Helo appis aChinese social media platform, where besides English, content is also available in 14 other Indian regional languages. Zhang Yiming founded the Helo App in the year 2018.
People all over the world are spending more and more time on their smartphones, as revealed by a survey carried on by Cybermedia Research (CMR) and smartphone brand Vivo, an average Indian spends one-third of his waking hours on a phone, which amounts to 1800 hours a year. Again as reported by Statista, in February 2020, there are more than 3 billion smartphone users worldwide, while China, India, and the USA have the highest number of smartphone users.
With the growing prominence of smartphones in our day to day lives, many app development companies are coming up with interesting apps to entice the smartphone using population. Speaking of the Indian app market, many Chinese apps gained popularity among the Indian users, and one such app is Helo. Developed by ‘ByteDance’, the makers of TikTok,
While currently due to the charges raised against China as regards COVID 19, an increasing number of people are uninstalling Chinese apps including Helo, but since its launch in 2018, it has been downloaded by millions of users, thus making Helo app one of the top downloaded apps in India. Here are some interesting facts and figures about Helo – India’s coolest social app!
Helo app showcases itself as India’s coolest social media app and has indeed come up with cool features to keep its users engaged. Once you are on the app, you can scroll through interesting content shared by other Helo app users; share your content which can be in the form of text, photo, video, and poll; follow your favorite celebrities who are present on the platform (from Bollywood stars to popular singers and comedians, there are many known personalities on the platform); you can download the content posted on the platform, and also chat with your friends who are on the Helo app.
The best part is the Helo app, besides entertaining you, also allows you to earn some money, and there are many ways to make money on the Helo app. You can earn money by referring it your friends, posting content, and even watching videos. Again with the huge number of users available on the platform, the Helo app is a great platform to market your products as well.
Helo App is based out of China. Its headquarters is in Beijing, China.
This social app is a Chinese variant of Sharechat (an Indian local app). Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in 2012, and Helo is a platform developed by ByteDance.
Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in 2012, and Helo is a platform developed by ByteDance. Other platforms developed by ByteDance are TikTok, Toutiao, TopBuzz, and Vigo Video. Toutiao is very similar to the Helo app and is quite popular in China. ByteDance is valued at $75 Billion.
ByteDance Founder Zhang Yiming
A software engineer by education, Helo app founder Zhang Yiming worked with Kuxun (a travel website), and later for Microsoft. In 2009, Zhang Yiming, started his first entrepreneurial venture 99fang.com, which is an online real estate search platform. Yiming is presently 37 years old.
Helo App – Funding & Investors
Helo app’s parent company ByteDance has raised total funding worth $7.4 billion in 9 rounds. ByteDance is also considering a public listing of its shares that may value the company $150 billion and $180 billion. However, as per recent reports, with a sufficient amount of cash in hand, ByteDance is in no hurry to launch an IPO.
Helo App – Competitors
India’s very own social sharing app ShareChat is the major competitor of Helo. Helo was initially just the clone of ShareChat and was even taken to court for copying its design and thus violating copyrights. ShareChat later had to change its design to save itself legal proceedings. It claims to have over 60 million monthly active users. In 2019, SharChat also acquired video startup ‘Clip’ to strengthen its fight against ByteDance.
Interestingly, ByteDance was in talk with ShareChat and wished to invest in it, but later things took a new turn when it decided to compete with ShareChat by launching Helo.
Owing to the availability of content in regional languages, Chinese app Helo is gaining much popularity even in Tier II and Tier III cities of India. As reported, in July 2019, Helo had over 50 million monthly active users (MAUs). Helo app is among the most downloaded apps of Google Play store and had 1 million downloads just within one month of its launch in 2018, and is also one of the top downloaded apps on the App Store.
Again, besides India, the Helo app also has been made available for download in the US, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Bangladesh to serve Indians in these locations. As claimed by the company in June 2019, users spend an average of 30 minutes on the Helo app, and 85% of the content on the platform is user-generated.
Helo App – Future Plans
Helo is a Chinese app and is chasing a target of garnering 100 million users on the platform. To achieve the goal, Helo is trying different techniques to catch the fancy of users and content creators. From free traffic boost to staff support, and Helo live streaming to Helo Analytics, it is providing good opportunities to eligible content creators to increase their followers. It has also started a ‘Helo Stars’ incubation program, whereby it is supporting 100 content creators to reach one million followers.
