Business Success Story: Meet Hari Menon, Successful Man Behind One Of India’s Largest Online Grocery Store

New Delhi: It's time for a fresh approach in the retail market. Gone are the days of exhausting shopping for essentials. With just a few taps, choose and purchase your necessities through an app. One such rising star in India's online grocery scene is BigBasket, co-founded by Hari Menon and his group of entrepreneur friends. As a purely internet-based company, it has secured its position as the largest player in the grocery market. But how did it emerge in such a rapidly growing industry?

Born in 1963 in Mumbai, Hari Menon hails from a middle-class background. His educational journey took him from Lawrence School, Lovedale, to Birla Institute of Technology and Science for his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, and later to Carnegie Mellon University for his MBA. His thirst for knowledge led him to pursue an MS in Industrial Engineering in Operations Research from Oklahoma State University.

Hari's career trajectory began as a Software Engineer at Consilium, followed by managerial roles at Accenture and Aspect i2 Technologies. He then ventured into corporate strategy and marketing at Bristlecone before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey in 2004 with the founding of Tumri. After Tumri's acquisition by Collective Media, Hari continued his entrepreneurial pursuits, culminating in the creation of BigBasket in 2011.

Prior to BigBasket, Hari and his friends experimented with Fabmart, a precursor to today's e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. Despite initial setbacks and a transition to physical stores, their resilience paid off, leading to the establishment of 300 stores under the Fabmart brand. The sale of Fabmart to Aditya Birla Group paved the way for BigBasket's inception.

BigBasket's success can be attributed to well-crafted business strategies, targeting major urban centers with a diverse range of products from over 1000 brands. The endorsement of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan further bolstered its reputation.

On a personal note, Hari Menon is married to Shanti Menon, herself a notable figure as the founder of The Deen’s Academy and the daughter of E Sreedharan, renowned as the Metro Man of India. Hari's entrepreneurial prowess has been recognized with accolades such as ranking 4th in the Top 100 Indian startups by YourStory and receiving the Icon Award for Entrepreneurship at the Audi RITZ Icon Awards in 2015.

Hari Menon's journey from traditional retailing to pioneering the online grocery market serves as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs. His story is a testament to perseverance, innovation, and the transformative power of entrepreneurship in shaping India's business landscape.