From VConnect to OmniRetail: How Deepankar Rustagi is Digitally Unifying Africa’s Supply Chain

Deepankar Rustagi is the founder and CEO of OmniRetail Technology Limited, a B2B essential goods company that digitally unifies the supply chain in Africa. He founded VConnect, an SME tech company that focused on improving business-customer interactions in Sub-Saharan Africa, before recognizing the need to digitize the supply chain in Africa and founding OmniRetail. Deepankar’s expertise in supply chain management and entrepreneurship has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth in the African business landscape. 

In exclusive interview with Business Elites Africa, Deepankar shared his journey, achievements, and vision for the future of OmniRetail, discussing the challenges he faced and how he overcame them to build a successful business. With his strong motivational management style, Deepankar has built and retained high-performance teams to develop and implement growth strategies.

BEA: How did your experiences as a zonal marketing manager and national sales manager contribute to your journey as an entrepreneur and CEO of OmniRetail Technology Limited? 

Deepankar Rustagi: Transitioning from zonal marketing and sales management to entrepreneurship enhanced my insights and skills, translating to the success of OmniRetail. As a zonal marketing manager, I gained a clear understanding of diverse customer needs and honed the ability to tailor solutions for varying markets – a vital skill for entrepreneurs. My sales background equipped me with the skills necessary for customer identification, negotiation, and deal closure, all of which have undoubtedly facilitated OmniRetail’s growth. 

Both roles collectively helped me better comprehend market insights, competitive strategies, and customer behaviors – critical knowledge for staying competitive in the tech industry. Moreover, these experiences assisted me in developing expertise in risk assessment and management, a crucial skillset for making sound investments and facilitating expansion.

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BEA: What lessons did you bring forward from VConnect to shape OmniRetail’s vision and strategy? 

Deepankar Rustagi: The success of VConnect, as an SME tech company in Sub-Saharan Africa, laid a strong foundation for OmniRetail. Insights gained from VConnect significantly influenced OmniRetail’s vision and strategy.

The lessons learned in adapting to local markets, developing effective tech solutions, and understanding the dynamics of SMEs played a pivotal role in shaping OmniRetail’s approach. VConnect’s journey emphasised the importance of scalability, customer-centricity, and innovation – principles that continue to drive OmniRetail’s growth.

My motivational management style centers around empowerment and collaboration. By encouraging autonomy, I foster innovation among team members.

BEA: How does OmniRetail empower both retailers and manufacturers to overcome traditional trade inefficiencies? 

Deepankar Rustagi: OmniRetail’s mission to digitise Africa’s supply chain comes with its share of challenges, including infrastructural limitations, diverse market needs, and fragmented systems. In response, we developed a unified distribution platform that addresses these challenges head-on. For retailers, the platform provides access to a comprehensive range of goods and optimised inventory management. Manufacturers, on the other hand, benefit from an expanded market reach.

This collaborative platform enables both retailers and manufacturers to overcome traditional trade inefficiencies by streamlining ordering processes, enhancing logistics, and providing valuable data insights. By transforming the conventional trade dynamics, OmniRetail is driving the evolution of the supply chain in Africa.

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BEA: Can you shed light on your motivational management style and how it has contributed to fostering innovation and driving growth within OmniRetail Technology Limited? 

Deepankar Rustagi: My motivational management style centers around empowerment and collaboration. By encouraging autonomy, I foster innovation among team members. We place a strong emphasis on valuing diverse perspectives, which has cultivated a culture of creative problem-solving at OmniRetail. This approach to leadership has significantly contributed to our growth by harnessing the strengths of each individual team member and fostering a dynamic and innovative environment.

BEA: How do you balance innovative solutions with the unique challenges of operating in developing economies? 

Deepankar Rustagi: My education at Stanford has profoundly shaped my approach at OmniRetail. Engaging with Stanford SEED emphasised sustainable growth, which has informed our innovation strategy. We prioritize scalable solutions tailored to the challenges of developing economies. Balancing innovation involves a deep understanding of local nuances and ensuring our solutions align with the realities of infrastructure and the market. This approach results in impactful and pragmatic innovations at OmniRetail.