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Original scientific article

QUICK COMMERCE AND THE NEW DIGITAL DIVIDE: ASSESSING ITS IMPACT ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN URBAN INDIA

By
P Hameem Khan ,
P Hameem Khan
Contact P Hameem Khan

Assistant Professor, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

P. Muni Sravan Kumar Reddy Orcid logo ,
P. Muni Sravan Kumar Reddy

Research Fellow, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

R. Aravind Orcid logo ,
R. Aravind

Research Fellow, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

G. Nagaraju Orcid logo ,
G. Nagaraju

Research Fellow, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

N. Pavani Orcid logo ,
N. Pavani

Research Fellow, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

E. Sathiya Priya Orcid logo
E. Sathiya Priya

Research Fellow, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India

Abstract

Based on an analysis of the mediating impact of digital literacy, platform accessibility, and digital ecosystem trust, this paper examines the impact of quick commerce (q-commerce) on financial inclusion in urban India. Reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and parallel mediation analysis were used using survey data of 180 active users of q-commerce. The findings show that the total effect of the q-commerce use on financial inclusion is significant and positive (c = 0.910, p < .001). The direct effect was also found to be significant (c' = 0.231, p =.013) in situations where the mediators were included, and this means that there is partial mediation. The most important pathway between the mediators was the availability of platforms (indirect = 0.352, 95% CI 0.111 0.557), although the digital literacy and trust had no significant indirect effects. The impact of all the indirect effects was high (0.680, 95% C.I. 0. 430 -0.906), indicating the combined effect of the mediating variables. These results imply that usability and convenience in the interaction with the platform, and not necessarily digital capability or trust, are the drivers of the benefits of financial inclusion of q-commerce. The paper highlights the importance of platform design with ease of use and intuitiveness to provide equal opportunity to digital access and to reduce the digital divide, which is emerging in the quickly expanding e-commerce sector.

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Citation

This is an open access article distributed under the  Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 

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