StartupTalky

Tag: 📝Interviews

  • Piyush Sahni, Co-founder, Green Grapes Diagnostics, Transforming Healthcare With Cutting-Edge Solutions

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Rapid diagnostic tests are medical tests that can quickly and accurately diagnose a disease or condition in a patient. These tests are designed to provide results within a short period of time, usually within minutes to a few hours, and are often used in point-of-care settings such as clinics, hospitals, and emergency departments. Rapid diagnostic tests can be used to detect a wide range of conditions, including infectious diseases, cancer, and other medical conditions.

    According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global rapid diagnostic test market is projected to have a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period of 2020 to 2025. Factors driving the growth of this market include the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, the growing focus on point-of-care testing, and advancements in technology.

    However, it’s important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on the market for rapid diagnostic tests, as the demand for these tests has increased significantly in recent months. This has led to a higher growth rate for the market.

    For this Interview, we invited Piyush Sahni, Co-founder of Green Grapes Diagnostics, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical industry.

    StartupTalky: Piyush, what was the motivation/vision with which you started? What products does your company sell?

    Piyush: The harrowing time of the pandemic in 2020 presented us with several challenges. When everything that my wife and I had built in our previous immersive digital display solutions business called, ‘Green Grapes Devices’ came to a halt, due to the pandemic, we were looking for industries to switch and maneuver. Taking feedback and other suggestions, we quickly developed ‘UV Sterilization boxes’ to oscillate to the healthcare industry as the propeller of the need of the hour.

    The intention of developing this product was to sanitize smaller articles of metal, iron, and other material (which could carry the virus) in under just 3 minutes. The forthcoming response got us media attention which eventually nudged us into dealing and serving the industry with distinguished surgical and diagnostic products such as IV sets, CPAP Machines, and Hematology Analyzer Machines. As an extension to our earlier business, we named this startup Green Grapes Diagnostics.

    Our progressive and forward-looking approach aided us to accelerate and rapidly transform into a leading comprehensive solutions provider of not just surgical and diagnostic products but also look at catering to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical demands within a few months of operations. This resulted in expanding and establishing synergies with exceptional manufacturers and hospitals in India and across the globe. Within a shorter time, we dilated from serving customers in India to customers in the USA, Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, UAE, and other Middle Eastern Countries.

    We have over 1500 products across categories; however, we are ecstatic to announce the launch of our indigenous Rapid Diagnostic Tests or RDTs which are easy-to-use test kits that provide quicker and faster results; usually under 5-mins for most tests. Manufactured and marketed under our brand name, we have developed testing kits to detect 18+ conditions/diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Dengue, Typhoid, and Pregnancy. Our medical kits have become a popular choice amongst the existing brands in the industry and we are already exporting them to countries such as Africa, UAE, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

    We are also working towards our new mobile application-based Vitamin D Home Test Kits which will hit the markets in 2023. It has been just under 30 months since we started our operations, and we have been profitable since day one. This has allowed us to leave an indelible mark in India and expand our footprint globally.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Piyush: This year, the latest addition to our product portfolio has been our indigenous Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits which are manufactured and marketed under our brand name.

    Rapid Diagnostic Kits are a game-changing solution developed for the screening of several conditions and diseases. The results produced are rapid and accurate. Our test kits are manufactured as per industry standards and per all the necessary compliance outlined by the Government of India.

    Even for next year, we are prepared to incrementally increase our testing kit catalog. Rapid Diagnostic Testing Kits to perform Kidney Function Tests AKA KFT along with our mobile application-based Vitamin D Home Test Kits are some of the newer inventions that will be launched in 2023.

    With more than 18+ categories of conditions to examine, our test kits have been developed using state-of-the-art technology which allows us to provide exceptional standards of quality and assurance to our clients. Our unbelievable price range, customized approach, and distinguished product catalog let organizations choose at their own comfort/preference.

    StartupTalky: How has the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Piyush: The healthcare industry has always been at the center stage, especially in the last two years. The disruption that the pandemic has caused is astonishing and noteworthy at the same time. Technology-enabled solutions and advancements to the existing infrastructure have aided in generating jobs and in the past 1.5 years alone, the industry has witnessed a growth from $220 billion to $280 billion.

    As one of the strongest pillars of growth in our country, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry has observed tremendous changes which continue to foster development and increased opportunities. The dynamism of the sector has allowed us to mold our products and make use of technological advancements at
    different intervals.

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    Piyush: At Green Grapes Diagnostics, we keep ourselves abreast with the changes and trends by continuously following updates from central agencies, regulatory bodies, etc., and using those to our benefit to develop the highest quality medical test kits. Our feedback loop with our partners, clients, and other stakeholders
    assists us to keep modifying and updating our products from time to time. Additionally, we keep applying technological advancements to our benefit at every given step to automate and ease the process of production.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Piyush: We make use of software which have been developed by startups in India to track our growth not just in terms of the number of clients but also in respect of products added, employee retention rate, etc. This helps us to view our growth holistically. Additionally, we track the number of new clients that we add every single month and the business that we have been able to generate from them. We also follow M-o-M & Y-o-Y percentage growth to learn of opportunity costs, gaps, strategy, etc.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Piyush: Back when we had set up operations in India and stepped into the healthcare industry, we were presented with challenges that every company faces. Winning businesses and clients’ trust have to be my top two challenges in India as well as abroad. Our strategy to secure anyone’s trust in us was achieved with the quality assurance of our products, the use of modern technologies to track shipments, and guaranteed timely delivery.

    After a few months into the business, we realized that the technological aspect, especially in the Rapid Diagnostic industry was missing. So, we actioned on the need gap to produce exceptional standards of Rapid Diagnostic Kits.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Piyush: Since the inception of our startup, we regularly change and continuously update our marketing strategies to stay relevant and attract maximum eyeballs for our products. Given the nature of our industry and the type of products we manufacture, we have tie-ups with several online marketplaces. We also undertake
    lead-generation campaigns and activities using automated tools to generate high-quality and standard leads.

    Additionally, analyzing the market sentiment, positioning our brand, and making use of digital and social media tools have helped us to increase our brand’s voice. In the last few months, we have gauged several digital resources such as content marketing, email marketing, and a combination of other techniques to succeed in our marketing endeavors.

    StartupTalky: What important tools and software do you use to run your business smoothly?

    Piyush: We have used multiple automated and software tools to efficiently smoothen the process. Initially, we used Zoho for email marketing then opted for HubSpot’s CRM software along with other tools. Currently, we are using a combination of Google’s resources for accounts-related services. We also make use of other startup software that helps us in generating leads for international business.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Piyush: Since the onset of the pandemic, the healthcare industry has undergone several noteworthy changes. The pitfalls and gaps presented the industry with several challenges during the peak of the covid, however, despite those challenges, there were opportunities. I, personally feel, that the use of technology and a combination of creativity with it will be a game-changer for the future and it still is. Organizations and several industry leaders from different cities in India have already made amendments to their agendas and have started working on them.
    India is already known as the pharmacy of the world; therefore, this is the golden opportunity for startups, businesses, and the government to revolutionize the healthcare and pharma sectors completely.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your plans and strategies?

    Piyush: In the last 10-11 months, I and our team have realized that it’s important to be resilient and adaptive to changes. When an organization or an individual has these traits, they can withstand any situation they may encounter. In 2023, we are committed to incorporating all possible learning that we have had this year into our plans to grow and lead.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Piyush: There are significant changes and agendas for us in 2023. Firstly, we aim to increase our global footprint by partnering with additional online B2B marketplaces that will open floodgates for us in other countries. Secondly, next year, we will invest substantially in the technological and marketing front to establish our digital footprint which has a direct correlation with expanding our customer base.

    We thank Piyush Sahni for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Akanksha Sharma, CEO and Co-founder, CITTA, Brings Indian Childcare Wisdom and Science Together for Modern Parents

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Baby care products are items that are used to care for and support the needs of infants. These products can include items such as diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, baby bottles, baby clothing, baby bedding, and baby hygiene products.

    These cosmetics are formulated to be gentle and safe for a child’s delicate skin and hair and are free of harsh chemicals and irritants. They are also designed to be tear-free, which is important for young children who may have a tendency to rub their eyes.

    According to a report by Research and Markets, the global baby care products market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2020 to 2025. The market is driven by factors such as increasing birth rates, rising disposable income, and growing awareness about child health and nutrition, and it is expected to grow due to increasing awareness about the benefits of using baby-specific personal care products.

    For this Interview, we invited Akanksha Sharma, CEO and Co-founder of CITTA World, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Baby Care & Skincare industry.

