From food to health care, 15 everyday tasks that you can now do via apps or websites
House hunting - nobroker, Zenify
One relocates to a new city or house for various reasons, ranging from a new job to the beginning of a ‘happily’ married life, but irrespective of how positive the reason might be, the vicious circle of brokers, restrictive landlords and changing terms make the whole experience one of the worst landmarks of your life. Thanks to startups like NoBroker and Zenify, you have a few ways out of that web now, with the help of broker free listings and detailed property characteristics. This is a great relief for all young professionals who have to move cities to advance their careers!
Food - Swiggy
Food ordering startups are not entirely new to the Indian market. With Foodpanda and TinyOwl already in the same sector, it was quite a surprise when Swiggy climbed up the ranks rapidly. A big factor in this is the ease of use. Website or app, just log in, let the app detect your location and show you the restaurants and eateries around you. With no minimum order amount, the options range from local juice centres to premium eateries.
Furnishing - rentomojo, furlenco
The price difference between renting a furnished and unfurnished house has prompted a significant rise in furniture rental services. Rentomojo and Furlenco are your best options if you’re looking to do the same. These rentals have free installation and free relocation services, along with a wide array of options from furniture to appliances to home decor. One of the best features on these sites are their package offerings which are good enough for an overall furnishing of your room or house.
Local household services - UrbanClap, Taskbob, Mr. Right
Trying to find a household help or a local repairman through your building’s security guard or neighbours might be harder than you think. You have no way to tell the quality of their services, other than word of mouth. Enter services like UrbanClap, Taskbob and Mr. Right, who have taken up the job of connecting you with professionals for tasks ranging from cleaning to repairs. So, instead of hiring a full time caretaker, you can actually go for the per-requirement approach and save your money along the way.
Travel - Ridesharing, cab services, car rentals, driver for hire, bus bookings
If there is one sector that has clearly benefited the most from India’s startup boom, it is travel. On demand Cab services like Uber and Ola have become second nature to us, and ridesharing services like sRide and BlaBlaCar are catching up really fast. And if you are planning a long drive and need a driver for the same, try Zuver, a driver-on-demand app. Just in case you want to drive yourself but lack the wheels, car rentals like Zoomcar and JustRide have your back covered.
Watch TV - hotstar, voot, netflix
Watching TV has become a rarity nowadays, with most of the young audience switching to web series and international shows. With that in mind, video-on-demand and online TV services like hotstar, Voot and the global giant Netflix are growing everyday. In fact, hotstar has been live streaming most ongoing tournaments and even the Academy Awards this year.
Smartphone/tablet repair - Just Like new
That feeling of dread when a smartphone slips from your hand can be the worst. You probably already calculated the repair costs and the hassle you’d have to go through before the phone even hit the ground. Not anymore, with JustLikeNew and Bigfix offering pickups and repair services for your smartphones and other electronics at your doorstep.
Grocery - Grofers, Big Basket
Not everybody likes to lug their monthly rations and groceries back home from the store. Due to lazy people like me, Grocery delivery startups like Grofers and Bigbasket have overcome the initial scepticism and have started widespread usage in metros. With slotted deliveries, store choices and same-day delivery options, you can consider your grocery needs satisfied.
Doctor - Practo, Portea, netmeds
An apple a day may not necessarily keep the doctor away, but there’s apps like Practo and Portea that make the whole experience more bearable! Through Practo you can find doctors based on specialisation, experience, and more. It lets you book appointments and also has a doctor’s side which lets them share prescriptions and reports directly. Netmeds delivers medicines directly to your home.
Paying bills - Paytm
Gone are the days when you had to stand in queue at some old office to pay your bills. With a number of mobile and online payment solutions available, we recommend Paytm due to its well integrated mobile wallet along with the many cashbacks that you can use for several things from cab services to online shopping. You can opt to permanently discontinue paper bills and save a lot of paperwork in this approach.
Salon - purplle, Vyomo, vanitycube
If Practo was your medical assistant, purplle is your grooming assistant. It lets you book appointments at beauty salons and spas around you, and contains details of the services offered at these places along with pricing. But if you still don’t want to step out of the house to feel groomed, try Vanitycube or Vyomo to call beauticians and grooming specialists to your doorstep and get your haircuts, styling, pedicures and all other grooming needs satisfied in the comfort of your own home.
News - Nuzzel
It’s no breaking news that newspapers are in decline. And don’t even start with television news. This situation with news mediums has led the newer generation to switch to apps and websites for information. Nuzzel is one such app that integrates news reading with social media by analyzing your timeline for
the in-trend and breaking news to bring relevant news stories to your attention.
File your taxes - ClearTax
Many of you might have torn your hair apart trying to file your taxes on time. After all, nobody likes paperwork, right? ClearTax has been around for a while and is an easy solution for your woes. They also launched a mobile app recently that is optimized to work on 2G networks and even allows offline filing.
Tutoring - Vedantu, BYJU
Even if you are not a student yourself, you might know someone who is. Edu-tech startups like Vedantu and BYJU are coming up with ways to bring students closer to learning. Vedantu offers one-on-one tutoring on a proprietary platform whereas BYJU’s offers quality content with the student’s learning process in mind.
Fitness
Using all the above services while sitting comfortably on your couch will make you an unfit couch potato. We absolutely don’t want that to happen. Fitso is an exercise tracker which will keep track of your workout. You can even enroll a coach to guide you. HealthifyMe provides you with detailed information about the food you’re consuming, after a manual entry of the same.
This story was part our 15 year Anniversary celebration and first appeared in our June edition. Be sure to check out our e-mag app (iOS Android) to download the latest issues of Digit, SKOAR and d-mystify.