The Fastest Growing Startups in Maharashtra Edition 1

VOL 05
ISSUE 06
2022
Grow Your Business
Fundamentals Behind
Expansion of a Startup
The
Fastest Growing
Tech-Drive
Impact of Modern
Technologies on the
Startup Ecosystem
in Maharashtra
Sanjay Bha a
CEO and Founder
Freightwalla

STARTUP
MOMENTUM
OPENING UP
A PROSPEROUS
FUTURE
f you look for the definition of growth, you will find
Itwo standard parameters in every description. They are
natural enhancements and a gradual increase. Nowhere
it is given that growth happens rapidly, quickly, and in a fast
way.
Those were the old definitions and concepts, which are
quickly becoming outdated.
This is the era of fast food, fast life, and fast growth.
Everyone is becoming more impatient. The world is
progressing swiftly. Technology is advancing in an
unprecedented way. All this is impacting the growth of the
industry. However, when it comes to big, giant, and huge
corporations, they still follow the old definitions of growth
as they grow slowly.
Only the startups can grow as swiftly as the technology, the
world, and the customers' expectations. The agility, the

Abhishek Joshi
Deputy Editor
abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess.com
swiftness, the hunger, and the readiness to change and adapt
are the biggest qualities of startups that aid them in
innovation, pathbreaking discoveries, and disruptive
approaches to completely revamp the face of the business
and transform every sector.
In the post-pandemic world, it is because of these quickly
developing startups that the industry can supply as per the
customers' expectations and sometimes even exceed their
expectations. Startups not only bring a breath of fresh air
but also helps in developing an ecosystem of budding
entrepreneurial minds who are ever ready to take on the
new age challenges with elan.
To grasp their ever-growing popularity, reach, scope, and
acceptance amidst the millennial consumers, Insights
Success' new edition of 'The Fastest Growing Startups in
Maharashtra' has brought you their enthralling stories along
with two trendy articles crafted by our in-house editorial
team.
Enjoy their journeys through the following pages. Dive in!
At the helm of their quick progressing momentum lies the
newly evolving technopreneurial leadership of the digital
era, which is reinventing the way businesses are conducted,
grown and expanded on the digital platforms using social
marketing tools and techniques.

8 08
C
o v e r
S t o r y
Freightwalla

P r o f i l e s
20
28
GRAB
India’s First and Fastest
Tech-Enabled B2B Logistics Solution
PeriUrja Energy Pvt Ltd
Energizing India with Solar Power
C
O
N
T
A r t i c l e s
16
Grow Your Business
Fundamentals Behind
Expansion of a Startup
24
Tech-Drive
Impact of Modern
Technologies on the
Startup Ecosystem
E
N
T

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Deputy Editor Abhishek Joshi
Managing Editor Gaurav PR Wankhade
sales@insightssuccess.com
MAY, 2022
Art and Design Head Sandeep Tikode
Associate Designer Rashmi Singh
Co-designer Revati Badkas
Sr. Vice President Megha Mishra
Sr. Sales Manager Tejaswini Whaval
Business Development Lead Neha Bhilare
Sr. Business Development Executive Uttam Barun
Technical Head Prachi Mokashi
Technical Specialist Amar Sawant
Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni
SME-SMO Executive Nikita Khadalkar
Circulation Manager Tanaji
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The
Fastest Growing
in Maharashtra
Company Name
Management
Brief
Betterhalf
Pawan Gupta,
Cofounder and CEO
Betterhalf is India's first and only matrimony app without
parents.
DocsApp
Satish Kannan,
CEO and Co-founder
DocsApp is an online doctor consultation platform that provides
consultation for patients of all age groups in several key
disciplines.
Freightwalla
Sanjay Bhatia,
CEO and Founder
Freightwalla is an international forwarder thats helps you manage
supply chain by providing online tools including instant
quotations for shipments.
Grab
Nishant Vora,
Co-founder and Director
Grab is India’s first startup to offer a tech-abled delivery solution
to businesses.
PeriUrja
Sarvesh Shetye,
Co-founder
PeriUrja Energy is an energy company which focusses on reducing
global carbon footprint by promoting renewable energy as an
alternative to other conventional sources of energy.
Square Yards
Tanuj Shori,
CEO
Square Yards is India’s largest integrated platform for Real Estate and
Mortgages and one of the fastest growing Proptech platforms in the
UAE, the Rest of the Middle East, Australia and Canada.