    StartupTalky: Akanksha, what products does your company sell? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Akanksha: Our product range includes premium natural skincare and bath essentials for babies– Moisturizing Baby Balm For Face and Body, Nourishing Baby Massage Oil, Tender Foaming Baby Wash, Gentle Foaming Baby Shampoo, and Soothing Talc-Free Baby Powder. We have also launched our natural face mists – Pure Rose Water Mist and Hydrating Mist with Rose and Aloe Vera – for adults.

    CITTA World was started with the vision of blending Indian childcare wisdom with rigorous science and making it conveniently accessible to modern new parents. We as a founder are a testament to the special connection between a mother and a child.

    At CITTA, we believe that every child deserves to feel the endless love of a
    grandmother. While Akanksha had the wholesome, grounding experience of being cared for by her grandmothers, not every child today has that privilege. CITTA’s goal is to provide babies with that nourishing experience so that maybe one day, they remember the fragrance of CITTA just as fondly as she reminisces the aroma of her grandma’s hands.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Akanksha: Our products are made with the finest natural ingredients in innovative formulations to provide maximum efficacy to the customers. Whether it is the most effective texture or the most convenient technology, we have created all our products after rigorous research to serve our customers in the best way possible. Our products are also cruelty-free and free of harsh chemicals like parabens, sulfates, silicones, mineral oil, toxins, and allergens.

    Following are the USPs of our products:

    Moisturizing Baby Balm:

    • Blend of 7 natural oils, Shea Butter and Vitamin-E
    • Unique thick texture for long-lasting moisturization
    • All-in-one balm for use on the face, body, and nappy area of the baby
    • Prevents rashes and itchiness through anti-microbial ingredients

    Nourishing Baby Massage Oil:

    • A unique blend of 12 natural oils
    • Provides deep nourishment
    • Non-sticky texture
    • Anti-microbial & Anti-inflammatory
    • Promotes growth and bone strength

    Soothing Talc-Free Baby Powder:

    • Made with the safest natural alternatives of talc – Corn Starch, Oat Kernel Flour, Kaolin Clay
    • Naturally absorbs excess moisture and oil
    • Soothes your baby’s skin
    • Prevents rashes and itchiness

    Gentle Foaming Baby Shampoo:

    • Gently cleanses, hydrates, and moisturizes your baby’s scalp and hair
    • Enriched with 3 natural oils
    • Non-drying, no-tears formula
    • India’s 1st Natural Foaming Baby Shampoo

    Tender Foaming Baby Wash:

    • Gently cleanses, hydrates, and nourishes your baby’s skin
    • Infused with Aloe Vera, Coconut Powder Extract, and Hydrolysed Rice Protein
    • Prevents dryness and irritation
    • India’s 1st Natural Foaming Baby Wash

    StartupTalky: How has the baby care and skincare industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Akanksha: In recent years, customer awareness of the ingredients in personal care and skin care products has increased tremendously. Especially ingredients such as talc in baby powder, which have severe detrimental effects on babies’ health. Fortunately, our company has been able to leverage this to our advantage – since CITTA has focused on creating the safest products from the start. With this rise in awareness, people are discovering our brand organically and then choosing us consciously.

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    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most important parameters on which most e-Commerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Akanksha: CITTA’s products are currently available on 6 online marketplaces – Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg, The Mom Store, Kindlife, and Purplle. With these marketplaces, we have sold our products throughout India, including 2nd and 3rd Tier cities as well. 25% of customers who order our products from online marketplaces are return customers.

    The efficacy of our products and their unique ingredients are our biggest strengths. Recently, when an internationally reputed brand’s baby powder was deemed unsafe by multiple authorities, people started looking for safer alternatives and discovered our product which is made with the safest natural alternatives of talc and has a soothing effect on the baby’s skin– CITTA Soothing Talc-Free Baby Powder. Our baby powder has been selling rapidly to date. So much so, that it has even run out of stock twice. We have been able to retain 30% of the customers who order our products from our website.

    We are a customer-centric brand and the biggest performance metric for us is the number of repeat customers we have. We have already achieved considerable success in this regard, and we are sure that in the coming years, as more and more people start trusting us, this number will only continue to grow.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Akanksha: CITTA has been employing omnichannel marketing from the start, unlike many other brands that begin with an online-only user experience and expand to offline channels later. We wanted our users to have the choice of interacting with the brand in the way most convenient to them, and our online and offline teams have worked together to achieve that.

    With our offline marketing strategies, our products have reached multiple pharmacies in Pune city. To attract the right customers and make them aware of the brand, we focused on placing our offline advertisements where they could see them – the pharmacies!

    The advertisements were designed to highlight our brand differentiators – unique, safe natural ingredients and product formulations rooted in traditional Indian wisdom and backed with rigorous science. With these campaigns, the customers could directly compare our products with our competitors in the market. This not only boosted our offline sales but also generated curiosity about the brand, leading to traffic to our website.

    Newspaper advertisements helped us to build this customer relationship more and reach a wider audience.  An essential part of our offline strategy was to build trust with doctors – pediatricians and dermatologists. They have started recommending our products to their patients. This number is steadily increasing and is helping us reach more and more physical stores in turn. It has been reassuring to see our products help babies with their skincare issues.

    Our online marketing strategy has been multi-pronged as well. Here too our focus has been on establishing ourselves as a credible and trustworthy premium natural baby bath and skincare brand in India. We achieved this firstly by creating a brand language and identity that visually separates us from the competitors and has a great recall value. This brand identity is maintained throughout all our online channels – website, social media, and marketplaces – and has helped us cement the trust of our customers.

    With our website, we have created a smooth, hassle-free buying experience. Our focus has been on ease of communication. Any customer service issues are dealt with promptly and effectively. We provide our repeat buyers exclusive offers to retain them. The website is also aimed at helping parents with their concerns regarding baby skincare, we have a dedicated space on the website that caters to this. Our social media marketing strategies are also focused on bringing value-addition to our customers – in line with our brand ethos of being a wise grandma-like companion to new-age parents. We achieve this through a mix of
    engaging, community-building, promotional, and informational content. To us, bringing value to the table matters more than jumping on the flashy, short-lived trends.

    Our online marketplace campaigns have been designed similarly, and as a cumulative result of our omnichannel strategy, have been getting traction from customers all across India. We have also tapped into WhatsApp marketing. We run WhatsApp broadcasts weekly to our existing customers with skincare tips and exclusive one-day deals.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the baby care and skincare industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Akanksha: Expansion to other states- Modern Trade and General Trade

    With an omnichannel marketing strategy, CITTA has been able to get sales from Tier I, II, and III cities and reach 300 general trade stores in Maharashtra. Now we plan to expand to other states in India in both Modern Trade and General Trade sectors and establish ourselves as India’s best Baby Bath and Skincare brand.

    Reaching doctors across India

    Educating doctors about our products and the research undertaken to create them has been crucial to building people’s trust in our brand and creating demand for our products in offline stores. We want to expand our network to reach leading doctors (pediatricians and dermatologists) across India and become the brand every parent trusts for their baby’s skin.

    Entering the international market as a pioneer of Indian skincare and baby care knowledge and techniques

    We strongly believe that we are sitting on a goldmine of diverse natural ingredients and immense tradition-based expertise in India. Especially so when it comes to skincare and baby care practices. What the rest of the world is only starting to appreciate and emulate, we have been practicing in India for ages – “maalish” or baby massage is a classic example. We want to champion our Indian roots, back them with rigorous science, and bring India’s knowledge to the rest of the world with our range of our products. We want to create our own identity and presence in the international market as a pioneer Indian brand in the baby care and skincare segment.

    Exploring products for women

    CITTA products have resonated with our customers because of their high efficacy. We have received positive feedback from numerous mothers. We want to build on this trust and explore products for women in the coming years. With our commitment to quality and efficacy, we are confident that we will be able to do this well.

    Opening up experiential stores

    In the coming years, we aim to open experiential CITTA stores at multiple locations in India. These stores will be designed such that our potential customers can see, touch, smell, and feel the textures of our products. They will be educated about every ingredient that goes into our unique product formulations in an engaging, fun way so that they can remember it. We believe these experiential stores will help us to establish ourselves as customer-centric premium skincare and baby care brand.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Akanksha: We plan to expand our customer base by reaching more states through physical stores as well as online marketplaces. We are also finding new ways of engaging meaningfully with our customer community – CITTA Care Club is a step towards that. Through this non-profit initiative of ours which is focused on parents’ well-being, we get to interact with parents – our potential customers – and understand their concerns in real time.

