How Nearwala is turning India’s Kirana stores into data-driven retailers

Nearwala, a hyperlocal retail platform founded in Bengaluru in 2024, is giving small Indian retailers access to sales analytics, stock tracking and targeted promotional tools that were previously mostly available to large e-commerce platforms. Founders Rajiv Surendran and Rahul K. C. built the company after watching Kirana stores in Calicut, Kerala, lose ground to delivery apps during the pandemic.

The platform is designed to work alongside merchants’ existing billing systems rather than replace them, offering features such as cloud-based analytics and heat-map tools that show retailers where nearby customers are located. Consumers using the app earn digital gold and “NCoins” through purchases and by engaging with ads from local brands.

Nearwala says it has onboarded more than 7,000 merchants across 15 cities and built a base of over 600,000 consumers, processing more than ₹15 crore in transactions during FY 2025-26. It has also worked with brands including Tata Motors to test hyperlocal marketing campaigns.

The company has raised ₹3.5 crore from angel investors and is preparing a $4 million funding round as it targets expansion to 50 cities.