New Delhi, April 26 -- A few nimble startups are quietly challenging the conventional wisdom of India's quick commerce sector. With government-backed ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) platform as partner, they are shunning costly dark stores in favour of tie-ups with corner shops.

Bengaluru-based KiranaPro and Apna Mart, as well as Mumbai's Kiko Live are among those pioneering this asset-light model in India's small towns, aiming for a more sustainable path to quick delivery of an assortment of goods in markets that have proven tough for the larger players to crack.

This new cohort of startups is focusing on merchant adoption and integrating neighbourhood retailers into their delivery networks by leveraging ONDC, which is a commo...