Kirana stores face uphill battle

Business has never been so tough, he said.

He said that there is a lot of an impact on our business from online retail, where they give free home delivery, and it doesn't matter whether the customer buys one item or more.

Reliance, one of the country's biggest conglomerates owned by India's richest person Mukesh Ambani, is giving Kirana stores competition through its grocery chain Fresh, which has more than 700 stores.

Reliance is looking to expand these convenience stores to 100 cities across India because of a deal with multinational United States brand 7-Eleven.

Shoppers who spoke to CNA said they were attracted to the discounts and offers offered by online platforms and retail chains.

Some mom- and- pop store owners are not giving up without a fight.

Niral Dharod is trying to keep up with the competition by modernising the appearance of his shop and making sure his customers can get instant access to a wide range of products.

I have around 4,500 different products in my shop today, and that's the reason I am still in business today, or else I wouldn't have survived today, said Mr Dharod.

Like many kirana store owners, he offers credit to his regular customers. They can now send the shop their orders via WhatsApp and get their items delivered.

Analysts said that Kirana stores are increasingly embracing technology, which could be critical to their survival. Another area of hope for them is a partnership with bigger players.