    We thank Akanksha for spending her valuable time and sharing her learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Ashish Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of Benori Knowledge, Shares Insights on Providing Customized Research and Actionable Solutions

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Research services companies are utilizing data-driven approaches to offer custom knowledge solutions for specific business problems. These services can include competitive intelligence, business intelligence, data analytics, strategy research, and more. The goal of these custom research services is to provide organizations with insights and recommendations based on data, helping them make informed decisions, improve processes, and achieve desired outcomes.

    Market intelligence, business research, and financial services are becoming increasingly data-driven, with organizations seeking custom research and insights to inform their decisions. The growing demand for data-driven decision-making, advancements in technology, and the increasing volume of data generated by businesses have driven the global data analytics market to an expected CAGR of 12% to 15% between 2020 and 2025.

    For this Interview, we invited Ashish Gupta, co-founder & CEO of Benori Knowledge, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the research industry.

    StartupTalky: What service does your company provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Ashish Gupta: We provide customized research and deliver actionable insights across various strategic areas such as market/sector analysis, competitive intelligence, account intelligence, consumer insights, etc. Our custom knowledge solutions and products provide power and flexibility to the insights value chain of our clients enabling them to make intelligent decisions and succeed. Our vision is to reduce the cost of knowledge on the planet and empower our clients with actionable insights.

    StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

    Ashish Gupta: We developed a market intelligence and data visualization tool which provides a 360-degree view of the life insurance industry with all the important KPIs along with competitive intelligence.
    The product uses a blend of machine and mind approach to tracking the key indicators of the life insurance industry. We also started with our scouting solutions by identifying innovations and innovators to help our clients stay ahead of the changes and make preemptive/disruptive decisions.

    StartupTalky: How has the research industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Ashish Gupta: The research industry has changed drastically over the past few years and technology adoption has been the critical driver of change, be it the changes in conducting surveys, the use of AI, and big data. Further, the industry has become more customer-oriented with a focus on tailor-made solutions.

    Ashish Gupta: Our value of intellectual curiosity ingrained at both individual and company levels always inspires us to learn and stay current. In fact, we occasionally post several thought leadership papers on our website and other platforms to aid in others’ learning and development.

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    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Ashish Gupta: Clientele, employee count, and revenue are among a few indicators we look at to track our growth and all of them are going quite well. Six of the top eight FMCG companies and the top 10 consulting firms are already served by us, and we have doubled the number of our employees in the past one to one and a half years.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Ashish Gupta: Being just 2 years old when it struck, Covid was one of the biggest challenges we faced, but being an agile new-age, tech-enabled firm, we took it heads on and came out stronger and our team size has doubled in a year after covid.

    StartupTalky: Good service, is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure
    that your clients are happy?

    Ashish Gupta: Client-centricity has been one of our brand pillars since the beginning. 100% of our solutions are customized as per client needs, and the quality of output that we provide at such pricing has always been a perk for our clients.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Ashish Gupta: Frankly speaking, we haven’t invested much in marketing as of now, we believe providing quality output to our clients and striving for 100% client satisfaction is the only growth hack I can think of. But we do use LinkedIn to share interesting insights at regular intervals as most of our target audience uses the platform.

    StartupTalky: Foreign clients- this is what most service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

    Ashish Gupta: Although we do have several overseas clients, that number will undoubtedly increase in the years to come, this does not mean that we are concentrating more on or just seeking to engage in the worldwide market. In India, there is a great need for the high-caliber research services we offer at such competitive pricing, and we are working to fill that need.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Ashish Gupta: Up until this February, when we moved into our new office and began using a hybrid model of work, we had all been doing our jobs from home for the previous two years. MS Office especially MS Teams is significantly used to connect and communicate within the team and with clients. We also use various other tools such as Power BI for reporting and dashboarding, and CRM for our sales activities.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the research industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you noticed between India and the world?

    Ashish Gupta: Given the disruptions happening, the growth opportunity is high as there’s a huge demand for quality research and insights. The uncertainty in the markets has made research a center point for informed decision-making and building strategies.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Ashish Gupta: We have been adapting to newer technologies for the heavy lifting so that ample time can be devoted to analytical and strategic thinking.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Ashish Gupta: While our clientele is growing globally, given the demand for high-quality research, we are working on a few new productized services that will disrupt the industry. Additionally, as was already mentioned, 100% of our solutions are personalized, and we are constantly prepared to come up with solutions to meet the needs of our clients.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

    Ashish Gupta: Put the customer first, always and every time; and do not try to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

    We thank Ashish Gupta for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Advait Kumar, Co-founder of Boon, Strives for Improved Water Sustainability Through Tech and Innovation

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    The water-tech industry refers to the development and application of technology for the treatment, distribution, and management of water resources. This includes areas such as desalination, water purification, wastewater treatment, and irrigation systems. Companies in this industry may produce equipment, chemicals, and software for these applications and provide services such as consulting, design, and installation. The water-tech industry is a growing field as access to clean water becomes increasingly important for both developed and developing countries.

    The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the water-tech industry varies depending on the specific market segment and region. However, overall, the global water and wastewater treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the growth of this market is attributed to factors such as population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, which are increasing the demand for clean and safe water. The report also states that the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, driven by factors such as increasing population and industrialization in countries such as China and India.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Advait Kumar, co-founder of Boon (formerly known as Swajal), and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Water-Tech industry.

    StartupTalk: Advait, what does your company do? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Advait: We want to make drinking water sustainable using technology and innovation. We started Boon (at that time Swajal) with the simple intention of making drinking water affordable for the masses as we believed that drinking water is a fundamental human right and without drinking water that is affordable and healthy, our community as we know it will not survive.

    StartupTalky: What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Advait: We use technology platforms IoT and AI to monitor the quality of drinking water and the health of the water purifier. This allows us to have significantly fewer maintenance issues while optimizing the efficiency of our purifiers.

    StartupTalky: How has the water-tech industry changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Advait: The industry is changing the pricing model to subscription-based, and we are leading that change in the B2B segment.

    Advait: Podcasts, blogs, and news.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check a company’s growth and performance?

    Advait: The number of plastic bottles reduced per day and liters of water saved compared to a traditional water purifier.

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    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Advait: COVID disrupted a majority of our B2B business, we had to pivot to other segments like B2G to be able to maintain our cashflows. Despite the major shock, we were able to get by without any layoffs which was a major success for us.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Advait: As we are mostly in B2B and B2G segments, we have never really worked on marketing channels. In this regard, we are closer to Zara or Arizona Tea as our marketing budget instead goes towards making our products and supply chains stronger. We are one of the very companies in drinking water in India that has its R&D lab. We believe that research and innovation will give us the competitive edge that we need. However, in the future for other products and segments, we may deploy more traditional marketing methods.

    StartupTalky: What are the essential tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Advait: We are very early adopters of technologies that have become ubiquitous now. For that reason, we use a developed on top of an open source CRM system that we have completely customized and built to our needs. So, we have our tech tools for CRM, support, inventory, etc. The major advantage for us is that it is completely customizable and costs are nothing when compared to using similar tools from standard SaaS vendors.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the water-tech industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Advait: Drinking water is only getting scarcer and more expensive. Humans will always need drinking water. India is unique in the sense that we have a unique urgency in this compared to other countries; this process is faster for us and there are a lot many more of us. By investing in drinking water innovation and technology now, India could be a global leader in the world in the future as the rest of the world also starts needing more efficient solutions.

    We can see the same thing already within India where states like Tamilnadu have first-hand experience of water shortage and consequently have a greater sense of urgency to get this resolved compared to other states who may be right behind them.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your plans and strategies?

    Advait: We are reducing dependencies on key clients or segments so that we are diverse enough to withstand any external market shocks in the future.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, product, and team base in the future?

    Advait: We use a mix of go-to-market strategies depending on the product. We tend to gravitate towards working with established channels rather than creating new ones so we can focus on the product rather than building the channel.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with people reading this article who want to get into entrepreneurship.

    Advait: You do you; it is very difficult for anyone else to understand a founder’s intuition. Have faith in yourself and your vision.

    We thank Advait Kumar for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Pawan Kumar, CEO of Elista, Emphasizes the Importance of Understanding Consumer Trends in the Consumer Durables Industry

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Home appliances, also known as domestic appliances, are electrical machines that help with household functions such as cooking, cleaning, and food preservation. Examples of home appliances include refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, microwave ovens, dishwashers, air conditioners, and vacuum cleaners. These appliances are designed to make household tasks more efficient and convenient, and they have become an essential part of modern life.

    The growth of the consumer electronics and home appliances market in India is forecasted to reach an increase of USD 2.12 billion from 2020 to 2025. Factors such as rising disposable incomes, urbanization, and changing consumer preferences are driving the growth in the market. Additionally, the government’s focus on promoting the use of energy-efficient appliances and the increasing adoption of smart home appliances are also expected to boost the growth of the home appliance market in India.