Helo App – Latest News
As per the notification received by The Ministry of Information Technology on Ban of 59 Chinese Apps, one among them is Helo App. Predominantly, India served as the target market for Helo App with over 50 million Indian users and more than 10.8 Million installs over its existence.
The Helo app ban is going to affect the net worth of ByteDance by a lot! As per the reports generated by Global Times, ByteDance (Parent Company of Helo app and many other chinese apps) is going to face a loss of close to $6 Billion. With its exhaustive investment around $1 Billion in Indian Market, ByteDance is certainly looking up for significant downfall in coming days unless they can get helo app back in India soon.
Helo app is a social networking app launched by a leading company from China, Bytedance. This social app is a Chinese variant of Sharechat (an Indian local app).
Who is the Founder of Helo App?
Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in 2012, and Helo is a platform developed by ByteDance.
What are the Top Alternatives to Helo App in India?
ShareChat, Roposo, Chingari are alternatives to the Helo App in India.
Who is Helo App’s parent company?
ByteDance is the parent company of Helo App.
Is Help app banned in India?
Yes, unfortunately The Ministry of Information Technology has banned Helo App along with 59 other Chinese Apps in India.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Get My Parking.
Parking is an issue for everyone, from drivers to merchants to city governments. Unorganized parking creates a problem on multiple fronts. As per IBM Global Parking Index 2011, an average urban motorist spends 20 minutes more on road due to parking problems. This is not only a waste of time but also a loss of productivity. Thus, Get My Parking (GMP) was founded in 2015 by Chirag Jain and Rasik Pansare with a vision to make every parking transaction a sub-conscious experience.
Get My Parking is the provider of an Interoperable Smart Parking Platform that connects all parking and mobility stakeholders on a common platform who were until now operating in silos.
StartupTalky interviewed Rasik Pansare and Chirag Jain (Founders of Get My Parking) to know the Success Story of Get My Parking (GMP) along with getting a glance on GMP founders, Get My Parking Business Model, Funding, Revenue, Growth, How GMP works and more….
Get My Parking is the provider of Interoperable Smart Parking Platform that connects all parking and mobility stakeholders on a common platform who were until now operating in silos. It comprises a team of doers with a clear mission to digitize the parking industry globally. Â
Get My Parking (GMP) was founded in 2015 by Chirag Jain and Rasik Pansare with a vision to make every parking transaction a sub-conscious experience. With a strong foundation of team, technology and partnerships, it is creating a future proof platform to connect the parking industry internally as well with urban mobility players.
Get My Parking offers end to end digitization of parking business in following three steps:
Parking Connect: GMP IOT suite integrates all parking locations to the cloud, agnostic to hardware at an aggregate level as well as all equipment inside the individual parking lots with each other. This allows full control of parking operations to the real estate operators over the internet. (B2B model)
Consumer Connect: The GMP platform helps operators to launch customised mobile apps enabling digital discovery and transaction for their consumers. Get My Parking (GMP) have helped launch 7 unique parking apps around the world in multiple languages. (B2B2C model)
Mobility Connect: GMP Platform connects parking systems and data to multiple 3rd party mobility companies, transforming dumb real estate into intelligent mobility hubs. This enables seamless use of parking for pick up and drops of shared mobility, storage and deliveries for e-commerce, EV charging, and on the fly automotive services. (Marketplace model)
Get My Parking – Market/Industry Details
The global parking industry market size is valued at USD 100 billion and is expected to witness significant growth over the next few years with the advent of connected vehicles and new modes of mobility and gig economy. Increased usage of vehicles for all forms of mobility and logistics, especially in urban centers, is driving the demand for a tech parking platform.
Rasik Pansare(CMO) and Chirag Jain (CEO) are the founders of Get My Parking (GMP)
Get My Parking was founded in 2015. The CEO and Co-founder Chirag Jain had worked in the automobile industry and came up with this innovative concept. He then met with Rasik Pansare and started working on this as an experiment. By July 2015, they were convinced with the early results to plunge into this business full time and started Get My Parking officially.
