Disintermediation or Re-intermediation? A Study of D2C Platforms in Tribal Markets (Are middlemen really disappearing or just being replaced by digital ones?)

Bhavya Sahay

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.83185

Disintermediation or Re-intermediation? A Study of D2C Platforms in Tribal Markets (Are middlemen really disappearing or just being replaced by digital ones?)

Author(s)	Ms. Bhavya Sahay
Country	India
Abstract	The rapid expansion of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) digital platforms has been widely celebrated as a transformative force capable of eliminating traditional intermediaries and creating direct market linkages between producers and consumers. This narrative is particularly significant in tribal regions, where producers have historically depended on multiple layers of middlemen, often resulting in unequal value distribution and market exploitation. However, the assumption that digitalization necessarily leads to disintermediation warrants critical examination. This study investigates the evolving role of D2C platforms in tribal markets and interrogates whether traditional intermediaries are genuinely being removed or merely replaced by new forms of digital intermediation. Drawing upon the concepts of disintermediation, platform capitalism, and digital governance, the study examines how e-commerce platforms, digital marketplaces, logistics providers, payment gateways, and algorithmic systems mediate transactions between tribal producers and consumers. Through an analysis of selected D2C initiatives operating in tribal economies, the research explores issues of market access, bargaining power, digital literacy, data ownership, platform dependency, and value appropriation. The study argues that while D2C platforms may reduce the visibility of conventional middlemen, they often introduce technologically enabled intermediaries that exercise significant control over market access, pricing mechanisms, consumer data, and distribution networks. The findings suggest that the transition from traditional to digital markets does not necessarily eliminate intermediary structures; rather, it reshapes them in more complex and less transparent forms. Consequently, the paper contributes to contemporary debates on digital inclusion, tribal entrepreneurship, and platform-mediated development by highlighting the need to move beyond the simplistic dichotomy of disintermediation versus intermediation. Instead, it proposes understanding D2C ecosystems as processes of re-intermediation, where power relations are reconfigured rather than removed. The study concludes by discussing policy implications for creating equitable and sustainable digital marketplaces that genuinely enhance the economic agency of tribal producers.
Keywords	Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Platforms; Disintermediation; Re-intermediation; Tribal Markets; Platform Capitalism; Digital Intermediaries; Tribal Entrepreneurship; Digital Inclusion; E-commerce; Market Access; Value Chains; Indigenous Economies
Field	Sociology
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-19
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.83185

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Disintermediation or Re-intermediation? A Study of D2C Platforms in Tribal Markets (Are middlemen really disappearing or just being replaced by digital ones?)

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