    For this Interview, we invited Pawan Kumar, CEO of Elista, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the home appliances and consumer durables industry.

    StartupTalky: Pawan, what products does your company sell? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Pawan: 2022 is the year of opportunity for Elista. We have expanded our product offering in the Smart TV, accessory, washing machines, and computer peripherals categories. We have seen tremendous success in the Smart TV category and registered over 20% growth y-o-y. We started with the motivation to offer technologically advanced products at affordable prices. Our vision is to Make in India for the world. With this objective, we have recently entered the UAE markets and plan to launch in the CIS and MENA markets in the coming year.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Pawan:  We have been focused on providing a superior experience to the users on a budget. Earlier, we disrupted the Dishwasher category, which was considered premium. This year we have launched UHD webOS TV-powered ultra-premium Smart LED TVs in India. These are large-screen TVs that offer a clutter-free experience to our users. It also comes with an easy-to-use that can be maneuvered using voice commands. Elista also launched its Tower speakers, which have 140W of sound output to ramp up the home-party scene, making for a totally immersive experience.

    StartupTalky: How has the home appliances and consumer durables industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Pawan: The most significant shift that has happened is the change in the production base. Most organizations have shifted most of their production from China to India. There is greater accessibility for Make in India products. The manufacturing capabilities in India have improved significantly, and the ecosystem has also matured.

    At Elista, we have been extremely bullish about Make in India. This is our third year running, and we manufacture most of the products in India. Even for the international markets we are entering, we are aligned to Make In India and are already in talks to set up a manufacturing facility in India in 2023.

    Pawan: Manufacturers must be cognizant of consumer behavior in the consumer durable industry. In addition, technological changes are taking place at a break-neck speed. We have our pulse on the market and track all the changes taking place in the sector. Elista also has a full-fledged R&D center where we study all the changes and work on innovations.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Pawan: Given that we are still in the infancy stage, we track two parameters for our growth. First is our distribution width and growth in revenue. It is our endeavor to spread our presence in the country and continue to grow on a year-by-year basis. For the current year, we have set a target to achieve Rs 250 crore in revenue and looking to clock over Rs 1,500 crore by 2025.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Pawan: In the past year, the biggest challenge has been the persistent demand-supply imbalances that have impacted the demand momentum. Another big challenge the industry has to face inflationary pressures due to the ongoing geopolitical situation. To overcome these, we have strengthened our India manufacturing. Despite the rise in prices, through our quality offerings, we have been able not just to sustain the demand but even grow in the categories in which we are present in.

    The burgeoning middle class in urban areas and aspirational demand from rural India is an excellent opportunity for us. We will continue to offer technologically-
    advanced, feature-rich products at competitive prices to suit their needs.

    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most important parameters on which most e-commerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Pawan: For us, data is oil. We use the data that we have at our disposal to cross-sell. When someone buys our product, he/she is already exposed to the product and our promise. We try to entice them with our great product offering and even offer them exciting offers and discounts to buy the following product.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Pawan: Values-driven consumption in India is rising, and we have been able to tap this segment well. We have two iconic cricketers as brand ambassadors – Suresh Raina and Ishan Kishan. They have worked wonders for our brand, and we have used them well by making our packaging stand out with a popular face in the market. We are essentially strong in the Tier 2/3 brand, and to sustain our growth in these markets, we continue to invest in retail branding. We are also aware that the consumer from tier 2/3 are also digitally savvy and hence promote our brand digitally to reach out to them.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Pawan: We are currently using Zoho people and Zoho Expense for the smooth functioning of our business.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the home appliances and consumer durables industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Pawan: There is considerable growth potential in the product categories we are operating in, as the penetration level is still low. India is a large country with diverse cultures and needs. In many ways, our country is equal to many countries in size and consumer preference. The product needs of one state can be very different from the others.

    For example, in dry areas, consumers prefer to buy desert coolers, while in many other states, the requirement is that of window coolers. We offer a diverse portfolio to cater to these varied needs. Our product promotion strategy is also customized as per the region’s preference.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Pawan: Despite the inflammatory challenges, the consumer durable sector has seen healthy growth this year. This year’s most prominent lesson that we have learnt is that consumers will always continue to prioritize their needs. They will also seek affordable quality products. They may put off buying luxury products, but the demand for coolers, washing machines, and refrigerators will continue to be strong. Keeping this in mind, we will be looking at strengthening our product offerings in these segments.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Pawan: We will expand our footprint in India and internationally in the coming year. We are also looking to enter into new product categories and will diversify into water dispensers and deep freezers. We are also looking at launching at expanding our presence in the trolly speakers. The team base will be enhanced, keeping these requirements in mind. We are hoping that the consumers that consumers will connect with these product categories that we are launching and will continue to trust us as they have been doing.

    StartupTalky: With so much hype around D2C brands spending on ads, what will be your growth strategy, organic or inorganic? How do you plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Pawan: Since we are a budding brand, we are looking for organic growth as there is a lot of scope in the market. We continue to invest strategically in enhancing our reach and are focusing on over 50 keywords.

    We thank Pawan Kumar for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Director Deepti Sharma Highlights ThinkerPlace’s Focus on Independent Toy Making in India

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    STEM DIY projects for children can help to develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills. These projects also allow children to discover and explore their interests in STEM fields. Additionally, some STEM DIY (do-it-yourself) projects can help children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

    It’s important to note that it’s not necessary to have advanced knowledge or skills in STEM fields to conduct STEM DIY projects with children. There are many resources and tutorials available online, and most of the projects can be done with household materials or inexpensive materials that can be found at craft stores.

    Developing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills in children is important because it can help to prepare them for the future and for the increasing number of jobs in STEM fields.

    The Ed-tech industry has seen significant growth in recent years, as technology continues to play an increasingly important role in education. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global ed-tech market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 7.5% from 2020 to 2027.

    For this Interview, we invited Deepti Sharma, Director of ThinkerPlace, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the e-learning industry.

    StartupTalky: Deepti, what does your company do? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Deepti Sharma: ThinkerPlace aims to create a dynamic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) universe for kids. We make educational STEM DIY (do-it-yourself) toys that introduce various futuristic skills to them like robotics, coding, automation, IoT, and more.

    Presently, with technology being constantly updated and innovations every day, there is a high demand in the STEM industry for skilled and professional individuals. To fill in this increasing demand, a base in STEM from an early age and a career-focused education is very important. This is where ThinkerPlace comes in. We want to be the first point of contact for children and parents when
    it comes to the introduction of S.T.E.M and its infinite possibilities through our DIY educational toys.

    StartupTalky: What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Deepti Sharma: ThinkerPlace offers a 360 Degree STEM learning experience along with DIY Toys. All our STEM DIY (do-it-yourself) Kits come with the Learning Management System which is a fun-learning platform where kids can learn many innovative skills like robotics, coding, automation, IoT, and more. With various instructional videos and 3D animations, kids can understand the various aspects of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) easily and also have a lot of fun while making the toy. Children also get expert guidance from our STEM experts when they face any problems during the learning process.

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    StartupTalky: How has the e-learning industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Deepti Sharma: In the past few years, the government had increased import duties on Chinese toys. We are associated with different vendors across India. We always aimed to Make in India and independently make and manufacture toys in India.

    Deepti Sharma: Our research team rigorously keeps tabs on the latest toys that are launched in the market. After thorough research, they do various product tests in terms of its function and design and analyze what is working in the market and what kids will love to play with.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Deepti Sharma: We use various key metrics like website visitors, conversion ratios, social media engagement, repeat customer rates, sales engagement, etc.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Deepti Sharma: We are very stern about the ideology of “Make in India”. From conceptualizing to physically producing all parts of the toys and their dispatch nationally and internationally – everything is done in India. To achieve this at a national level, we have faced a lot of challenges but the results have been great.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth the hack you pulled off.

    Deepti Sharma: We use various channels for marketing like Digital Marketing which is one of the most popular and effective channels to reach your target audience. Apart from that we regularly host workshops with different schools to enhance STEM Awareness. We also set up stalls and kiosks for various events and
    schools to reach our target audience and analyze what they like and what they don’t. We recently collaborated with Jio TV and Padhega Bharat to spread the roots of STEM Learning to about 50 Lakh households.

    StartupTalky: What are the essential tools and software you use to run ThinkerPlace smoothly?

