New Delhi, March 30 -- Startups chasing India's small-town consumers are finally cracking the code on how to build custom in hinterland India, one of the world's most price-conscious markets.

Their secret: double down on trust and local nuance and, then, blend it with technology to amp up business.

Wealth management platforms Centricity and Wealthy, edtech entities Supernova, Arivihan and SpeakX, consumer brand Traya, and social networking firm Frnd are some companies that have grown in hinterland India by doubling down on building trust with customers.

Startups targeting so-called tier 2+ markets is not new. Companies have been trying to prise open such markets from 2015. Some like the recently-listed e-commerce platform Meesho have s...