Here’s all you want to know about Tata Group’s upcoming super app Neu

Come April 7, and the Indian ecommerce space could see another battle royale play out. 

On Thursday, the Tata group will formally launch its super app Neu, which will integrate all the app-based ecommerce platforms that the diversified conglomerate currently owns. 

The new app will compete directly with Amazon India, Flipkart, Reliance Jio and several other smaller ecommerce companies that are currently vying for the Indian consumer’s wallet.

First things first, what is a super app?

Simply put, a super app is an app of apps. It is a one-stop shop that integrates all the app-based services being offered by a conglomerate. A user simply has to log in once and access all the various services being offered by the super app, which effectively integrates all of them on one platform. 

Are such super apps popular in any other country?

Yes, in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Korea. The entire ecommerce market in these countries has been captured by super apps like WeChat and AliPay (China), Grab (Singapore), GoTo (Indonesia), Zalo (Vietnam) and Kakao (South Korea). These apps offer everything from food ordering to travel and leisure, from financial services to groceries and from ride-hailing to household services of all kinds, besides of course, social media and communication tools. 

Does India have a super app?

Yes, Paytm does offer several services that other super apps in other countries offer, but the Tata group would be looking to outdo Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s company, which has not made much headway as far as ecommerce goes, and is primarily a fintech service provider. 

So, what services will Neu offer?

Neu will integrate all the Tata-owned apps including Bigbasket (groceries), 1mg (medicines), Air Asia (airline tickets), Taj (hotel bookings), Chroma (electronics), Voltas (air conditioners), Tata Sky (entertainment) and Cliq and Westside (fashion), to name some. 

News reports say the new app will also offer personal loans, insurance and bill payments. 

Have these services been made available to anyone so far?

The new super app has been rolled out among Tata group employees for beta testing. It will be rolled out to the general public at large on April7. 

The new app promises “super rewards”, according to announcements made by the Tata group. 

Is any other major player looking to launch another such super app in India?

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has had plans to integrate all of its ecommerce services being offered under the Jio banner, under one app. But there is no clarity on when it will launch a single super app offering all these services under one umbrella.