    Deepti Sharma: We use tools like CRM software, accounting software, and Adobe Suite.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the e-learning industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Deepti Sharma: The future of STEM is bright. It is an in-demand stream in our country and even the government is pushing STEM Learning for children with its new guidelines in the NEP 2020 (National Education Policy 2020) The new guidelines say it is necessary for schools and educational institutes to have a learning system that is more goal-oriented and practical. This will nurture the children toward concept-building and practical thinking. ThinkerPlace has been successful in implementing the same in several schools across the country.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your plans and strategies?

    Deepti Sharma: We faced a few challenges when we started like researching and developing unique products that the target audience will like and launching a product line that will do well in the market. Another challenge that we faced was scaling up & optimizing various digital channels to reach our target group.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, product, and team base in the future?

    Deepti Sharma: Currently, ThinkerPlace is working on expanding its client base to reach the level of preschools. We have developed unique products that are well-received by children belonging to the preschool age. The launch has been pretty successful so far. ThinkerPlace has become the only company in India that provides S.T.E.M-based educational DIY (do-it-yourself) toys for preschoolers. We are also working on developing new and innovative toys to cater to a wide age group of 3 years to 14 years.

    We recently collaborated in Nigeria to set up The Rehla Academy Makerspace (TRAM), a STEM Innovation hub at The Rehla Academy, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria in partnership with TechGen Africa. We are planning to expand to other countries like the UAE and the USA to set up STEM Innovation Labs for kids. We are also working on setting up STEM labs in different schools across India. The concept behind STEM Labs is to introduce children to the complex concepts of science technology, engineering, and mathematics in a fun and exciting way.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with people reading this article who want to get into entrepreneurship.

    Deepti Sharma: I have always believed in learning from shortcomings. My mantra is ‘Learn Fast, Fail Fast, Move Fast’. If you fail at one thing, move on to your next solution. Never stop even if you fail, there is always a chance to start from the beginning.

    We thank Deepti Sharma for spending her valuable time and sharing her learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Jayant Pal Singh, Co-founder of FemTech India, Discusses the Nature and Services of the FemTech Startup

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    FemTech, short for “Female Technology,” refers to technology and products that are specifically designed to meet the health and wellness needs of women. This can include products such as period-tracking apps, fertility-tracking devices, and telemedicine platforms for women’s health consultations. FemTech is a growing field, as technology is increasingly being used to address gaps in healthcare and improve access to information and resources for women.

    The global FemTech market is projected to reach $50 billion by 2025 with a CAGR of more than 20% during the forecast period. The growth of Femtech is driven by the increasing number of women in the workforce, rising awareness of women’s healthcare issues, and the growing adoption of digital technologies in healthcare.

    For this Interview, we invited Jayant Pal Singh, co-founder of FemTech India, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the FemTech industry.

    StartupTalky: Jayant, What services does your company provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Jayant Pal Singh: FemTech India is an authority on all things FemTech. The platform recognizes the need that no professional in the FemTech industry should exist in a vacuum and has created a repository of content, and curated experiences to enable the professionals to step up. FemTech India also offers curated community-based events, inspiring podcasts, exclusive databases, and cutting-edge industry insights for our audience which is reflective of the current times that we live in.

    The driving motivation to launch the platform was to raise awareness about women’s health issues, provide access to exclusive databases, and also give a roundup of contemporary news. We also aim to be a significant contributor to the women’s health technology ecosystem.

    StartupTalky: What is/are the USP/s of your products/services?

    Jayant Pal Singh: FemTech India offers a host of services. Some of the unique opportunities include- a convergence of domestic and global companies. The platform provides a unique opportunity for domestic companies to scale up in the international market and conversely enables global companies to step into the Indian market. The platform enables students, and FemTech enthusiasts to network and build their eminence in the space. The platform also offers hands-on workshops to FemTech Companies to help them scale up. The flagship ‘Mentorship Program’ includes individual mentorship with successful FemTech entrepreneurs as well as workshops with prominent experts. Additionally, FemTech India is also building the largest community for doctors, and FemTech enthusiasts, to foster a spirit of community building.

    On the whole, FemTech India offers an opportunity for everyone to learn from women’s health experts, share information and support each other in a safe ecosystem.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features/services you are planning to add in the coming year?

    Jayant Pal Singh: FemTech India’s flagship weekly newsletter –‘FemTech Friday’ is a snapshot of the industry insights on a weekly basis. The newsletter covers everything related to Indian FemTech and Healthcare and offers insights on new product launches, job alerts, and funding insights, among others.

    FemTech India also has its ‘Podcast Series’, which is India’s first podcast series
    focusing on creating awareness about women’s health. The podcast brings real stories from FemTech founders, health experts, legal professionals, and Industry leaders, among others. The podcast brings out inspiring stories in the form of freewheeling chat, which makes the podcast all the more relatable to the audience.

    Additionally, FemTech India also serves as a hub for Indian and Global companies to launch their products. Our platform provides a unique opportunity for FemTech
    companies to easily scale up in the geographies of their choice. We also have ‘Investment Relations’, in the pipeline to help companies get access to details of upcoming investment opportunities.

    StartupTalky: Can you share the name of some industry players associated with you?

    Jayant Pal Singh: We have FemTech companies as part of the company directory with well-known FemTech startups like Mylo, Allo Health, Sirona, Peesafe, Hummcare, Kindlyhers, Salad, Femisafe, CervAstra, Sassiest, Elda Health, Mind My Mind, Newmi, Femisafe, Prev, Mywelme, Savage Club, Healthfab and many others. These startups deal with personalized solutions for women’s menstrual hygiene products, Perimenopause, menopause, contraceptive, Pregnancy, Post-partum, sexual health, Motherhood, fertility, mental wellness, Hormone health, diagnostics, and other areas related to women’s health overall.

    We have also recently done a market entry for one of the global startup relationship apps – Coupleness (An app for your relationship). We strongly feel that relationship has a powerful influence on our health. We as a platform want to empower women’s health overall to bring positive collaborations to make a change.

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    StartupTalky: How has the femtech industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Jayant Pal Singh: While the term FemTech is no longer new, the industry is booming and is welcoming newer players, and the landscape is poised for a positive uptrend. In the course of just a few years, it has grown to encompass a range of technology-enabled, consumer-centric products and solutions. Depending on the scope, estimates for FemTech’s current market size range from $500 million to $1 billion and are expected to grow at a CAGR of 15-17% by 2030. Forecasts suggest opportunities for double-digit revenue growth. On the digital health front, FemTech companies currently receive 3 percent of all digital health funding.

    In the Indian market space, there are a lot of companies that are launching new
    products and services. Additionally, with the user adoption rate in the industry on the positive side, FemTech India senses a lot of opportunity in the ecosystem. With
    companies looking for smooth and streamlined ways to enter and scale up the market, most of them are driven by passion, but they lack a complete understanding of the market entry strategies in the region. FemTech India serves as the perfect strategic partner. like to offer numbers, insights, surveys, and trends in collaboration.

    Jayant Pal Singh: FemTech India has strategic advisors on board, who bring with them deep industry experience and expertise. They have roots in different countries, and each of our advisors brings a strong niche area of expertise. Through regular stand-up meetings and team check-ins, we collectively benefit from each other’s wisdom. Our advisors and team members meet regularly to discuss and analyze market trends and industry insights.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced throughout the inception journey and how did you face it?

    Jayant Pal Singh: Since the concept of FemTech is new in India, and aiming to be the first FemTech company in India to be the platform for resources on Women’s health innovation, onboarding partners was a mild hiccup for us. Further, there were mild challenges in explaining and illustrating the concept of FemTech in newer markets.

    Since the concept of ‘FemTech’ is still catching up, it was initially challenging to get
    people to open up and boldly speak up about the issues in the FemTech space. Investors are looking at most money-making segments in Femtech versus attractive segments; quick ROI is the new mantra.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Jayant Pal Singh: Currently, we have been relying on social media platforms to build a niche for our brands. We have been building a strong profile for ourselves on varied platforms, for instance-we share all major updates and news through LinkedIn, which is one of the largest platforms for us to connect with professionals. On the podcast front, we have been receiving a lot of traction as we are currently the first podcast dedicated to raising awareness of women’s health.
    Additionally, we have also been holding virtual and in-person networking events.
    Both the virtual strategies and in-person networking events have been yielding
    good results for us.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the femtech industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Jayant Pal Singh: With the world opening up newer avenues, there certainly seems to be a lot of changes. People are pivoting towards opening up in seeking to get awareness about FemTech-related issues. Further, with the awareness getting spread in the digital medium, it is becoming a lot easier for us to disseminate information. The market is poised for positive growth.

    On the business front, there is also a lot of traction on the B2B front, which will open up newer avenues of growth. E-Commerce platforms, B2C products, customized diagnostic solutions, innovative products in the women’s health category, and products that are backed by science all are likely to see an uptick in the near future.