Rasik Pansare(CMO) and Chirag Jain (CEO) – Founders of GMP
Chirag Jain (CEO & Co-Founder, GMP)
Chirag Jain is the CEO and co-founder of Get My Parking, a venture he started in 2015 (based out of New Delhi, India). Chirag graduated from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in 2013 and worked in the Automotive Industry for 2 yrs before starting his entrepreneurial journey. He received the Young Entrepreneur Award from IIT Madras and also featured in business World- ’40 under 40′ Achievers. Chirag has keen interest in urban planning and was also awarded best delegate award at New York Global Young Leaders Summit under United Nations Development Program. He has spent over 6 months in South Korea, 3 months in Malaysia and other S-E Asian countries, and has sound knowledge of the overall ecosystem.
Rasik Pansare ( Co-Founder & CMO, GMP)
Entrepreneurial by attitude, Rasik is the co-founder and CMO of Get My Parking, an award winning startup that provides smart parking for smart cities. He graduated from FMS Delhi and was the President of the entrepreneurship cell there. He is an engineer and MBA by education but always aspired to be a change-maker. An engaging story teller, he has been a TEDx speaker, guest lecturer and speaker at several Smart City and Mobility summits in the past. He was awarded the Business Excellence and Innovative Best Practices Academia Award-2019′ by Honâble Dr Manmohan Singh, Former PM of India at NDIM-Delhi. He likes to create, connect and share. An ardent foodie, he believes in the philosophy of âLive Life, not Existâ and encourages pursuit of passion.
Get My Parking – Team and Work Culture
Get My Parking (GMP) has been fortunate to have a very strong core team. Since the very beginning, founders have been very particular about the people they bring into the core team. It is a very close knit family with complementary skills. The core team comes from stellar backgrounds and has been critical in the formation of the organisation. GMP has 80+ young people with an average age of 28. It consists of highly motivated and passionate individuals who have been instrumental in driving the  organization’s success.
Get My Parking Team
“We let our employees be a part of our culture definition process. We create polls, surveys, 360 feedback processes, etc. We have a talk with the employees, even during the pandemic we organized Virtual Peer Lunch, Fun Baithak, Annual Treat etc. We let our employees tell us how they want certain aspects of office culture to shape up” – Says GMP founders.
Get My Parking – Hiring Funda
The key to recruiting and retaining is mainly about meeting the needs on the top and thinking ahead, rather than waiting for a crisis to ensue.
“A talent pipeline should be developed to identify potential candidates, who can be continuously nurtured and approached when vacancies arise. We always look for people who are independent workers with a strong work ethic” Says Chirag Jain (Founder & CEO, Get My Parking)
As observed by Chirag and Rasik, billions of dollars have been invested in the mobility industry to make vehicles connected and âsmartâ – but not in parking. It has remained an ignored and unorganized industry.
The traditional parking equipment still operates in silos. This is what led Chirag to come with a concept that could integrate parking and mobility. Chirag also had worked in the automobile industry that was also a vital factor. He then met with Rasik Pansare and started working on this as an experiment.
By July 2015, they were convinced enough with the early results to plunge into this business full time and started Get My Parking (GMP) officially.
When parking businesses use technology, the traditional equipment operates in silos; at best, it will work together with other products from the same manufacturer. In todayâs new era of mobility, one needs an ecosystem of integrated hardware and software components regardless of which version or vendor they all come from.
The GMP Platform delivers such an interoperable ecosystem. Get My Parking’s solution can retrofit existing equipment in a parking lot, and upgrade the entire facility to a digitized one. There are multiple things that make GMP’s concept stand out. The platform makes any parking equipment interoperable through IoT and retrofitting, it upgrades old parking infrastructure to a new future-proof ecosystem, thus transforming dumb parking real estate into intelligent mobility hubs. Also, it’s easily customizable and scalable solution for any parking requirement on the planet.
The name was decided by Chirag (Founder & CEO of Get My Parking). The mindset of Chirag was to keep it easy to understand just as Book My show. The initial logo was designed by Chirag himself and later they got a professional designer to make it.
GMP Logo
The original tagline was B2C focused but we changed it later to suit our pivoted business strategy to B2B2C mode – Says the GMP Founders.
Thus, the Tagline of Get My Parking is ‘Where Mobility Begins’.
Get My Parking – Business Model and Revenue Model
GMP’s business model is pivoted towards B2B2C business strategy. Get My Parking (GMP) licenses its SaaS platform to the customers who are mostly big parking operators, smart city projects, and commercial landlords. It also charges for any additional customization (if required). And also, GMP licenses its parking data to automobile OEMs and mobility companies.
