India, May 25 -- Three's not a crowd, it's a party in India's economy

Finding a house in India? That's a three-party deal. Booking a flight? Three-party deal. Even buying a SIM card often involves someone other than just you and the seller.

Why are intermediaries so deeply entrenched in India's economic fabric? This is not because of inefficiency or lack of technology but because India operates as a low-trust ecosystem where relationships matter more than anonymous systems and evidence is everywhere.

When an Indian consumer needs to make any significant purchase, they rarely go directly to a platform or company - they reach out to someone referred to them that they can trust. Many Indian startups have battled this reality and burned bi...