Title: From Kirana Shops to Code: How I Went from FMCG Retailer to AI Founder

Motivation: The Hidden Tech Stories of India’s Bazaars

In a world obsessed with unicorns and Silicon Valley IPOs, we often forget where real innovation starts — not in glass buildings, but in gritty lanes. In 2014, I wasn’t writing code. I was calculating margins with a rusted calculator in my family’s FMCG store, nestled in the narrow alleys of Lucknow. Back then, AI was a distant echo, not a daily tool.

Today, I lead Sudarshan AI Labs, a tech lab building voice AI in Bhojpuri, Hindi, and Marathi. But my real story? It’s about understanding the chaos of India’s real economy — the paan shops, local grocers, mandi traders, neighbourhood supply stores — and turning that chaos into code.

Understanding: When ‘Tech’ Was Just a Bigger Calculator

Running a small general store (we call it a "kirana shop," but globally it’s a micro-retail outlet) wasn’t glamorous — it was survival. Daily haggles. Credit notes scribbled on cigarette cartons. Stock records on the back of old calendars.

I wasn’t dreaming of algorithms; I was calculating how to sell two packets of Maggi and still make ₹5 profit.

But every day, I saw data patterns without realizing it:

• Which items move faster at month-end?
• What pricing tricks attracted repeat customers?
• When would payment cycles hit a slump?

This was behaviour science. This was demand forecasting. I was unknowingly living inside a dataset, just without Excel sheets.

What I lacked was the language of tech. What I had was the lived experience of the Bharat economy — the unorganised sector, where 90% of Indian business happens.

Exploration: From Margin Slips to Machine Learning

No-Code Spark: How GPT-3.5 Changed Everything

I didn’t start with coding. My journey truly began when ChatGPT 3.5 brought no-code tech to the masses.

Suddenly, I had a tool that could translate everyday problems — stock management, customer queries, local sales analysis — into testable AI prototypes. I didn’t need a tech degree. I needed curiosity and context.

We started using these no-code tools to run live experiments in real markets:

• Could a local vendor ask an AI assistant about pricing trends in Hindi?
• Could a teenager in Sitapur use voice AI to understand farming subsidies?
• Could a small-town retailer get reminders about popular items before festivals?

Every test was a validation that technology doesn’t need to look elite — it needs to be empathetic.

Kirana Kranti AI: Retail, Reimagined

Imagine a tool that tells a shopkeeper which products are moving in the area, what to stock before Diwali, or when to reorder soap. That’s Kirana Kranti AI.

We built it with real users:

• Screenshots of credit ledgers turned into training data
• Voice feedback from rural shopkeepers helped train accents
• Every feature validated on dusty countertops, not dashboards

We didn’t invent anything new. We just made existing Indian business intuition smarter, faster, and voice-accessible.

Validation: Why This Model Works (and Is Needed Now More Than Ever)

India has over 73 million MSMEs contributing 30% of GDP and employing over 120 million people Yet most of them:

• Still operate in cash
• Lack digital tools
• Face language barriers

Add to this:

• India has 500M+ voice internet users, mostly in Indic languages
• And 98% of rural users prefer content in local languages【38†Democratizing AI for India’s Grassroots (2023–2030)†L1-L20】

Sudarshan AI Labs builds tech that bridges this gap:

• Hindi/Bhojpuri voice interfaces
• ₹49-₹999 monthly SaaS tools
• WhatsApp-first AI assistants

We’re not solving for VC decks. We’re solving for dukaan wale chacha who wants to know which toothpaste sells better before weddings.

Explore how our tools empower grassroots India →

Resolution: What It Means to “Build in Bharat”

When I tell investors we test our prototypes in choupals, they smile politely.

When I tell users, they say, "Accha, toh isliye samajh mein aata hai!" (Oh, so that’s why it makes sense!)

This is what “democratising AI” looks like:

• Not importing ideas.
• Not mimicking Silicon Valley.
• But building from the dust up, in our languages, with our people.

And we’re not stopping here.

We're also launching Free AI Training and Digital Awareness Bootcamps — designed for people who can’t afford a laptop but can afford to dream. If someone can use WhatsApp, they can now learn AI basics, apply tools in daily life, and create local value.

You don’t need to be born into code to build the future. Sometimes, you just need to count toothpaste profits long enough until you see a pattern.

CTA: Let’s Make Tech Rooted, Not Just Rocketed

If you're building for India’s grassroots — be it MSMEs, agriculture, or rural women entrepreneurs — let’s collaborate.

🔗 Connect with Sudarshan AI Labs | 🤝 Partner with Us

Join the Conversation: Your Bharat Story

Have you seen grassroots innovation up close? What’s one story that changed how you view India’s informal economy? Share it in the comments.