Get My Parking – Startup Launch and Customer Acquisition Strategies
Get My Parking’s startup launch was different. Instead of targeting a bunch of customers with a made product, it first went to a potential big customer i.e., a large parking operator in Delhi and pitched the idea of digitized parking. Once the operator was convinced and gave GMP a pre-order, Get My Parking was launched and team made the product.
Within a few weeks of launching, we had pre-orders for 45 parking lots. So what worked for us the best was traditional face to face sales for B2B onboarding – Says Chirag (Co-founder & CEO, Get My Parking)
The next phase, to grow from over 100 parking lots to 1000, Get My Parking had to adopt a multi pronged strategy. The GMP team used trade exhibitions to do brand awareness and product demos, and industry events and competitions for establishing thought leadership.
There was extensive role of digital marketing for targeted promotions. For international growth, GMP tied up with industry consultants who represented the company in those markets and strategic partners who could cross sell Get My Parking’s offerings along with their products. Overall, it took a lot of perseverance and resilience to get to 1000 and eventually 2500+ parking lots globally
Get My Parking – Startup Challenges Faced
Being a fast growing company, our team is our strength – Says Rasik (Co-founder & CMO, GMP)
Hence the biggest challenge that GMP faces is hiring the right people, training, upskilling current team members, and maintaining the right culture.
Other operational challenges that Get My Parking faced involves resistance from certain industry segments having traditional mindset. Being the market creator and pioneer, it took a lot of convincing to influence the entire industry from scratch. Get My Parking also faced funding issues several times at an early stage with minimal revenue, but the GMP team have mastered the financial equation over the last couple of years with good inflow of revenues.
The smart parking platform is designed for every stakeholder in the parking and mobility ecosystem. Get My Parking has been able to deliver business growth and diversified value growth to its customers, who include some of the leading parking operators globally with multi-billion dollar turnover.
Globally, GMP has over 2200 active smart parking deployments with active work orders in 17 countries.
The smart parking platform has launched 7 different white label parking apps around the world in different languages and markets.
The Get My Parking platform has processed over 50 million parking transactions till February 2021 (and counting).
In India, in terms of active deployments, Get My Parking is present in 11 cities including Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
In terms of static parking data, GMP is the largest aggregator and distributor of parking information, with comprehensive data of over 9000 parking lots of 50 cities in India.
It has also done multiple government and smart city projects.
One of the Get My Parking’s major clients is APCOA Parking, which is Europeâs largest parking operator.
Get My Parking also powered the world’s largest event parking, Maha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain and IPL tournament previously.
Get My Parking – Revenue
In 2020, Get My Parking clocked in revenue of over INR 14 crore. GMP is projecting double the revenue for the upcoming month (March 2021)
Get My Parking – Funding and Investors
Get My Parking’s total funding till date is INR 29.05 Crores ($4.476 Million) in 3 rounds of funding. GMP’s most recent funding was led by IAN Fund, BEENEXT and Indian Angel Network for $3 Million in September 2017.
Get My Parking’s Funding details are as follows-
Date
Stage
Amount
Investors
Jan 2016
Angel Funding
$376k (INR 2.5 cr)
The Chennai Angels (TCA)
Feb 2017
Pre Series A
$1.1 Mn (INR 7.35 cr)
IAN, BEENEXT, The Chennai Angels, Hero Corporate Services
Sep 2017
Series A
$3 Mn (INR 19.2 cr)
IAN Fund, BEENEXT, Indian Angel Network
“Funding is an extremely significant aspect in line with meeting the vision of a business. These funding have helped us in acquisition, hiring, for expanding globally and to grow & sustain our business” Says GMP founders.
Get My Parking acquired Bangalore-based Constapark in 2018.
Constapark had managed 30,000 parking spots on its platform and parks 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis across Bangalore. It was also chosen as one of the Top 5 Startups by CNN IBN & Ericson. This acquisition helped Get My Parking strengthen leadership in the domestic market.
Get My Parking – Competitors
The top competitors of Get My Parking include Flash Parking (US), Passport (US) and Smart Parking Ltd (Australia).
Tools used by Get My Parking to run Business
The right set of tools lets one organize the to do its best work. It lets to plan tasks and track who’s doing what to make sure that the company is working in the most efficient way possible.
