The first online grocery store has just been launched in Kashmir with a 28-year-old local entrepreneur from the valley starting a home-grown delivery service called ‘Groxery – The Store Next Door’.

28-year-old Malik Aadil is behind the venture. Having an MBA degree and work experience in the industry, Aadil is confident that the venture will be a success in the Valley.

Mallik, who worked in the marketing department of the online grocery delivery app ‘Grofers’, decided to start a similar service in Kashmir since the valley has no such service from before. Online deliveries became the new normal, especially after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted normal life and curtailed physical human interactions.

The Groxery app, which already has over 5,000 downloads on IOS and 45,000 downloads on Android, allows users to book the items they require. The app then connects the order to the nearest grocery stores and promises to have the items delivered within 70 minutes or less.

App founder Aadil told India Today that though the service was currently available in Jammu city, there were plans to expand operations in other districts of the Valley such as Budgam, Baramulla, Pulwama and Ganderwal.

Originally from Kashmir’s Bandipora district, Aadil hopes that his app can help the common population of the state by making quality products available at cheaper prices than when buying retail. As of now, Aadil’s company employs thirty-five men and women. The entrepreneur and graduate from Alliance Business School in Bangalore is confident the numbers are set to grow.

Aadil’s next plan is to expand his venture into a chain of retail grocery stores across cities. Frequent internet shutdowns can hamper a business like Aadil’s and the entrepreneur understands the obstacles that may cause in his life of work.

“If high speed Internet would have been working, we would have received more customers on the app because everyone here has not the high speed Internet facility,” Aadil was quoted by India Today as saying.

Despite difficulties, entrepreneurs in Kashmir are venturing more and more into e-Commerce. Three locals entrepreneurs, for instance – Ahmed Nabeel Wani, Naveed Qadir Wani and Arif Ahmed Najar – launched an e-commerce portal called ‘Jhelum Cart’ to connect local sellers to potential buyers.