C o v e r S t o r y
Freightwalla
Universally Unified Digital Logistics Window
Freightwalla o ers a
uni ed and intuitive online
platform for businesses to
plan, budget, book easily,
and manage customers'
shipments

Sanjay Bha a
CEO and Founder

The Fastest Growing Start-ups in Maharashtra
The biggest hassles for any shipper are the frequent
follow-ups besides hidden shipping charges and
cumbersome documentation processes are the pain
points for companies worldwide while managing their
oceanic freights.
Manufacturing companies suffer because of lacking in
identifying optimal information in the sea of never-ending
data and huge information available via various resources.
Also, there is no Single Window Solution available with
them. They find it almost impossible to organise their and
their customers' priorities of sharing crucial information in
real-time.
This was the scenario before entering Sanjay Bhatia, the
CEO and Founder, identified all of the crucial pain points
in the freight management system and came up with a
universally unified Single Digital Logistics Window
Solution of Freightwalla and changed the game forever.
Sanjay drew a graph of the traditional way of doing this
business where a user has to deal with the shipper,
forwarder, transportation service, custom agent, shipping
lines and so on. This process is so clumsy, messy, and timeconsuming
that it tests the user's patience to the last degree.
Not anymore.
Changing the Global Traditional Logistics Mindset
Sanjay shares, "International logistics is a 300-year-old
industry that follows the traditional way of doing business
and is very slow to adopt the technology."
The reasons are many, but the primary cause is human's
traditional psychology of resisting change up to the last
point. Thus, Sanjay's tremendous challenge initially was to
change this prevailing mindset and bring about the
digitization of the industry as per 21st century standards.
The process was slow at first but gained momentum as
focus on supply chain health has reached a new high thanks
to the pandemic.
Sanjay reveals, "Digitization has helped us compile data
and use actionable insights to help our customers manage
their shipments effectively." The continuous flow of
information and effective shipment workflow management
has enabled proactive problem-solving delays and cost
escalations.
We're Freightwalla: Your Digital Forwarding Partner
Today, Freightwalla offers a unified and intuitive online
platform for businesses to plan, budget, book, and manage
customer shipments. The services include an instant
Our latest o ering, Cargo
Tracker, is an intelligent
tracker that enables endto-end
real-time visibility
of containers booked on
multiple shipping lines,
regardless of the
forwarder used on a single
platform
planning and costing tool, real-time tracking capabilities
with predictive analytics, online documentation, and
simplified reporting with a plethora of customized valueadded
services such as transportation, customs clearance,
and additional services like cargo insurance, to name a few.
All the above features are backed by state-of-the-art data
analytics and ML algorithms offering intelligent and
actionable insights, delay prediction, and customized
reports for data-driven decision making.
Its latest offering, Cargo Tracker, is an intelligent tracker
that enables end-to-end real-time visibility of containers
booked on multiple shipping lines, regardless of the
forwarder used, on a single platform. It employs predictive
analytics and ML algorithms to predict Estimated Time of
Arrival (ETAs) and delays at ports. Automated alerts on
each milestone empower businesses to make informed
decisions and combat shipment delays proactively.
The Visionary Leadership of Sanjay
Sanjay reveals, "At Freightwalla, I am responsible for
strategic, financial and operational leadership." His
background with PwC strategy consulting, Solera Partnersa
venture capital firm and Everstone Capital - one of India's
biggest home-grown private equity firms, has enabled him
to build a concrete foundation to apprehend the nitty-gritty
of the industry in terms of strategy and finance. Further, he