One of the tools that Get My Parking used for internal communication is Slack. For task tracking/ reminder it uses Asana. Some other tools that we use are G-Suite, Final Cut Pro, Zoom, Mailchimp, Canva, Active Campaign, etc.,
Get My Parking got over 50 Million Parking Transactions processed by our platform in 17 countries. GMP also powered the world’s largest event parking, Maha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in the first year.
2017- Get My Parking got AWS Mobility Awards for the Travel App of the year in Emerging category
2017- The company got the UK-India Tech Summit – Tech Rocketship Award for Top 10 Indian Startups
2019- Get My Parking was awarded the NASSCOM Emerge 50 for the product – Smart Parking Platform
2019- Get My Parking won the Geospatial Excellence Award at the GeoSmart India 2019 summit.
Get My Parking have performed extensive deployments in Europe and Asia for some of the largest parking operators that operate across thousands of locations. Now, Itâs expanding its footprints with focus on the American market with the help of our partnership with ParkTrans (an American smart city solution provider). Get My Parking also has promising leads in Middle East Asia & Asia Pacific. It is also creating a global sales network with freelance consultants as well as sales enterprise partners.
Get My Parking – FAQs
Who are the founders of Get My Parking?
Rasik Pansare(CMO) and Chirag Jain (CEO) are the founders of Get My Parking (GMP)
How much is Get My Parking funding?
Get My Parking’s total funding till date is INR 29.05 Crores ($4.476 Million) in 3 rounds of funding. GMP’s most recent funding was led by IAN Fund, BEENEXT and Indian Angel Network for $3 Million in September 2017.
What is Get My Parking?
Get My Parking is the provider of Interoperable Smart Parking Platform that connects all parking and mobility stakeholders on a common platform who were until now operating in silos.
Who are the competitors of Get My Parking?
The top competitors of Get My Parking are Flash Parking (US), Passport (US) and Smart Parking Ltd (Australia).
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Boonbox.
The advent of e-commerce in India in the past decade has been unprecedented. While a huge chunk of the population in Indian cities are reaping the benefits of e-commerce, the rural areas still remain untouched by the effects of digitization.
With the masterly vision of taking e-commerce to rural India, the co-founders-Ramachandran Ramanathan, Karthik Natarajan, Narayanan launched Boonbox in 2013.
Given the great idea and insight on which this startup is based, this is how the business functions. Boonbox has a local affiliate in each of the towns/villages that they are located in. These local affiliates assist the consumers with the products available in the application. These affiliates place the orders on the consumer’s behalf and collect the money. These products are delivered by Boonbox through their hub & spoke fulfillment model.
In rural areas, there can’t be a platform to start a business as the ecosystem does not exist. Boonbox is an integrated player in this ecosystem. It owns the ecosystem and this is difficult to replicate. Creating connectivity takes time and requires a deep understanding of rural purchase patterns and consumer behavior. And Boonbox team has decades of experience in building rural networks.
The rural ecosystem has a lot of human elements associated with it. There is touch and feel of human connectivity. To be a successful startup in rural India, the required building blocks are human touch, credibility & trust, accompanied by an integrated ecosystem. As Boonbox has been able to selectively identify the relevant trust elements within rural communities and has built them over the years, this platform is viewed as a trusted element in the rural ecosystems. Boonbox pivoted from being a single product seller to a multi-category catalog that empowers the rural customers with choice and convenience. The venture was pivoted in the year 2015.
Boonbox is a technology platform for providing products and services to consumers who live in tier-4 towns and villages and are deprived of access to these products. Through the company’s “Rural Last Mile” logistics network, products are delivered at the doorstep of the consumers in remote villages. Boonbox also ensures that regular follow-up takes place with the customers, and promises them after-sale service to provide a top-class purchase experience.
Boonbox – USP
Boonbox chennai based startup, is an unique venture that aggregates the demand of rural customers and fulfills them by placing an order with the merchant. In simple words, it’s a vehicle to enter the rural markets. The main idea of the startup is to be a desired brand for every rural household and be a part of their everyday lives. Also, Boonbox is of the ideology that every rural customer craves and deserves a top-class customer experience. With Boonbox online shopping has never been easier for the rural population!
