In India, small businesses are everywhere — the corner mechanic, the neighbourhood caterer, the tuition teacher next door. Together, they power the bulk of our economy. Yet when it comes to being discovered in the digital age, they are often left stranded.

Traditional directories like JustDial once promised visibility, but their relevance is fading. Revenues have swung dramatically in recent years, margins have been volatile, and their pay-per-lead model feels increasingly mismatched with the cash flows of small traders. Even when results appear, they are often one-way — a name and number, with little scope for genuine engagement or trust-building.

At the same time, the promise of artificial intelligence hasn’t yet solved the discovery gap. Large AI models are extraordinary at general knowledge, but they stumble on local context: opening hours that change daily, stock that sells out by evening, or promotions that vary by neighbourhood. For a customer looking for a plumber who can come today or a florist still open after 9pm, “hallucinated” answers are more frustrating than helpful.

The Invisible Majority

This gap matters because a staggering number of small businesses remain digitally invisible. Research suggests more than 40% lack any meaningful online presence, and among those who try, most describe digital marketing as expensive or too complex. In metros, this invisibility might be offset by big chains and aggregators. But in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where local shops and services are the true lifeline, the mismatch between consumer demand and digital supply is glaring.

Consumers are certainly looking. Nearly half of Google searches today have a local intent, and “near me” queries have grown more than fivefold in recent years. But the infrastructure to serve those searches is broken. Traditional directories haven’t adapted. Social media platforms aren’t designed for real-time service discovery. And AI, in its current form, isn’t reliable enough to be the answer.

Meeting People Where They Already Are

This is why discovery needs a reset. The future will not be about yet another app download — especially in a country where most people use only a handful of apps consistently and suffer from “app fatigue.” Instead, the answer lies in embedding discovery where people already spend their digital lives: conversational platforms, messaging spaces, and lightweight tools that feel natural rather than burdensome.

Here, new players are stepping in. One example is Bino, a WhatsApp-native discovery platform designed to bridge small businesses with local customers. Unlike directories that simply list contacts, Bino allows businesses to participate in two powerful ways:

• Instant Listings & Bookings: A business can add its products or services so customers can directly view and book them.

• Real-Time Offers & Deals: More interestingly, businesses can respond instantly to customer searches with their own offers — turning discovery into a live negotiation and making deals dynamic and contextual.

For a shopkeeper in Indore or a salon in Guwahati, this means being discoverable without complex websites or ad budgets — and doing so through the same WhatsApp interface they already use daily.

AI as an Equaliser

What makes this moment different from earlier attempts is the maturity of AI as an enabler rather than a replacement. When integrated thoughtfully, AI can help small businesses manage conversations, respond in multiple languages, and keep information updated without hiring a marketing agency. For customers, it means a more intuitive search — asking a question in natural language and being connected to a relevant, available local business in seconds.

In this sense, platforms like Bino are not just discovery tools but equalizers. They lower the barriers for the smallest of businesses to be seen, heard, and chosen in an AI-driven world. And they do so in ways that are affordable and accessible — critical in a country where small margins make or break livelihoods.

A Market Ready for Change

The Indian location-based services market is already worth $1.52 billion and projected to triple by 2030. That growth will not be captured by yesterday’s models. Instead, it will belong to platforms that recognise three truths:

1. Small businesses need discovery to be simple.

2. Consumers want discovery to be conversational and real-time.

3. AI must work in service of local context, not in abstraction.

The Way Forward

India is at a turning point in how local businesses are discovered. The past — dominated by static directories and keyword search — is losing relevance. The present — with its AI experiments and app fatigue — is transitional. The future will be conversational, AI-enabled, and rooted in everyday platforms.

Whether it is a tailor in Jaipur, a driving school in Bengaluru, or a dentist in Lucknow, discovery must move from being a headache to being a lifeline. The tools that succeed will be those that make technology feel invisible — where a small business owner doesn’t have to learn marketing jargon or manage dashboards, but can simply do what they’ve always done: serve customers.

That is why the emergence of WhatsApp-native and AI-assisted discovery platforms like Bino is more than a business story. It is a chance to reimagine how India’s local businesses, long underserved in the digital era, finally get the visibility they deserve.