It also found extensive use of search, video and creators, alongside openness to unplanned purchases.

For brands, the implication is that inspiration and reassurance need to work together.

A consumer might discover a product in a creator's video, compare alternatives through search, check reviews and then purchase when an occasion or offer creates urgency. Each interaction contributes something different to the decision.

Marketing teams therefore need a connected view of product content, creator activity, search visibility and the purchase experience. A compelling campaign loses value when the next step reveals incomplete specifications, unavailable inventory or unclear delivery promises.

The same principle applies to measurement. Looking only at the final click can overlook the content that built confidence earlier in the journey.

At TKC, we help retailers and consumer brands map purchase journeys and align channel strategy with commercial outcomes.

Seeing strong campaign engagement without enough sales conversion? Connect with us at [email protected] to identify where the customer journey needs to work harder.

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16/10/2026

Excelling in today's business climate is as much about foresight, being "selfish", exercising expression, as it is about operations and strategy. Catch .dudeja, Partner, The Knowledge Company, India at the FYVA o Clock podcast this Saturday. Watch this space!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehB2eIBn0u/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&psln=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

16/10/2026

The can is part of the growth strategy.

Packaging availability can shape a beverage business's growth as directly as consumer demand.

Media reports described selected bottlers and retailers charging ₹70 for 330 ml cans amid aluminium cost and supply pressures. The reporting also noted ₹50 availability on quick-commerce platforms and ’s advice to trade partners to charge the printed MRP.

The development highlights two connected management challenges: protecting supply and maintaining a consistent consumer proposition across channels.
When a brand depends heavily on one packaging format, a material shortage can affect production, product availability and the price consumers encounter. Strong demand can make the pressure more visible.

For beverage companies, packaging strategy belongs alongside capacity planning and revenue management. Supplier concentration, alternative formats, inventory buffers and channel allocation all deserve attention before a shortage reaches the shelf.

Commercial teams also need visibility into how products are being sold across outlets. Inconsistent availability and pricing can weaken the trust that brand investment has built.

At TKC, we help beverage and FMCG businesses assess supply-chain exposure, channel economics and growth constraints.

Is packaging or input availability limiting your ability to serve demand? Connect with us at [email protected] to review the commercial and operating choices available.

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