Boonbox was selling solar lamps in Rural Tamil Nadu and Karnataka during the peak power crisis in 2012-13. While seeking customer feedback, the Boonbox team received responses that indicated demand for Mobile Phones, White Goods (TV, Fridge, Washing Machine) and also Induction Stoves and Mixer Grinders. All these products were wanted by rural consumers during the peak power crisis. Thus, throughout the entrepreneurial journey, seeking customer feedback helped them deduce that Rural Customers are ASPIRATIONAL and CONSUMPTION is driving the Rural Economy.
70 % of India which is close to a billion people live in Rural India. Rural India contributes to 47% of the country’s GDP. And these statistics were sufficient enough to indicate a massive market in a less than 30,000 population towns. These people in those towns were the target market of Boonbox.
” We foresee a consumption explosion in Rural India and expect Rural India to lead India’s economy in the next 5 years.” said the Co-founders of Boonbox positively.
Boonbox – Founders and team
Ramachandran Ramanthan, Karthik Natarajan and Narayanan are the Co-founders of Boonbox.
Ramachandran Ramanthan, Karthik Natarajan and Narayanan
The trio has an exciting story about how all of it began! While Ramachandran Ramanathan and Karthik Natarajan were colleagues, they met Narayanan through a common friend. Narayanan had created the rural network in Tamil Nadu for Tata Teleservices and immediately caught on to the potential of the idea. The co-founders then went on to build the team by selling a dream, which made many people leave their lucrative jobs in the corporate world to join in the Boonbox adventure. The fact that they were working in an exotic area, a white space, building for Bharat and also generating cash in the business, attracted many people to the Boonbox team.
Ramachandran Ramanathan is a Chartered Accountant by qualification. He has also held senior management positions in the RPG, ICICI and TVS groups. Boonbox adventure is a great opportunity for him to follow his passion i.e., to create business strategies in uncharted markets and build a great team for scaling the business.
Boonbox co-founder Ramachandran Ramanthan
Karthik Natarajan is a management graduate from a financial services background with stints at Citigroup and Fullerton. Karthik is the ‘Zero to One’ man in the co-founder circle and his strength is his excellent ability to smell business opportunities and develop concepts into businesses.
Narayanan is also a management graduate who worked extensively in the telecom world straddling all the major brands including Airtel and Tata Teleservices. A meticulous planner, he works on business excellence and takes the Boonbox businesses to scale.
How was Boonbox Started
The idea to take on the rural markets with a technology platform struck to the co-founders Ramachandran Ramanathan and Karthik Natarajan when they were working on the TVS group. TVS’s consumer strategy was architected by the late Dr.C.K.Prahalad and focused entirely on capturing the rural markets. These two co-founders were working on creating alternate networks in rural markets and while doing that, the massive potential of this white space dawned upon them.
Boonbox was built based on these two co-founder’s experiences in the rural market. In fact, they did not do any formal market research. Instead, they focused on using customer feedback as a mechanism to drive Boonbox to success.
Boonbox – Name, Tagline and Logo
Specialists were consulted to come up with the name Boonbox. The co-founders finally zoomed in on Inthree which is a Coined Name â coined from the ethos of the business which is the Inner India Initiative. Inthree is the registered name and BoonBox is its customer-facing platform. So Ideally the Boonbox company is a sister concern of Inthree and is launched in select districts of TamilNadu and Karnataka. Which is why the Boonbox website can be accessed from inthreeaccess.com.
Boonbox Logo
Boonbox – Business Model and Revenue Model
The Boonbox business model is simple, it takes orders from rural customers and delivers products to their households. Considering that the rural market has a broken ecosystem and a virtually non-existent distribution network, this venture gets both the distributor and retailer’s margins which makes Boonbox’s Unit Economics very strong.
Rural India is characterized by a huge trust deficit. Boonbox has sold products to 2.5 million customers to date. Their focus is mainly on customer experience and to ensure that every single customer complaint is addressed on time and they now have 2.5 million happy customers. The rural market works on word of mouth marketing and Boonbox is a formidable brand now. Hence the key strategy for Boonbox has been to focus on customer experience since the initial days.
Boonbox – Startup Challenges
Rural is a white space, the founders had no benchmarks to follow. The company’s business model was formulated after multiple iterations and is not more than three years old. The model is based on continuous learning and building on the co-founder’s experiences. Also, It is not something that others can replicate over a short period. Boonbox is consistently working towards solving two major challenges :
Gaining the trust of consumers living in towns and villages with a population of 30,000 and below
Catering to customers who live in locations without a proper address or pin code. In such areas, it’s important to ensure that products reach customers on time.