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    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past years and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Jayant Pal Singh: Since we are less than a year old in the market, we are still in the nascent stages of growth. We are waiting to spend some more time in the market to devise future plans and strategies.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Jayant Pal Singh: In terms of future plans, we are taking one step at a time. At this point in time, we are focusing on our existing Go-To-Market strategy which focuses on building the community and bridging the ecosystem together. Currently, we have over 40 companies on board and are looking to partner with and onboard newer companies on our platform.

    We are also starting workshops, which would be available to founders, academics, and any of those who are passionate about FemTech.

    StartupTalky: With so much hype around D2C brands spending on ads, What will be your growth strategy organic or inorganic? How to plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Jayant Pal Singh: Right now, we are aiming to foster a spirit of community and are working on building an excellent ecosystem for FemTech. Right now, we are focusing on the community-building aspect, and are not focused on advertisement-oriented SEO or content marketing strategies.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with other founders in the industry?

    Jayant Pal Singh: We are really new to the industry and still learning. All we can say is FemTech for us is more than women’s health, it’s about women’s safety, and freedom, and making decisions about your body is a basic human right. We don’t look at FemTech as a competition, we believe that we have to be collaborative and not competitive.

    FemTech is driven by passion. Since we are all working towards one unified goal – to make women’s health better. By supporting one another, and by collectively having each other’s back. According to us, we can all achieve better as a community. The only way ahead is great partnerships and collaborations.

    We thank Jayant Pal Singh for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • India’s Massive Millennial and Gen Z Audience Is Highly Fashion-Conscious and Aspirational Says Aditya Modak, Co-founder of Gargi

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Fashion jewelry, also known as costume jewelry, is jewelry that is made to mimic the style and design of fine jewelry but is typically made with less expensive materials. This includes items such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and brooches that are often made with synthetic stones, plastic, glass, and metal alloys.

    The purpose of fashion jewelry is to provide a way for people to accessorize and add a personal touch to their outfits without the expense of fine jewelry. It also allows for a more dynamic and frequent rotation of jewelry pieces. Many brands, designers, and retailers offer a wide variety of fashion jewelry options to choose from, which allows for a lot of variety and flexibility in how people accessorize.

    According to a research report, the global fashion jewelry market was valued at USD 71.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% from 2021 to 2028. The increasing popularity of online sales channels and e-commerce platforms, rising disposable income, and changing consumer preferences are the major drivers of market growth.

    For this Interview, we invited Aditya Modak, Co-founder of Gargi Fashion Jewellery, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Fashion Jewelry industry.

    StartupTalky: What products does your company sell? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Aditya Modak: Gargi is a brand that is an offshoot of the iconic PNG & Sons, a 100-year-old jewelry company. The brand manufactures high-quality fashion jewelry made of sterling silver and brass. I treat Gargi as a brainchild of mine. I had the vision to transform the fashion jewelry space in India and I realized that there was a rapidly growing yet mostly unserved demand for fashionable and high-quality daily wear jewelry. The available products in the market were overpriced and of sub-standard quality. That’s why I decided to transform the space and create pieces that customers could wear with pride. My team and I envisioned Gargi and named after an ancient Indian scholar from Ramayana, to fulfill my vision.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Aditya Modak: Gargi offers a wide range of products, such as Rings, Bracelets, Mangalsutras, Necklaces, Chains, Pendants, Earrings, Anklets, etc. In 2022, the company launched the Signature Collection of silver designer jewelry with over 170 products. The USPs of Gargi by PNGS are the high-quality and fashion quotient that the customers can’t get from other vendors. The brand has rapidly built a
    reputation for creating the right price products that customers can repeatedly wear for a long- time. Gargi’s jewelry is made of 92.5% sterling silver and brass.

    StartupTalky: How has the fashion jewelry industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Aditya Modak:  Rising economic empowerment and purchase power have made modern consumers more aspirational, and the audience has become more receptive to fashion jewelry. A major change that is being noticed is that millennial and Gen Z customers have become more mindful of their everyday appearance. The demand for unique, high-quality, affordable fashion jewelry is growing in the social media-inspired and remote/hybrid work culture.

    Gargi has built an extensive range of jewelry products with a style and design for everyone. Gargi provides quality and style-befitting designer labels. The combination of 92.5% Sterling silver and brass ensures that the customers get great value for money. This is how Gargi has brought about a change in the market in the last year.

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    Aditya Modak:  I have worked across various profiles while working with PNGS in his career span of 12 years. While in sales, I would interact with consumers directly, and that is when I realized what the market wanted. With this rich understanding of jewelry trends and patterns, I successfully tried to bridge the market gap. Further, I follow all global fashion trends and have a great penchant for creating innovative combinations of Indian sensibilities and global trends.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Aditya Modak:  We look at customer sales and which items have picked well during the quarter. This we do across all product categories. Like we offer a huge variety of earrings, here we will evaluate what kind of earrings are a hit, is plain or with stones, etc. Also, we assess the basis of geographical liking, bracelets are a hit in Maharashtra, but in the northern part of the country, it is chunky neckpieces. We also measure performance basis customer acquisition and sales of products.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Aditya Modak:  As a newly launched brand in the fashion jewelry segment, Gargi had to find the right manufacturers willing to focus more on quality and craftsmanship instead of volumes. That was the biggest challenge of the year, and the brand overcame it. Today, Gargi has a reliable chain of high-quality fashion jewelry makers and an excellent brand reputation for building upon.

    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most essential parameters on which most eCommerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Aditya Modak:  Gargi constantly focuses on ensuring the buyers’ unmatched quality of products and style. The brand has retained many early customers but is proliferating due to positive word-of-mouth engagement. Using 92.5% sterling silver with brass makes the products look great and superior in quality. Further, Gargi has been strategically expanding the product range by introducing new SKUs and design elements that ensure that the customers remain engaged and keep making repeat purchases.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Aditya Modak: Gargi is a digital brand that leverages various aspects of digital marketing, such as SEO, search engine marketing through Google Ads, and social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram to showcase the products. The brand’s 100-year-old legacy, courtesy of the parent company, PN Gadgil & Sons, has given it a great launchpad to benefit from.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Aditya Modak: Gargi is an online retail brand that uses advanced e-commerce tools for retail and marketing. The design process is software-driven, and the latest technologies are used to craft unique pieces, each of which has a story.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the fashion jewelry industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Aditya Modak: India’s massive millennial and Gen Z audience is highly fashion-conscious and aspirational. With internet access, even the Tier-II, Tier-III, and Tier-IV cities are now teeming with youth with clear expectations and demands regarding style. Thus, the market potential for a brand like Gargi and the overall fashion jewelry is incredible. High-quality, contemporary Indian fashion jewelry from reputed brands is bound to increase demand overseas. India has a rich cultural diversity, and the local culture often influences jewelry design choices. For instance, the jewelry that will be popular in a northeastern state will likely differ from that in Rajasthan or Tamil Nadu. The growing urban population is becoming more cosmopolitan, and good-quality jewelry has takers everywhere.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Aditya Modak: While data provides insight into the movement of products, styles, etc., it can’t be considered sacrosanct. It is a very dynamic and ever-changing domain. So, while we watch movements, we also go by our overall understanding and experience.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Aditya Modak: We are a designer jewelry brand like all other fashion labels; we aim to launch new collections and designs every quarter in India. The number of SKUs keeps growing for a fashion brand, and we will also be hiring talent as per the growth needs. We might be the only player in the segment with SKUs as high as 15,000 units. In the future, we will only be adding more to the offerings.

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    StartupTalky: With so much hype around D2C brands spending on ads, what will be your growth strategy, organic or inorganic? How to plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Aditya Modak: We are an online brand relying predominantly on social media, search engines, and content marketing channels. However, shortly, we will expand our presence to branded kiosks in shopping malls and that’s when we will adopt an omnichannel marketing approach integrating digital and conventional mediums.

    StartupTalky: So finally Aditya, One tip that you would like to share with another D2C founder?

    Aditya Modak: For any business to thrive, you need to understand your customers. Don’t get affected by what the competition does. Try maintaining your unique identity. Also, never compromise on your brand values and ethos.

    We thank Aditya Modak for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Harsh Kedia of Auburn Digital Solutions Highlights the Growing Trend of Brands Realizing the Benefits of Expanding Their Online Footprint

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    The digital marketing business helps companies promote their products or services through various online channels, such as social media, search engines, email, and websites. The goal of a digital marketing business is to increase brand awareness and drive sales through targeted and measurable campaigns.