has consulted multiple Fortune 500 companies and MNC
Logistics companies and established and led an NGO.
Sanjay holds degrees in Economics, Politics, and
Philosophy from Warwick. Besides, he also holds a Master
of Science degree in Applied Finance from Singapore
Management University. He has completed his International
Baccalaureate from Dhirubhai Ambani International
School.
The Freightwalla Platform: Digital in Form, Disruptive
in Functionality
"Plan, finalize, execute, and analyse your shipping
operations using our unified, easy-to-use digital platform,"
says Sanjay.
Freightwalla's planning and costing are convenient. You
can get all the information you need from dozens of carriers
to plan your shipments, from quotes and sailing schedules
to historical pricing reports, and strike a balance between
shipping cost and transit time based on your needs using the
Feightwalla.com platform.
Seamless Communication and Collaboration are now a
click away. "Complete booking and documentation online
collaboratively with your team without the hassle of
exchanging dozens of emails, calls, and messages by
leveraging our digital platform and readily available
customer support," says Sanjay. Customers can review and
manage their bookings collaboratively, view alerts and all
required actions on a single dashboard, and receive instant
support through a live chat with Freightwalla experts. "This
way, the customer saves countless hours of emails and
phone calls wasted on follow-ups," quips Sanjay.
Digitized Workflow Automation is the key. It eliminates the
stress of fetching information from multiple sources and
coordinating with various intermediaries by letting
Freightwalla's digital platform do all the heavy lifting.
Sanjay states, "Customer can coordinate in a timely and
stress-free way with our automated backend." They can
complete the entire documentation process, including BL
review online and reconcile accounts with zero errors
through online invoicing. This saves 30% of customers'
time spent on documentation.
monitor shipments through multimodal tracking, share
alerts and notifications with consigners, and identify
shipments at risk of delay.
Your Smart Reporting and Analytics. You can organize,
view, and manage your invoices on the Freightwalla
platform for error- and hassle-free accounting and analysis.
You can view all reports and invoices on a single platform,
analyse historical pricing reports, and auto-generate daily
status and monthly sending reports. You get to reconcile
your accounts with zero mismatches and errors.
Privacy and Security is your right. Freightwalla provides
end-to-end SSL encryption, complete control of the data
and information, secure AWS-powered cloud-data storage,
and hourly data backups.
The Only Digital Partner for All Your Shipping Needs
Freightwalla's many services include,
Ocean Freight Forwarding: Use the digital platform,
dedicated support team, and international network of
shipping partners to book freight online without the hassle
of endless enquiries, follow-ups, negotiations, and
unexpected delays. Plan shipments optimally based on
instant rates and schedules from dozens of carriers. Track
your cargo from source to destination even while
transhipping. Save the man-hours spent on gathering quotes
and finalizing critical documents.
Our value-added
services will take
your supply
chain to the next
level
Real-Time Tracking and Tracing Means Business. Track the
status of your booking, documentation, and the entire
shipping process from source to destination in real-time
without having to make constant enquiries. Customers can

Transportation: Book on-ground transportation for your
cargo to and from all significant inland and ports across
India for FTL and LTL volumes and special types of
transport like reefers and Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC).
Avoid the stress of dealing with multiple partners for
trucking and shipping. Track your shipment on the ground
in real-time and get regular status updates. Plan your supply
chain processes effectively based on accurate delivery
information. Give your customers accurate updates on
delivery timelines and enhance their customer satisfaction.
Customs Clearance: To reduce risks, let our partner
network handle your customs processes. Upload documents
online and receive updates on your clearance status on a
single platform. Avoid delays and penalties associated with
non-compliant documentation. Get updates on your
customs clearance status for easy tracking. Receive the
complete list of required documents to avoid missing out on
any. Avoid follow-ups with customs agents for updates.
Trade Finance: Enhance your cash flow with quick access
to working capital through our trade-finance partners. Pre-
Shipment Cargo Testing: Reduce the risks of importing
from India by getting your cargo tested for quality and
regulatory compliance at the source. Pre-Trip Inspection
and Container Survey: Conduct a pre-trip inspection of
transportation containers and trucks to ensure reliability to
avoid delays due to breakdowns. Cargo Insurance: Avoid
the hassle of finding cargo insurance vendors and get your
cargo insured with our partners at competitive rates. Live
Temperature Monitoring: Ship temperature-sensitive cargo
under perfect conditions using reefer containers equipped
with real-time temperature control mechanisms. Container
Fumigation: Disinfect your container to protect your cargo
from pests and viruses and comply with import laws.
Sanjay adds, "Our value-added services will take your
supply chain to the next level.”
Sanjay's Wisdom
Sanjay's advice to the budding entrepreneurs who are
willing to start their own venture/business in the logistics
and supply chain industry is wise. He says you should not
view challenges as hurdles; embrace them as learning
opportunities. You'll reach your goals faster, taking small
steps rather than giant leaps. You'll come across more
obstacles than you thought possible. If you stop looking at
hurdles and look more like learning opportunities, you'll be
a successful entrepreneur.
Today's Logic is Technology
Being an experienced leader, when asked how the
involvement of emerging technologies enhances the
industry and what advancements can we expect in the

