The Tata Group, a $103 billion Indian conglomerate whose businesses range from salt to software to telecom and steel, is ready to embrace consumer technology. To compete with Walmart-owned Flipkart, Amazon, and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms, the 154-year-old behemoth has been working on – and privately testing – its bold idea to offer a range of services in one app, ranging from e-commerce and food to hotel stays. The “super app” Tata Neu was released to the public on Thursday, the product of years of work.
Tata Neu houses approximately a dozen properties that the Tata Group either owns or has a strong involvement in. BigBasket, an online grocery shop, Croma, 1mg, a pharmaceutical service, Cliq, a luxury brand, and Tata Play, a streaming app, are among the services available, as are AirAsia tickets and Starbucks food and drinks. Tata Pay, the company’s UPI-enabled payments service that also offers loans and insurance, is also featured in the app.
Tata has been working on the app for at least three years, but it has been considering a larger role in e-commerce and startup investments for at least six years. A news organization According to The Information, prior talks between Tata and Alibaba came to a halt after Cyrus Mistry, the then-chairman of Tata Group, abruptly resigned. According to two people familiar with the situation, several leaders within the company were still divided as late as January over how Tata Group intended to market the app.
TechCrunch was given early access to a February copy of the app, which was riddled with problems and odd design flaws. According to testing conducted on Thursday, the latest version of the app – 2.0 – has a major improvement. Tata Neu is a big step forward in the company’s plan to compete in the booming world of digital services, which includes companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Walmart, as well as local billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s empire. India’s e-retail business, which is expected to grow to about $150 billion in the next four years, is at stake.
In a statement, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran (shown above) stated, “The Tata Group is focused on changing companies for the digital age, and in the consumer context, integrating them together into a single platform that enables an omnichannel experience.” “With Tata Neu, our goal is to make Indian customers’ life easier.” The power of choice, a seamless experience, and loyalty will be at the heart of Tata Neu, which will provide Indian consumers with a compelling One Tata experience.”
Tata is rewarding clients with “NeuCoins,” which are the equal of one Indian rupee. According to a source acquainted with the situation, BigBasket, 1mg, and other loyalty programs will soon be phased away, and NeuCoins will be used globally across all of the company’s services. Tata Group is focusing on incentives as part of its effort to create a “connective layer” for its services, which span a wide variety of sectors. If successful, the behemoth will be in a position to create the country’s largest loyalty program.
In addition to the rewards, the company will provide cash back and large discounts on items across all of its properties on the app, as well as free deliveries, built-in credit lines, and early access to products, according to the company. “Tata Neu’s journey began with a combined user base of 120 million people, 2,500 physical outlets, and an 80 million app presence across our digital assets,” says the company. Electronics, fashion, travel, hospitality, grocery, pharmacy, and financial services are just a few of our category-leading consumer brands. In a statement, Pratik Pal, CEO of Tata Digital, stated, “We think that with Tata Neu, we will establish a very distinctive consumer platform.”