    The CAGR of the digital marketing industry varies depending on the source and the specific sub-segment of the market being analyzed. However, generally, the global digital marketing industry has been growing at a steady pace. It is important to note that the CAGR of digital marketing is expected to grow in the future due to the increasing use of mobile devices and the growing popularity of digital channels for reaching customers.

    According to a report by KPMG, the digital advertising market in India has grown to INR 14,000 crore (approximately $2 billion) by the end of 2020, growing at a CAGR of 22.6% between 2016 and 2020.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Harsh S Kedia, Co-founder of Auburn Digital Solutions, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Digital Marketing industry.

    StartupTalky: Harsh, what service does your company provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Harsh Kedia: We help brands build, communicate, and achieve better audience visibility through our services of performance marketing, brand-building strategy, and creative tech and communication solutions. Auburn started with the vision of offering a complete constellation of tech-oriented solutions and today we are the preferred name in offering digital solutions to clients for enhancing their online presence and customer connection. From offering AI-based marketing to brand planning and social media management to Digital PR, we offer a one-stop solution for all your scalability and sustainability needs.

    StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

    Harsh Kedia: In recent times, we have added a host of services to our portfolio, and prominent among these are AI-based marketing, multidimensional video production, and advanced attribution for targeted reach among prospective buyers. In addition, Auburn has also made comprehensive upgrades to its brand-building solutions while optimizing touch points for delivering brands with better reach, targeted advertisements, and superior customer engagement among others.

    The aspects of maintaining the uniqueness and offering customized solutions are the things that set us apart from our contemporaries. We are proud of our holistic and all-encompassing nature of services that ensure that brands get a complete solution for all their marketing and brand-building requirements in one place.

    StartupTalky: How has the digital marketing industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Harsh Kedia: Although the field of digital marketing has been around for a while, it has only recently started to gain momentum in India. Today brands across industries have begun to realize the tremendous benefits associated with expanding their footprints online. This realization coupled with expanding internet access has revolutionized the digital branding space across the globe.

    Looking at today’s scenario, it can be easily concluded that we are at the cusp of digital transformation today and Auburn is fully geared to participate and contribute to this revolution. We have adapted ourselves and aligned our solutions to meet the fast-changing requirements of clients who want to make it big in the digital world. Auburn today offers the most advanced and sophisticated constellation of digital branding services which are helping brands to effectively scale and sustain their digital branding strategy.

    Harsh Kedia: At Auburn Digital Solutions, we keep a close tab on the changing trends by maintaining constant touch with each and every stakeholder in the business ecosystem. we interact constantly with our clients and gather feedback from them to make necessary changes in our solutions and services. We also closely monitor the pulse of customers and upcoming shifts in the industry by becoming part of international conferences, seminars, symposiums, and other leading events that happen in the domain of digital marketing and allied fields. In addition, we exchange ideas with creative teams, marketing executives, and advertisement professionals in other industries as it helps us to incorporate novel approaches to our brand-building efforts.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Harsh Kedia: Customer satisfaction is a key metric, and we work closely with clients to understand service levels for each account and accordingly make the necessary changes to further, enhance the effectiveness of our solutions. Customer-centric programs that increase retention or advocacy are the second important metric we carefully track to get an accurate idea of how well are our services being received by clients.

    Further, the performance of the organization on both top-line and bottom-line
    parameters of growth such as sales, revenue, profitability, and margin are being
    constantly tracked for evaluating the performance of the company.

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    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Harsh Kedia: The fast-changing nature of the business environment is the biggest challenge that we continue to face in our industry. Especially, the segment of digital marketing is highly volatile which mandates us to constantly evaluate and upgrade our services and solutions.

    We have also witnessed the advent of a large number of digital advertising agencies, leading to more intensified competition in the segment. Further, we operate in a very dynamic industry, so training new hires and subsequently keeping them on board is among the prominent challenges faced by
    us in the past. Although it has been ingrained in us to always be on the lookout for
    new trends, we are inevitably going to miss a few, as indicated, due to the dynamic
    nature of the work we do.

    StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure that your clients are happy?

    Harsh Kedia: We at Auburn have cultivated a culture of customer-centricity in our functional procedures and operational mechanisms. We exercise the highest level of transparency and work ethics in our business which has helped us to deliver excellent services to our clients. In fact, we have gone to the extent of classifying the job descriptions for various roles in our company in terms of the needs and demands of the customers. Further, we never shirk from making investments in upgrading our services and this has helped us to remain ahead of the learning curve and deliver industry-leading solutions to our clients.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Harsh Kedia: Auburn offers a host of strategies and brand-building solutions for companies to achieve their desired goals and performance in digital marketing and branding requirements. We have excelled in conceptualizing the fundamental aspects of strategic marketing for our clients that include segmentation, targeting, and positioning.

    On the tactical side of the marketing sphere, we offer holistic solutions
    for generating leads, updating social media strategy, creating digital advertisements, and optimizing web pages to garner better visibility and audience interaction. In terms of pulling off a growth hack, we have managed to grow a discount brokerage firm into one of India’s largest stock brokers and have reduced their acquisition costs drastically.

    StartupTalky: Foreign clients—this is what most service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

    Harsh Kedia: We are fast expanding our global footprints as more prospective clients from countries all across the world are approaching us for digital marketing solutions. We have already expanded our customer base in Canada, the US, and the Middle East, and in the coming years, we expect to cover more countries for achieving high growth in business and profitability. Our experience of working with overseas clients has been fantastic and we would like to further up the momentum of acquiring more foreign clients in the coming years.

    StartupTalky: What are the essential tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Harsh Kedia: Integration of Technology has always remained one of the priority areas of our business. We have successfully integrated new-age solutions such as AI, ML, and automation into our services and continue to experiment with advanced innovations for delivering the best solutions to prospective clients. Our team makes extensive use of Similarweb Pro and for managing media buying and reporting, we use DV360 and Data Studio among others. Moz, Screaming frog, Radian 6, and Simplify 360 for ORM are other tools that are used by us to deliver digital marketing solutions to our clients.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the digital marketing industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

    Harsh Kedia: The Digital Revolution is upon us and it has undoubtedly opened new avenues of opportunities for all stakeholders in the business ecosystem. We are witnessing a surge in demand for digital advertisements, brand building, and global marketing outreach campaigns. The influence of digital is also becoming very much apparent in the penetration of OTT, social-media influence, and the rise of virtual worlds in the form of metaverse platforms. To help clients make the most of these opportunities, we have aligned our solutions and upgraded our strategies with new-age innovations and creative technology.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Harsh Kedia: The market dynamics are changing continuously and hence, our team continues to remain focused on changing references of prospective clients. We have very well recognized that in this fast-changing business world, we have to remain agile, nimble, and focused to deliver the highest standards of customer satisfaction. We cannot solely rely on AI and ML as the importance of human touch and service orientation is equally important to achieve the best of both worlds.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Harsh Kedia: We are aggressively working towards providing a digital transformation experience to our clients. We are investing a significant amount of money in technology and strive to build one of the largest digital marketing agencies in India with a significant global presence. The efforts are on to further develop and expand our existing portfolio of services so that the company comes across as a holistic and one-stop solution for all needs related to digital marketing and brand-building exercises in the world of marketing.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

    Harsh Kedia: Instead of waiting for an opportunity to knock on your door, keep knocking on the doors of opportunities. It’s India Inc. time, thus we should work incredibly hard to achieve a massive global scale like what the US and UK witnessed in the past. Our country is going to be the next growth engine for the global economy and digital transformation is going to play a crucial role in multiplying prosperity across the globe.

    We thank Mr. Harsh Kedia for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Neil Unadkat Co-founder and CTO of Intangles Lab, Advises to Prioritize Solution Development Over Feature Selling

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly used in the field of mobility to improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of transportation systems. The goal of mobility planning is to create transportation systems that are sustainable, efficient, and equitable for all users. This can be achieved through a combination of infrastructure improvements, policy changes, and education and outreach programs.

    Mobility planning is the process of designing and implementing transportation systems that are efficient, safe, and accessible for all users. The field of mobility planning has grown in recent years as more emphasis has been placed on creating sustainable, efficient, and accessible transportation systems.

    According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global smart mobility market is expected to grow from $66.34 billion in 2020 to $173.75 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 21.7% during the forecast period. This growth is driven by factors such as increasing urbanization, the need for sustainable transportation, and advancements in technology. However, please note that this information is based on a specific market research report, and the actual growth rate may vary depending on the specific sources and data.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Neil Unadkat, Co-founder and CTO of Intangles Lab Pvt. Ltd., and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Mobility industry.

    StartupTalky: Neil, what service does your company provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

    Neil Unadkat: Intangles Lab started operations in 2016. Our passion for data sciences and automobile technologies led us to the exploration of On-Board Diagnostics data streams on commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses, which opened doors to a vast arena of opportunities.