without boundaries by using our innovative digital platform
and international partner network to plan and execute your
freight activities such as shipping, trucking, customs
clearance, warehousing, insurance, and invoicing. We are
rapidly expanding our pan-India footprint,”
Freightwalla is
fast emerging as
the Single Digital
Global Logistics
Window
future, Sanjay opines that the industry is witnessing
disruptive technologies like AI and ML impacting various
supply chain processes, including route optimization, realtime
tracking of shipments, performance forecasting,
warehouse management or live temperature monitoring of
cargo.
He says, "We will also see the increasing use of IoT by
companies to track the location and status of cargo being
shipped." This technology is precious when used to track
the journey and condition of perishable cargo.
Blockchain technology simplifies digital storage and
sharing of all necessary shipping documents decentralised
and immutable, preventing data manipulation.
Freightwalla: Single Digital Global Logistics Window of
the Future
Freightwalla offers solutions in three categories:
International importers/exporters, Indian
importers/exporters, and forwarders/service providers.
Sanjay shares, "We are continuously investing in
sophisticated technologies like AI/ML, IoT, electronic Bill
of Lading, and enhancing our integration with key partners
to bring even better efficiencies to our services. Additional
services for end-to-end freight management are also our key
priorities right now.”
Sell More, Save More: Increase customer conversion by
being transparent about quotes and delivery timelines.
Avoid hidden shipping charges and set healthy profit
margins by getting fixed and transparent freight rates
upfront. Improve customer relationships by providing realtime
visibility on shipments.
Import with Ease: Clear customs conveniently with the
help of our partners and get updates on your clearance
status. Locate your shipment at any time and plan your
distribution and manufacturing processes based on accurate
ETAs. Online rate discovery for imports.
Trading with India for international buyers gaining greater
visibility and control over the freight management
processes and overcoming the need for constant follow-ups,
hidden local charges, and the risk of buying substandard
goods. Sanjay adds, "For the international
importers/exporters, we offer pre-shipment cargo
inspection, online documentation, and real-time tracking
with notifications.”
Trade with Convenience: Reduce the man-hours spent on
emailing, printing, and scanning documents. Minimize
turnaround times for your customers by sharing rates
without worrying about time zone differences. Eliminate
hidden local charges and get the full breakdown of shipping
costs.
Buy with Confidence: Ensure the quality of goods before
shipping through third-party cargo testing. Stay up-to-date
on shipment status and pending actions without enquiring
and following up manually. Avoid delivery delays caused
by non-compliant or erroneous paperwork.
"Now that the pandemic and travel restrictions are behind
us, we are fast emerging as a global player with our
offering. We see significant opportunities for a tech-enabled
logistics offering in other markets," concludes Sanjay.
With Freightwalla, anybody can quickly, efficiently, and
effortlessly trade to and from India. Sanjay adds, "Trade

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Fundamentals
Behind
Expansion
of a Start-up
16 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in

