Mahindra Comviva launches hyper-local deals discovery platform

Mobile value added services firm Mahindra Comviva today announced its foray into the direct to consumer space with Zerch, a mobile-based hyper-local deals discovery platform.
Zerch allows users to get access to deals and promotions being run by merchants in their locality.
A subsidiary of IT services major Tech Mahindra, Mahindra Comviva has an extensive portfolio of mobile finance, content, infotainment, messaging and mobile data solutions.
In the testing phase, Mahindra Comviva has garnered over 1.5 lakh users in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru and has partnered 2,100 stores. These merchants include brands like Burger King, Pizza Hut, Ferns N Petals and Javed Habib hair salon.

"To begin with, we are focussing on categories like food & beverages, wellness and fitness and apparel... We will add one or two more cities before the end of the fiscal," Mahindra Comviva Senior VP and Head of Mobile Financial Solutions, Srinivas Nidugondi told PTI.
By end of the fiscal, Zerch aims to have 2.5 lakh users and 5,000 merchants on its platform.

Zerch will compete with apps like Shop Bindaas, Madpiggy and Little that help people discover deals in their neighbourhoods.
Hyper-local solutions are increasingly gaining prominence as start-ups as well as larger organisations look at tapping local business establishments to drive growth.

"Consumers today are digitally empowered. We believe that businesses need to be where the consumers are and Zerch has been created to cater to this need of finding the best deals leveraging the power of technology," he added.
Zerch will help small and medium businesses (SMBs) that may not have the right tools for contextual marketing.
"Businesses can leverage Zerch's user reach to lower marketing spends and increase footfalls to their stores. In fact, a recently concluded promotional activity with 15 select merchants in Bengaluru showed an increase in footfall of around 5-10 per cent for most stores on a day-to-day basis," Nidugondi said.

Currently, it works with over 130 mobile service providers and financial institutions in over 90 countries.