    With a clear use case in sight, we developed our hardware interface capable of collecting data from CV (Commercial Vehicle) platforms across OEMs, fuel injection, and emissions technologies. This was augmented with a state-of-the-art edge-to-cloud communication backbone and a suite of proprietary algorithms targeted toward predictive health alerts, driver behavior profiling, fuel pilferage, and geospatial intelligence.

    Our vision is to become the global de facto standard for predictive AI in mobility. Our solutions are focused on the health of the vehicle, driver behavior analysis, and efficient operations automation. We have taken the approach of creating digital twins of specialized power-train functions such as battery charging, engine cooling, fuel injection, and assisted air intake. Historic and real-time data helps deliver alerts of possible failures, leading to a significant reduction in the on-road breakdown of vehicles, thereby increasing operational hours and lowering maintenance/repair costs.

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    StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

    Neil Unadkat: In 2022, we launched a new Inline Driving Scorecard feature that enables fleet operators to monitor and analyze erroneous driving practices and incentivizes good driving behavior. The Scorecard provides accurate feedback on
    gear utilization trends, idling instances, and other erroneous driving practices, thereby improving fuel efficiency and the overall health of the vehicle. It takes into consideration different driving and ambient conditions and vehicle specifications. Fleet operators witnessed an impressive 12-15% improvement in fuel economy on utilizing the feature.

    2022 marked our foray into vigorous revamps in the EV sector. We built comprehensive feature sets around cloud-integrated range prediction. Range prediction has always been a major roadblock when it comes to the widespread adoption of EVs and different vehicles on the same route are found to exhibit a high level of variance in battery discharge rates (2%-15%).

    In addition to that, the Digital Information System (DIS) estimates of Distance To Empty (DTE) are highly unreliable. As a result, ad hoc charging sessions based on spurious DTE readings lead to schedule disruption. Intangles’ platform provides comprehensive data on the number of charging cycles from the moment our device is installed on the vehicle, as well as backtracked data from the moment the vehicle hits the roads. This is done by taking into account the Battery Management System (BMS) degradation levels over time. We also provide accurate SOC and DTE predictions considering varying ambient and driving conditions. In addition to weather forecasts, the model has been trained to make predictions around motor torque, wheel speed, and sunset-sunrise trends, which influence HVAC and lighting. This multi-parametric approach enables consistently accurate predictions across dynamic ambients, traffic conditions, and routes.

    Our core differentiator is the derivation of easily discernible, actionable insights from complex telemetry data streams targeted at fulfilling the KPIs of the everyday fleet manager. These envelopes have highly accurate performance statistics (fuel consumption, distance, run hours), predictive alerts for failure with the highest levels of precision, diagnostics alerts with elaborate metadata (causes, repair strategies), and comprehensive reports on schedules and pilferages.

    StartupTalky: How has the mobility industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Neil Unadkat: Over the last couple of years, the automotive industry has undergone significant changes. The government’s introduction of new policies and norms has facilitated the development of new and complex technology. These developments have also been accompanied by complications for fleet operators as the inflow of massive amounts of data and the number of unknown variables when the vehicle is on the road keeps increasing. The technology has progressed by leaps and bounds and demands that operators keep pace.

    Our solutions are aimed at helping them navigate these challenges by adapting and updating our technology in accordance with the latest trends. We also aim to provide them with better visibility into their fleets using our ML-driven data insights. This has facilitated better profitability for our customers, growth for our organization, and new and better technology for the industry at large.

    Neil Unadkat: We always encourage interactive and productive discussions with our end users regarding their pain points and difficulties. Our efforts are aimed at centering our offerings based on these discussions. In addition, on-field real-
    time feedback     provided by our fleet operator partners gives us scrupulous insights into the latest trends in the industry.

    When it comes to our OEM partners, we are constantly in touch with experts and thought leaders who drive the industry toward growth. These conversations help us better understand upcoming and projected developments within the industry.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Neil Unadkat: If we talk about metrics and performance, there are a few things I would like to highlight.  

    • We are constantly generating around 1,00,000 predictive alerts per month, which has enabled as much as a 75% reduction in breakdown events.
    • Tracking over 400,000 liters of fuel pilferage through our devices equipped in Indian fleets.
    • Recording a 20-30% improvement in driver behavior through our monitoring of 20+ driver behavior exceptions.
    • Bringing about a 10-30% increase in asset availability owing to a reduction in vehicle breakdowns.
    • Helping reduce vehicle maintenance costs by 5-10%.

    We have witnessed staggering growth when it comes to revenue. As of today, we have onboarded 7 OEMs in the 11 countries where we are now operating. Furthermore, the platform already has over 8,000 fleet operators. We enroll around 800 fleet operators every month and collect an astounding 5 billion sensory data points per day. We estimate 5x growth in FY’23, with some of the top brands in mobility already signed up as customers.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year, and how did you overcome them?

    Neil Unadkat: The most significant challenge we have faced in the past year has been keeping up with our staggering growth numbers. We have been pouring all our efforts into upholding the quality standards of our solutions while sustaining our growth. Ensuring that our customers get only the best-in-class service has been our foremost priority, and to maintain that, we have been multiplying our resources on all fronts. We have also had to assess, evaluate and rethink some of our strategies going forward to sustain the progress.

    StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure that your clients are happy?

    Neil Unadkat: Our aim has always been to ensure our customers overcome the issues they originally approached us with. After resolving those issues, we direct our efforts to keep up with the varying demands of the market to meet their requirements. This is accomplished through constant updation and revamping of our technology and customer experience strategies.

    StartupTalky: Foreign clients- this is what most service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

    Neil Unadkat: Globally, we have a diverse range of fleet operators in the automotive sector, but they majorly end up suffering from similar pain points. Their efforts are focused on increasing the efficiency of their fleets, gaining better
    visibility, avoiding breakdowns and malfunctions along with saving on expenses. After gaining a comprehensive understanding of our value propositions and solutions, operators across different demographics are keen on adapting our technology.

    We aspire to become the Digital Twin Open-Source Software (OSS) of the world across every segment. Our vision is to bring the power of Digital Twin technology to every segment across the globe so that it is accessible and benefits everyone. While we are cementing our position in the Indian mobility ecosystem, the prospect of new opportunities in North America, Europe, Australia, and APAC is highly promising. Our remarkable development and expansion story exemplifies the game-changing potential of Predictive Analytics enabled by Digital Twin technology. We will continue our efforts to redefine performance benchmarks in mobility and transportation in FY’23.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Neil Unadkat: The majority of the tools we use have been custom-built by us internally and are well-integrated to fulfill the core applications and requirements of our product. We have also integrated third-party systems for internal tooling in
    functions like sales, inventory, and production planning.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

    Neil Unadkat: The Indian government has been heavily investing in improving road infrastructure. We also project significant growth in long-haul travel and last-mile deliveries. The nation is embracing a more connected ecosystem to use data to understand and improve every element within the system. Data sharing positively impacts the operations, service, maintenance, routing, dispatch, and other core functions of a fleet. With more connected vehicles hitting the road and sharing extensive data, the industry is scheduled to be the fastest-growing segment in terms of machine-to-machine connections.

    Electric vehicles have also generated a stir across the industry, with factors like sustainability and efficiency at the forefront. Moreover, automakers are continuously increasing their efforts to provide a diverse range of AI-driven features. For instance, complex driver monitoring systems that evaluate driving behavior, cognitive-behavioral processes, and vehicle health diagnostics are being designed using machine and deep learning algorithms.

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    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Neil Unadkat: We are aiming to deploy our devices across the entire Commercial Vehicle segment. This also involves vigorous revamps in the Electric Vehicle segment through our extensive Ambient Cognitive AI technology that gives you
    real-world performance numbers. We are helping organizations meet the regulatory emission norms in accordance with CPCB – 4 and IUMPR requirements according to OBD regulations. We are also working towards bringing Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates for the ECUs. We are helping fleet operators stay ahead of the curve by getting better visibility on complex powertrains and simplified analysis of their fleet’s health and daily operations.

    To keep pace with our massive demand in the market, we need to maintain a growing workforce that can excel and fulfill requirements. To sustain a growth rate of over 200% year-on-year, we are expanding our workforce on multiple levels throughout the organization. In line with our expansion plans, we plan to expand our workforce domestically and internationally.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

    Neil Unadkat: Your primary focus should be on developing solutions rather than feature selling. As long as your organization is able to solve a customer’s problems, they will always be open to working and experimenting collaboratively on new features and developments.

    We thank Mr. Neil Unadkat for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.