Deepankar Rustagi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OmniRetail Technology, has called on African technology builders to accelerate innovation in response to rapidly changing market conditions, warning that slow-moving solutions risk becoming irrelevant in volatile economies.
Rustagi made the remarks during a panel session titled “Hard Things, Made Harder” at the Africa Startup Festival (ASF), where he joined Uka Eje and Babatunde Akin Moses to discuss the challenges facing agriculture, retail, and digital supply chains across the continent.
Innovation Must Match Market Volatility
Speaking at the session, Rustagi emphasized that Africa’s markets can shift within days, placing immense pressure on businesses that serve retailers and farmers.
“When markets can change in a week, your product has to change in a week too,” he said.
According to Rustagi, innovation must move at the same pace as the instability it is designed to address. He noted that while agriculture and retail may appear different in theory, they face similar on-the-ground realities, including pricing volatility, supply disruptions, and limited margins for error.
Downtime Is Not an Option
Rustagi stressed that both small retailers and farmers operate in environments where downtime can be devastating. As a result, technology providers must design solutions that are reliable, responsive, and deeply aligned with daily operational realities.
“If we want to be useful, our solutions must move at the speed of their reality,” he said.
Trust Before Technology
One of the key themes from the session was the role of trust in building effective digital supply chains. Rustagi noted that technology adoption among small retailers depends less on sophisticated features and more on consistency and reliability.
“Markets are built on trust long before they are built on technology,” he said, adding that digital platforms only succeed when users feel confident enough to stake their businesses on them.
Solving Real Problems to Drive Growth
Rustagi also highlighted the importance of focusing on practical, everyday challenges rather than abstract growth narratives.
He argued that meaningful growth begins with addressing the daily struggles of shopkeepers and farmers, from product availability to pricing transparency and delivery reliability.
“Solving real problems has more impact than any big pitch,” he noted.
Operations as the Foundation for Scale
The discussion further underscored that sustainable scale depends on strong operational execution. Clear pricing, predictable deliveries, and dependable service, Rustagi said, are essential for giving businesses the confidence to expand.
Strengthening Africa’s Digital Supply Chains
Reflecting on the festival, Rustagi described ASF as a platform for constructive dialogue and grounded perspectives. He emphasized that the next phase of work lies in deepening partnerships focused on measurable impact.
At OmniRetail Africa, he said, the company is committed to strengthening digital supply chains by working closely with partners who understand the realities of African markets.
The session reinforced a broader message emerging from the festival: Africa’s digital transformation will be driven not by speed alone, but by trust, operational excellence, and solutions built for the realities of those who depend on them daily.