Grow Your Business
Growth. Progress. Appreciation. Expansion.
Reading these words gives a very positive and
energetic feel. Right?
Yes, this is the new age of dynamism, exploration,
ambition, and collaboration. Welcome to the new era of
business start-ups!
The concept of business as a profession has been known to
humans for a long period. It is indeed an independent way
of directly dealing with the customers and vendors.
However, the business has evolved in its format and
structure in the past two decades, nicely coined as a startup.
A start-up is a small business that is registered with the
government and follows all the rules and regulations
applicable. It is a planned and systematic approach for newage
enterprises giving proper impetus to all the essential
business functions.
The government provides good support in training,
guidance, encouragement, and funding support. The current
market environment is favourable for new entrepreneurs in
starting their new businesses.
17 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in

In these volatile market conditions, it becomes imperative
for the start-ups to keep evolving and developing
themselves to the changing market conditions. Some
entrepreneurs have been instrumental in smartly steering
their start-ups through challenging market conditions and
thriving with an impressive growth rate.
Let's identify the essential fundamentals for business startups'
sustenance, success, and expansion.
· Network Consistently
It is essential to communicate consistently with everyone as
much as possible. Those businesses get orders from those
who choose to associate and socialize openly. Networking
is the buzzword today. Building maximum contacts and
collecting reference orders is a smart to do business. Sales
and marketing are important, yet networking has the
potential of roping in quick sales.
· Maintain Accountability
Implementing the proper process and a sound system for
managing the business effectively. Start-up entrepreneurs
should invest in the right software, security, and
surveillance systems with the appropriate biometric and
access control cum attendance monitoring systems. These
modern technology tools help control the systems, maintain
the floor discipline, and earn the respect of standard
business organizations.
The latest cloud-based business software applications are
feasible, accessible, and integrated with all the business
functions. Hence, the work is monitored, supervised, and
carried out seamlessly, either in person or remotely.
· Content Powered Communication
It is rightly said that content is the king. Any message in the
business verticals should be thoughtfully written.
There should be a clear purpose in every communication,
internal or external. The right messages with precise content
possess the ability to create a lasting impact on the viewers'
minds.
Many start-ups have grown up through their innovative
content marketing strategies. Clear messages better
convince the target audience, reducing repetitive
communication through the follow-up rounds.
· Digital Marketing Strategies
Since the advent of the IT boom in the past couple of
decades, digital communication has taken over everyone
today. Subsequently, the most feasible, effective,
economical, accountable, and reliable marketing platform is
digital marketing. As a small budding business enterprise,
start-ups have smartly leveraged digital media's power and
scope.
18 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in
Digital marketing communication can be efficiently planned
and managed with limited team members to reach out to a
vast number of people. The best part of digital marketing
that the start-ups can utilize is the controlled usage,
customization, and scalability.
· Effective Team management
Business is all about people. People are everywhere.
Customers, vendors, associates, and employees. It begins
with the team in our office. Taking a logical, practical, and
humane approach to dealing with the team members is
essential. They are the critical facilitators of every
departmental function. They should always be heard, asked
to express themselves actively, and encouraged to
contribute valuable suggestions. Numerous start-ups
encourage their employees to facilities like work-fromhome,
learning management systems, sponsored training
programs, various recreational facilities, and employee
engagement activities.
The employees execute the management decisions. The
work quality, service, and communication depend upon the
employee's efforts. When the employees feel valued, they
will give their best efforts to the company's betterment.
· Dedicated Customer Service
Start-up entrepreneurs should develop a culture of
providing dedicated customer service. This requires clear
and regular communication with the customers on their
various requirements, festive and cultural occasions, and
creating a special bond of trust and mutual respect. It helps
get valuable feedback from the clients in knowing the
current work status. Customer feedback is the best guiding
mirror of business reflection.
The start-up companies that value customer feedback
actually improves and grow steadily. The start-ups are small
businesses in their beginning stage. So they have better
control and adaptability in deciding the course of their
business. Dedicated customer service can help understand
many hidden aspects that are not readily known or written
off as minor things. It is also an exciting parameter in
knowing the team performance too.
Change is the Only Constant
Business start-ups can control and scale their domain
capacities. They must take calculated decisions by carefully
tracking the competition and monitoring the market
scenario. It is an unavoidable fact that the market might
change or fluctuate unexpectedly. Still, the same market
will belong to those start-ups who carefully adapt to the
changing environment and sustain their professional ethics.
It is rightly said by Jimmy Dean, "I can't change the
direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails always to
reach my destination.”
- Kedar Borgaonkar

