Business

A StartUp that made the Local Kirana Stores stand in front of the Global e-Commerce Majors

Published

6 years ago

April 20, 2020

Indians have been traditionally relying on neighborhood stores (Kirana store) for food. The strong presence, network and overall personal level relationship establish them very deep in Indian society. Neighborhood stores are as old as this country is and still both partners are fulfilling the desire, need and expectations of each other but with the advancement of technology, the use of Smartphone and emergence of E-commerce local grocery stores are losing its charm.

A computer engineering graduate Mannu Jha, who born in a family that lives on the earning of small Kirana shop in the remote village of Bihar, when saw that old hubs of grocery shopping are losing its charm and relevancy due to emergence of E-commerce and Superstores as well as inadaptability of traditional Kirana store with technology and new trends. He decided to re-establish local Kirana once again and come up with a StartUp that incarnate Age-old Mom-Dad shop digitally to save the ancient shopping heritage, a StartUp that made local grocery stores stand in front of the global e-commerce majors.

Mannu reveals their agenda and state “I want a StartUp that incarnate Age-old Mom-Dad shop digitally to save the ancient shopping heritage and made local Kirana Stand in front of the global giants.”

Customer Application

Germination of Idea

It was summer of 2019, Mannu is busy in his regular business stuff but every businessman is, first of all, a family man. No matter what you are, you have to go to buy ration. Mannu also has to dispatch his responsibility and went to a nearby grocery store where he found his old dream to revolutionize the Kirana store. He hanged all his old projects and work in nights to characterize his old dream. Resultantly “OkkJi” came into existence.

“I just want to tune old Kirana store according to new age and provide them a digital look that they cannot bear alone. I also want to uplift the additional responsibility like home delivery, documentation from shopkeepers so that they can focus on their business” Mannu explains his motives behind OkkJi.

The litmus test of the feasibility of Idea

Taking any decision is quite easy but implementing it in real is rather tough and complicated. This also happens with Mannu’s conception. So, marathon churning and survey start to know the on-ground feasibility, need and acceptance of the very idea.

Team Okkji criss-cross its first target city “Patna” trice to know the response from shops as well as the customer side. The rich & old retail market and dense population of Patna is a natural choice for us. The potential and future growth of the city also drags us towards it.

They find a very overwhelming response from shops and customers both. The responses of local Mom-dad shops are quite encouraging as they are facing tough competition from Superstore and e-commerce players.

“We just want to know that these thoughts are not just the mind of our mind, are common people also facing similar problems that’s why we have conducted three intense surveys across the city,” Ravi added who look after the research and development.

They get very encouraging responses from buyers and common family persons as they do not want to spend their home weekend in long queues of any supermarket and hesitate to buy groceries from e-commerce but have full faith in their neighbourhood Kirana store.

Kirana Store Application

Journey to the Characterization of OkkJi App

After testing the idea and its on-ground acceptance Team OkkJi they themselves into work to characterize concept OkkJi to App OkkJi.

Mannu along with key members handpick the best professionals to build a perfect team. They hire expert hand for the development of OkkJi App according to their expectations and visualization. Experience and young marketing team take responsibility to convince and associate shops, creative catalogue and inventory develop many sets of catalogue based on the taste of the city and shop’s potential.

Finally, OkkJi App is ready to launch and pre-registration starts with a big hit.

Okkji team

Sudden stroke and additional feather

Mannu and his team are all set to bang traditional grocery shopping mechanisms but the sudden outburst of COVID 19 that suspended all on- ground operation. It was terrible times for a new initiative but team OkkJi takes this break as an opportunity to evaluate and retrospect. Something excellent always comes out of introspection. Team OkkJi also gets some new feather-like OkkJI Fast- A dedicated delivery system, OkkJi direct- A smooth and traffic-free channel for manufacturers and a diverse range of subscription plans as OkkJi Direct.

“Lockdown starts with a sudden calamity for us but after some time we realize that it an opportunity to refine our services and evaluate the whole project” one of them added.

These words represent the dedication and association of members with the project.

Loss becomes gain

Lockdown and COVID outburst stops registration of shops because marketing executives cannot go to shops physically for registration.

In the other hand pre-registration for customers is getting overwhelming response that not only evokes enthusiasm and energy among the team but also inspire to perform the best.

This period advertises the idea in a great way also without even a single penny investment on advertisement as people realise and experience the need and relevancy of home delivery, the importance of neighbourhood Kirana, and inefficiency of Super market. They desperately need a channel that connects common people to neighbourhood Kirana digitally. Shops also realises the importance of digitalization and additional hand in terms of delivery.

“Lockdown, actually establish the demand of digitalization that smoothen our operation and marketing strategy. So, we start registration of shops digitally and get almost 100 stores in our panel. This response made us launch “Beta” phase of App that is quite useful for Retailers.”

With the initial potential and hope of 30000 order delivery in a month, team OkkJi is starting its journey in a royal manner and very Soon industry, as well as people, will hear the thump of its arrival, which has enshrined itself among all kinds of prohibition and Lockdown.

The dedication and zeal to revolutionize old age practice according to the digital era and contemporary technical adaptations is the core of this startup that not only maintain the living heritage of shopping as well as give thrust to individual entrepreneurship along with customers satisfaction.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

23 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.