This venture is the pioneer in this field and the co-founders are continuously trying their experiments and learning from them. There have been as many failed experiments as successful ones, as the business itself is one huge hack!
Though Boonbox does not have any direct competition in the market. But unicorns like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon have been trying to get inroads in rural markets, some e-commerce startups like iPay and StoreKing solely focus on rural markets.
Boonbox – Funding and Investors
Boonbox has raised a total funding worth INR 34 Crores in two rounds till date.
Date
Stage
Amount
Investors
August, 2014
Angel
9 Crores
IAN, Keiretsu Forum Chennai
August, 2018
Series A
25 crores
Ventureast, Orios & IAN Fund
Boonbox – Advisors and Mentors
Boonbox does have mentors who have contributed their ideas in Business Strategy, Customer Experience and HR throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
Boonbox operates in 16 States. This includes acquiring customers and delivering products to 3,00,000 villages which accounts for 47% of India’s universe of villages. Since inception and till date, Boonbox has sold products in rural markets totaling to INR 450 Crores.
Boonbox is the largest rural partner for Samsung mobiles and has been the largest partner for them for the last three consecutive years. Some of the other products and brands include:
The Co-founders are expecting to close 2019 with a turnover of INR 300 Crores, and with a Gross Profit of INR 75 Crores. They are expecting to reach a turnover of INR 1,000 Crores by 2022.
The long-term plan of the venture is to be a pan India player, providing products at customer’s doorstep in remote villages and that too backed by top-notch customer experience. Given that the following are the goals for the coming decade:
Become a multi-service offering for the rural consumer
Building a robust direct channel for selling to the consumer with a fintech offering
Adding categories like FMCG, fashion, apparel to the product mix in addition to mobile phones, consumer durables, kitchen appliances, and cookware
Designing subscription models that can be relevant for the rural consumer
Creating loyalty and membership programs to build long term value for customers
There’s ideally nothing better than growing together. Boonbox’s initiative of empowering rural India with the services that they deserve is a marvelous concept. After all, great businesses are always built out of satisfying needs rather than creating wants.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Who are the Founders of Boonbox?
The Co-founders of Boonbox are Ramachandran Ramanthan, Karthik Natarajan and Narayanan.
What is Boonbox?
Boonbox is an unique venture that aggregates the demand of rural customers and fulfills them by placing an order with the merchant on their behalf and delivers it to the individuals.
Is Boonbox only available in Chennai?
No, Boonbox operates in 16 States including Chennai and are planning on expanding further.
FOReT is a Mumbai based startup creating eco-friendly fashion accessories through a perfect fusion of natural elements and trendy designs. Their products besides giving you an elegant look, keeps you connected to the nature.
FOReT was started with a passion to create fashion that embodies the essence of Nature. They provide sustainable fashion accessories and their collection includes handbags, wallets, belts and jewellery. At FOReT, the products are made from genuine cork ensuring the grains and strands of nature are evident. Every design and every project FOReT undertakes reflects the ethos of nature: Simple, Diverse and yet Sophisticated.
FOReT envisions to be a global sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand. At the core of their business is to create sustainable fashion products that does not call for any changes in the users lifestyle.
The ethos behind FOReT is to embody and articulate the beauty and spirit of Nature and create products that have a positive impact on our environment. We aim to carve a niche for natural fashion without compromising on the latest trends. Style and Elegance is the cornerstone behind all our accessoriesand we use the finest of materials that resonate with being earth-friendly and responsible
FORet is also doing its part towards conserving nature, as for every purchase, they plant trees and support the livelihood of farmers.
while you worry about what you have to wear for the party tonight, we will take care of how it has a positive impact on our environment.
Supriya Shirsat Satam is the founder of FORet. Supriya is an engineer with an MBA in marketing. She worked with one of Indiaâs premiere airline and led Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing prior to starting her own venture – FOReT.
How was FOReT Started
Supriya is a vivid nature lover. Though she was a workaholic and practically worked 24/7, travelling and exploring new places was something she always managed to do. She often takes out time to run away from the chaos of everyday life into the lap of nature and wander on off-beaten tracks. She also loves to do landscape painting, where very minute observation of the details of nature is required, which further deepened her love for nature. FORet is Supriya’s way of giving back to the nature.