On the road to success, logistics
connects the manufacturing
businesses to their final
destination of victory. But in terms of
moving and evolving along with the
ever-evolving tech, the sector was not
ready to fast-track.
Moreover, the industry was reluctant to
organize, strategies, optimize,
innovate, and upgrade its existing
unorganized and unoptimized business
model. This is where three childhood
friends sensed a revolutionary business
opportunity with their entrepreneurial
spirit and visionary mindset.
They thought, what if they could
establish a modern tech-enabled
business-to-business logistics and
delivery solution provider. Rather than
doing logistics illogically, they will put
their combined logical wisdom to
create a tech-based platform to create
India’s first tech-novel delivery and
logistics network.
With this out-of-the-box idea, the three
best buddies Nishant Vora, Pratish
Sanghvi, and Jignesh Patel launched
GRAB a Grub Services Ltd. or
GRAB, India’s first budding startup to
offer a tech-abled delivery solution to
businesses.
Nishant is the Co-founder and
Director, Heads Operations, HR and
Strategy at GRAB. At GRAB, he leads
human resources, operations and
strategy. Nishant helped the company
establish a foothold and pioneered
tech-enabled logistics solutions.
Nishant shared, “Over the last nine
years, Grab has built an expansive
fleet of bike riders that move products
in a hyperlocal region as well as
intracity deliveries via our fourwheeler
network.”
Nishant has a solid business history
and is a visionary and people person,
having started three successful firms.
Nishant elaborated, “Our logistics
platform is for businesses ranging from
restaurants, online grocers, offline and
online retail commerce, Kirana stores,
pharmacies, banks, telecom – in other
words – for any business that seeks to
deliver a product on a recurring
basis.”
Nishant graduated from Mohawk
College in Ontario, Canada, and has
received numerous awards throughout
his academic and professional career.
Before launching GRAB, he worked
with recognised businesses such as
Toyota, General Electric, and others.
Today, GRAB, a subsidiary company
of Reliance Industries (Reliance
Retail), is also the exclusive in-house
logistics provider for JioMart and is
closely working with 500 other clients
like Ola Dash, KFC, Zepto, Flipkart,
20 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in

The Leader Opines
Why do today's Startups pursue ideas and ideals?
India is known for the power of its young and proactive population that is on the verge of making substantial
breakthroughs in the industry. An Economic Survey has shown that India has become the third-largest startup
ecosystem in the world after the US and China. The Survey noted that the government recognised over 14,000 new
startups in 2021-22 against 733 in 2016-17.
The startup ecosystem is growing at a pace that the country has never seen before. This will be challenging for
businesses to come up with innovative ideas that will solve a purpose as well as be profitable. If you combine
growth and purpose at the initial stage of your journey, then it might be conflicting because as a budding
entrepreneur, your aim should be to come up with a breakthrough idea and achieve product-market fit.
A good entrepreneurial idea should have the potential to capture the audience's needs that they are looking for in
the marketplace. Finding a loophole and implementing it in a particular segment and adding value to people's lives
is the key to a successful business.
If this is achieved, growth will automatically follow. People driven by ideals along with their business ideas bring
more value to the customers. To thrive and sustain your business in the ecosystem, you need to find ways to keep
innovating your product so that your idea and ideal both flourish in the market.
- Nishant Vora, Co-founder and Director, Heads Operations, HR and Strategy at GRAB
21 | May 2022 | www.insightssuccess.in

