We have the hands to build and the vision to dream, but we're missing the crucial middle that connects the two. While tech has digitised our businesses, it hasn't solved the core problem: software can track what happened yesterday, but can't design what should happen tomorrow.

AI is creating an inflection point in India’s long-tail economy and enhancing the models that thrive in this fragmented setting, not by replacing human networks, but by giving them superpowers they never had before.

While Western retail consolidates around platform giants, India's $800 billion retail market remains beautifully fragmented - 90% unbranded products, relationship-driven, and distributed across millions of micro-retailers who form one of the world's largest consumer markets.

In a world obsessed with consolidation and scale, India's manufacturing landscape tells a different story: one of specialisation, fragmentation, and resilience.

The question isn’t whether India will eventually consolidate, it’s why it hasn’t. And what does this tell us about building successful businesses in India? Let’s unpack the forces that make India’s long tail not just a quirk, but a competitive advantage.

Finding a house in India? That's a three-party deal. Booking a flight? Three-party deal. Even buying a SIM card often involves someone other than just you and the seller. Why are intermediaries so deeply entrenched in India's economic fabric?