Reverse migration: Food-tech, e-commerce firms bring jobs closer to home

“The sector is now ripe to tap into the potential in non-metros, with most smaller cities reeling from undersupply of organized retail and restaurants,” said Madhur Singhal, managing director, Praxis Global Alliance, a management consulting and advisory firm that specializes in e-commerce and consumer internet. “This has created opportunities for food-tech and e-commerce companies for rapid growth and create employment opportunities of various forms in the non-metros. Zomato and Swiggy (which are present in these cities) are creating options for people to settle back in their hometowns,” Singhal added. Walmart-owned Flipkart, too, is observing this trend of reverse migration. According to the e-commerce major, there is an increased economic opportunity in tier-II and tier-III towns because of the expansion of e-commerce, as well as the growth of sellers and domestic manufacturers.