Shoppers Stop, McDonald's, Swiggy,
and Big Basket, to name a few.
Nishant said further, “Our technology
platform and delivery network offer
varied services including On Demand,
GrabEx, First Mile, Forward, Reverse,
and IntraCity that caters to businesses
of all sizes and segments, across varied
sectors.”
Nishant was speaking with Insights
Success for its edition of ‘The Fastest
Growing Startups in Maharashtra’,
where he divulged his firm’s journey,
current phase in the new normal, and
how he plans to take GRAB to new
heights of success with his 15 years of
broad experience.
Please tell us about GRAB in detail.
GRAB is a Mumbai-based company
founded in 2013 when the last-mile
delivery market was budding in the
country.
GRAB is India's largest and fastestgrowing
tech-abled last-mile logistics
solution company that caters to
businesses ranging from restaurants,
online grocers, offline and online retail,
e-commerce platforms, Kirana stores,
pharmacies, etc.
The company focuses on providing a
host of technology-backed logistics
solutions to businesses that allow them
to deliver cost-effectively and
efficiently to their customers.
The company's vast clientele gets
connected to the crowdsourced
network of Grab's 100k+ supply fleet
to fulfil the pickup and delivery on a
highly customizable framework.
Over the years, GRAB has built an
expansive fleet network that comprises
riders, three-wheeler and four-wheeler
vehicles, vans and electric bikes. It
caters to thousands of Indian cities
with coverage from Kargil to
Kanyakumari, with delivery reach to
more than 13,000 pin codes.
What were the initial challenges that
you faced while commencing your
start-up?
A decade ago, the logistics industry
was unorganized in terms of fixed
delivery setup, no technology input,
unoptimized costs, unutilized
resources, etc. This led to untimely
deliveries of products to the end
customers.
When we launched our platform, we
were the first movers offering such
services to businesses. There were no
ready reckoners for us to refer to, and
we completely started from scratch.
From working on the tech stack to
understanding the processes and setting
up hyperlocal logistics models was
challenging initially. But we achieved
all of them by trial and error to arrive
at the suitable model that has pioneered
this industry today.
The team created a tech-abled delivery
platform that elevated the entire
delivery experience from smart order
assignment, delivery tracking, and
navigation to the customer while
optimizing the cost for its client
through building a strong network of
fleets.
What would be your advice to the
budding entrepreneurs who are
willing to start their own
venture/business?
It is good to have a successful
entrepreneur or a businessman as a
mentor if you start your own venture.
But, if you cannot find yourself a
mentor, you need to follow these tips to
stay motivated and stay in the game
during your journey.
• Do what you love: It is crucial for
you to understand the business in
and out that you are planning to
work on.
• Embrace challenges: As Shri
Dhirubhai Ambani said, “Pursue
your goals even in the face of
difficulties and convert adversities
into opportunities.” You need to
keep trying new things when you
are starting a business, or else you
wouldn't know what is working
and what is not.
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• Have a vision: Be clear in your
vision for your business. The
market is very cluttered; hence
you shouldn't lose focus on what
you want to achieve for your
business.
• Believe in yourself: There will be
obstacles when starting your own
business. However, it would be
best if you found ways to achieve
success. As they say- Find a way
or make one!
Being an experienced leader, share
your opinion on how the involvement
of emerging technologies enhances
the industry and what advancements
can we expect in the future?
The involvement of emerging
technologies is bringing a greater level
of efficiencies to our industry. For
instance, Grab’s adoption of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Machine
Learning (ML) is driving the size of
the fleet needed in a specific
neighborhood at a particular time of
the day and also aiding delivery
partners to choose which is the optimal
route to take basis traffic conditions or
the most optimal entry point in a large
complex with multiple gates and so on.
While real-time tracking and routing
algorithms have seen significant
advancements in our industry, we
expect further evolutions in an
integrated yet modular tech stack for
end-to-end supply chain processes.
Where do you envision GRAB
eventually, and how do you plan to
embrace the changes happening in
your industry?
Currently, GRAB is present in all the
metro cities and Tier-2 cities. Our
footprint is across the corners of the
nation, literally- we have riders in
Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Given the emergence of the quick
commerce platforms, we have elevated
our routing algorithms to ensure
customer and client satisfaction is
achieved. At the same time, we have
ensured rider safety which remains the
key aspect.

