Story behind chotu

Namaste, I am chotu, a local shopboy. I work for hundreds of shops near you and lakhs across India. I help shopkeepers with a visual catalog to take orders on WhatsApp.

I speak हिन्दी, বাংলা, मराठी, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ગુજરાતી, ಕನ್ನಡ, മലയാളം, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, ଓଡ଼ିଆ, অসমীয়া and a little bit English.

Local shops are the very social fabric of India, they are facing a serious threat from heavily-funded delivery platforms. One reason they are unable to compete with the online apps, is the lack of a visual catalog. I help them with a visual catalog in local languages.

My Vision

Like UPI simplified payments, I want to simplify ordering with local shops. Instead of force-fitting an e-commerce model for local shops, I am simple grounds-up WhatsApp based solution for local shops.

I want to make every local shop in India be able to take orders on WhatsApp, with a simple visual catalog.

Does this look familiar?

Well, I am focusing on making this easier. When you order on phone/paper with a local shop, you do not see the shop’s catalog. We try to make it easy with a visual catalog, where you can browse, search, add to cart and finally place the order on WhatsApp.

How did it start?

Days before Ganesh Chaturthi, 2020…

How to buy clay idol of Ganesh during a lockdown?

This was the question rattling every gated community resident in Hyderabad (including founders)…

chotu was born to fix this first.

Several sleepless nights, countless coffees, multiple meanderings later … chotu has now become the shopboy for lakhs of local shops in India.

Start ordering on WhatsApp, install chotu now!

Install chotu app for FREE!

Shop Owner?

Install the chotuOwner app. Get orders on WhatsApp fo FREE!

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn't this exactly what ONDC is trying to do?

Our vision matches exactly with that of ONDC, the method is slightly different. ONDC model is slightly regimented, while chotu allows for a lot of flexibility. chotu lets the shopkeer and end-user discover solutions, while just enabling the conversation on WhatsApp.

Aren't people already ordering on WhatsApp?

Absolutely, and presicely why we are betting on it. The convenience and flexibility of ordering on WhatsApp is unparalleled. We are not inventing a new user behavior and expecting people to change. We are just making the current behavior easier, cos with chotu you can place an order entirely without typing/talking/writing.