Bharati Balakrishnan

Country Head & Director- India, Shopify

Search every verified Bharati Balakrishnan interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Bharati Balakrishnan, Country Head & Director-India at Shopify, has been speaking about the state of direct-to-consumer (D2C) commerce in India and Southeast Asia. She described D2C in India as being at "day zero," stating that every category is opening up to new brands. Balakrishnan cited a Shopify entrepreneur index report indicating the company's impact on India's GDP is about $1.8 billion and that it is creating roughly 220,000 jobs in the country. She noted that inflation is a challenge for brands, and that loyalty and repeat purchases remain difficult for many businesses. Balakrishnan emphasized the importance of a multi-channel presence from day one, stating that brands reaching 100 crores in India have always operated in more than one channel. Balakrishnan also discussed Shopify's reliance on local app partners in India to handle complex features like GST, and highlighted the importance of local payment partners across Southeast Asia. She described social commerce as "coming into its own stride" and said omnichannel retail is here to stay. Balakrishnan mentioned Shopify's AI tool "Sidekick" as a resource for merchants, and stated that the company's mission is to "make commerce better for everyone" and to walk with brands "from hello to IPO." She characterized India as a market with nuances such as UPI and cash-on-delivery, noting that new users are coming online daily.