Technology will play a major role in the coming years: Mandar Gaonkar, Texperts

Mandar Gaonkar of Texperts, an international textile sourcing, marketing and garment buying house speaks about, technology, e-commerce enabling e-commerce and his retail journey

Mumbai: Mandar Gaonkar, assistant general manager, at an international textile sourcing, marketing and garment buying house, Texperts, started his journey more than a decade ago in the retail industry after completing his MBA. A mechanical engineer, Gaonkar’s stint in retail began with an online grocery start-up in Mumbai in 2012. Later, the startup was acquired by another online start-up and eventually merged with Nature’s Basket to create a digital retail experience for gourmet food delivery.

Briefly, he worked with a leading Bullion company to help transform the centuries-old traditional bullion retail offline experience into a digital experience by enabling customers to buy and sell bullion online for ownership and investment. Gaonkar is now a part of the textile industry, yet again helping create a digital experience for apparel and textile D2C, B2C and B2B businesses.

Gaonkar speaks about his passion for retail…

I enjoy being in Retail because: It is a space which offers challenges and at the same time gives us a chance to directly impact customers. It is ever-growing in terms of technology, products, and personalized experiences.

The biggest professional challenge I face is: Getting the right product at the right price to delight the customer and create a win-win situation.

To achieve full potential, Indian retailers must: Consistently innovate and continuously improve their products and make them as sustainable as they can be. Technology will also play a major role in the coming years with AI and AR being the top contributors to growth and brand building.

My key professional accomplishments are: Realizing the potential of e-commerce as a sales channel and driving sales through our own brand D2C websites.