A few years ago, when the pandemic hit, India’s fresh meat delivery startups saw demand soaring. Consumers, who were confined indoors, turned to apps for their weekly meat buying. But as life returned to normal, so did their buying habits, that is, most consumers went back to the neighbourhood butcher.

For Chennai -based TenderCuts, one of the early entrants in the fresh meat delivery space, that realisation has led to a sharp turnaround in its business. “Meat and seafood are emotional categories,” says Sasikumar Kallanai, co-founder and CEO of TenderCuts. “People want to see what they’re buying and it is about trust, quality and skill. Even 20 years from now, meat will remain a touch-and-feel category.”

During the pandemic , TenderCuts prioritized rapid online expansion, pursuing

See Full Page