E-commerce

Why India’s suburbs are beating city centres at online shopping

Parvathi Benu

Shailesh Jha

Jayant Kumar

December 01, 2025 | 10 Min Read

New data reveals a surprising split in how metropolitan Indians shop. From Gurugram to Thane, suburban residents order far more online than their neighbours in city cores, upending conventional wisdom about urban commerce.

Sonik Sourabh had been in Gurugram for just a few months when he fell ill. Back home in Vaishali, Bihar, he would have known which doctor to call, which pharmacy stayed open late, and which uncle’s friend could recommend a specialist. Here in this concrete sprawl southwest of Delhi, he hardly knew anybody. His new colleagues lived scattered across the National Capital Region. His landlord spoke only enough to collect rent.

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