The case on Satyukt analyzes the platform business model in the context of Agriculture by capitalizing on remote sensing data and how the founders built up a successful business that benefits farmers, agri-business and insurance companies. The founders kickstarted the platform business solving one use case and acquired a set of users. Satyukt leveraged the data and the initial set of users further to solve additional use cases benefitting other players in the ecosystem. When used in a Platform Business Models course, this case can help students understand a key platform strategy called "coring". It can help draw attention to key focus areas in a business model which could be "cored" to derive more benefits that could expand the reach of the platform to varied set of players. Satyukt is also a classic example of the interplay of technology (data analytics) and platform business model. This could also segue into digital platforms that thrive on analytics.
The case on Grab.in analyzes the hyperlocal delivery business in India, and provides details on how the founders built a business around outsourced delivery of food, grocery, and e-commerce packages. Through meticulously evolved business operations, the founders of Grab have ensured sustenance of the delivery outsourcing model by alleviating business outlets of having to maintain in-house delivery personnel. With growing demand for home service, customer mindset is more open than ever to pay a convenience fee for home delivery of food or grocery from their nearby favorite outlet. Grab.in has piggybacked on this mindset, and backed by increasing penetration of smartphones and Internet, it has enabled local businesses to expand customer reach. When used as an introduction to multi-sided platforms, this case can help the student understand the hyperlocal space, the challenges that food and restaurant businesses face and how these delivery service platforms help address the same. It should help the students appreciate how a technology platform brings differentiation to the traditional food and grocery delivery space, and how a platform business model can provide significant competitive differentiation. By presenting details on Grab.in and the hyperlocal delivery platform, the case study helps illustrate the business model while bringing forth the challenges in the same.
This case discusses the hyperlocal food delivery business firm ZomatoTM and its business model. The case outlines how the firm went ahead and enhanced its business model to launch their new loyalty programme called Zomato Gold. It focuses on the sustainability of the hyperlocal business delivery model and the challenges faced by it to succeed and deliver against competition. This case outlines how Zomato put to disadvantage one of the platform participants and how this turned out for the platform as a whole. It also delves into an analysis of the loyalty programme to review the critical aspects of platform overreach and how it altered the network effects of this multi-sided platform business. The case can be used to teach the downsides of multi-sided platform business model - how an overreach on any one aspect of the platform sides can threaten the fine balance of the platform participants, remedial measures that need to be undertaken to restore confidence, and how platforms need to deal with the new normal that emerges after these confidence lowering incidents.
The case on Siwggy, Foodora,and Yelp analyzes the hyperlocal food delivery business models that are popular in their respective markets. These multi-sided firms bring together local businesses such as restaurants and salons with their patrons through assistance in service discovery and delivery. This case elaborates how the foodtech space is evolving in countries such as India, Germany, and the United States, and how each of these hyperlocal platforms are adopting different strategies to sustain their business in their primary markets. When used as an introduction to multi-sided platforms, this case can help the student understand the hyperlocal space, the logistics challenges that food industry faces and how these delivery service platforms help address the same. This case also looks at what threats these platforms pose to its different sides and how envelopment possibilities emerge. It should help the students appreciate how a technology platform brings differentiation to the traditional food industry, and how a platform business model can provide significant competitive differentiation. By presenting three different hyperlocal platforms in as many geographies, the case study helps illustrate the commonality of business models while bringing forth the nuances of each market and its operational complexities.
Faircent is a leading P2P lending platform in India and this case study traces the evolution of the FinTech platform. It illustrates the myriad challenges the firm had to navigate while establishing a collateral free peer lending platform in the financial sector in the absence of established regulations. As a P2P marketplace in India, Faircent built out a full-fledged loan analytics platform by bringing onboard lenders and borrowers by providing them online tools to discover each other and transact. The case brings forth viewpoints from different platform sides such as the lenders and borrowers, along with an analysis on how the firm has shaped policy regulations by actively engaging with the central regulators. This case can be used to teach the basics of multi-sided platform business models, the different actors in the platform business along with the concepts of platform envelopment and the various strategic options for Multi-Sided Platforms (MSPs) to fight envelopment, including racing to acquire customers. It should help the students appreciate the platform business model and the competitive differentiation it can bring in.