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Tech-Drive
Impact of
Modern
Technologies
on the
Start-up
Ecosystem
f the numerous professionals in the market, only a
Ofew think differently to walk a daring path of
business. Yes, indeed that's a fact. To do any
business, one needs to be very clear about the business idea
and should be ready to work independently. Many dynamic
professionals having gathered the industry know-how,
choose to begin their new business start-ups with the
ambition of making them a big and successful business
entity.
Recently we have noticed a high number of new start-ups
getting registered and starting with enthusiasm. However, it
is also a reality that only a few succeed with astounding
success. As we ponder on the success stories, they have
been well organized, serious, dedicated, pragmatic in their
approach, and tech-savvy.
Let's look at a few successful start-ups of Urban Company,
Paytm, and Byjus. All began with their business objectives
and with a strong purpose of providing services to the
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people. As they began their operations, they got a
phenomenal response from the market as they were trendy,
quick, and helpful in meeting the client's needs.
Their common success factor which identified and
established them was a simple user-friendly online
platform. They ensured the customers were attended to
professionally, and the offerings were customized and made
feasible. The effective application of the technology in all
these three success stories has made their customers spread
the good word about them.
Indeed, the technologies have penetrated and empowered
the start-ups in doing their business effectively. Let's
identify the various applications and the pivotal role of
technology in transforming the modern start-up ecosystem
today.
In the past five years, the number of tech start-ups has
increased multi-fold. The quest of offering a faster service
with a better customer experience and the pandemic
situation, all led to the greater involvement of the
technologies in the start-ups.
• Faster and Direct Communication
Technologies have influenced the communication process in
a big way. The live video conferences with people across
the globe, sharing of high volumes of data seamlessly to
any destination, and reaching out to a large mass of people
through the power of the web and digital media is
phenomenal advancement.
• Better Control over Operations
Implementation of numerous software and web applications
has given start-up entrepreneurs control of their business
operations. The systems are well configured with the
interrelated functional parameters that regulate smooth and
simplified working.
• Minimized the Possibilities of Errors
The modern business process which is automated and well
structured with the web technologies through the tools of
data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning;
has practically established a systematic foundation for the
business operations. This has reduced the possibility of
human errors making it correct and reliable. The wellintegrated
business functions connect all the departments in
a close interconnection which automatically helps in real
and instant analysis of the work.
• Supports team learning and training
The platforms of social media, Youtube, eLearning, and
learning management systems have made the learning
process easier and simplified. For taking the business
toward a progressive path, it is essential for entrepreneurs to
train and motivate their employees by equipping them with
diverse professional challenges.
• Enhanced Scalability
The new-age start-up businesses are based on flexible and
scalable models which have the proper controlled and
calculated structure of expansion.
• Encourages Collaborative Working
With the technologies came in a new start-up culture that is
very open, welcoming, encouraging and supportive. Startups
encourage homogenous work culture through open
coworking spaces. The work that happens on the systems
has given them the privilege of working from home with
real-time communication and reporting. The new
technologies in AI as in the chatbots have helped in
reducing the human efforts in typical repetitive functions
supporting them in focusing on higher important tasks.
• Higher Safety and Security
Latest applications in data security with firewalls have
ensured system protection from unauthorized cyber-attacks,
viruses, spam ware, and malware. Close-knit technologies
of blockchain integrations have enhanced the security levels
in a simplified manner.
• Rise in Opportunities
The world has become smaller with the technology
connecting people from all corners of the world
encouraging interactions, information exchange, and
collaborations for education, tourism, and trade. Live
communication with meetings happens seamlessly with
businesses done worth millions every year. The scope and
the reach of the start-ups have been magnified through the
dynamism of the technology.
New Age of New Perspective
The technologies have transformed the start-ups to a totally
new altitude. The modern working methodology well
equipped with the systematic and organized process has
paved the way for better quality service towards lasting
customer satisfaction. Businesses are now done digitally,
remotely, and dynamically. We can comfortably sum up that
the reverberations of the technologies have elevated the
paradigms of the start-up culture in every way.
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