Being a conscious nature lover, she always explored for possibility of making eco-friendly fashion accessories.
While we speak of organic clothing, organic food, organic colors and natural cosmetics, I wondered if my handbag could be made from natural material. I wanted something that could look stylish and I searched but was not fully convinced of the style or the fabric – Supriya FOReT Founder, says
Being convinced that there is no adequate and quality eco-friendly fashion accessories available in the Indian market, Supriya started doing research on natural materials that could be used for making nature friendly yet stylish fashion accessories, and came across the beautiful Cork material, that comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, well known as the cap of your Wine bottle.
Moreover, making the cork material does not harm the tree but gives it more life. At the spur of a moment, Â Supriya wrote to a couple of Cork suppliers to send her some swatches, and Supriya was completely bowled over by the material.
What got me attracted was that the Cork material resembles the texture of the natural bark. You can notice every grain and the texture of the bark. And this makes every product unique and exclusive, as no two product will be the same.
Cork is extremely soft, anti-microbial, water resistant and extremely durable. It was a complete and wholesome material just as it is in nature. Supriya soon sketched a bag  and got it made, and though getting manufactured just one bag cost her a lot,  the bag was incredibly beautiful and way beyond her expectations. This paved the thought for launching products that articulated nature.
I worked on my prototype and the end product was convincing enough. However, I did work on a plan and how I wanted to execute it. I also had several brain storming sessions with my husband, sisters and friend. They are fully supportive and are an indelible part of this journey
Supriya’s way of validating the idea was also interesting. She simply used to carry her handbag to parties and public places to see how people react to it.
The idea was never to tell them to see the product but to check if they enquired on their own and they did.
Supriya also showed  the product to some senior Corporate executives and they too fully supported the same.
To start production commercially was however was not easy.
Initially Supriya tried to get the handbags produced in India. But, cork is an expensive material and bringing the material to India and working on different cork fabric patterns and style was a lengthy process. As it was a new concept, the learning curve for tailors was steep and the time that the factories were willing to contribute was minimal as the proposition started looking extremely difficult. This led Supriya to focus on working with the experts who have established themselves in manufacturing and designing with Cork.
I wanted all accessories to be as per global design standards and make and I realized that it would need a lot more of resources to create some from the start. Our belief is that a luxurious material such as cork needs to be witnessed by a larger audience and working with established partners helps us bring out a new collection that spans across categories easily.
Today, some of  FOReT’s pieces are designed by Supriya, however, as a collection FOReT works with the best teams of cork fabric suppliers, artists and designers and manufacturers as a private label. Their collection is manufactured in Europe with genuine Cork and makes use of European charms and metal hardware. She wants the FOReT brand to be synonymous with sustainability!
The name FOReT encapsulates the essence and the core beliefs with which the company has been set up and how it envisions to see itself in future.
Some moments cast an indelible mark that manifests itself in some beautiful way, and Supriya’s trip to Pench, a forest in Madhya Pradesh a few years ago, was one such impacting moment. It is from this experience she had at Pench, Â that FOReT’s name was conceptualized.
An early morning safari at 5am with dull sleepy eyes soon waking up to the cool breeze and the dark blue sky. As our jeep whirred through the forest, we were trying to capture quick movements of the animals amidst the trees and the grass. In search of the lone tiger, we stopped by a small lake. The first blush of the morning was filling the air. The lake was glistening and the leaves had an irresistible luminance. The dry grass below the trees magically shone in the dazzling sunlight. And in it, the forest majestically came alive. I canât describe the essence, but it had me there. FOREST was only a word before this, but now it actually had a meaning. And the essence of that experience is what I have tried to capture in my venture, FOReT, French for Forests.
FOReT is a word for forest in French. Home to the flora and fauna, forests are an integral part of our ecosystem. As FOReT’s products inculcate the concept of drawing from Nature without processing them, Foret was the apt name. Â
Foret in French is written as ForĂȘt and pronounced as For-hae. Â The logo is ĂȘ (e-circumflex), a Latin alphabet adorned with another accent made to resemble the soul of the forests, the tree. This, invariably reflects the connection to the nature. ĂȘ also stands for elegance and essence, the two main pillars of the company.
FOReT’s tagline, ‘Fashion meets Sustainability‘ is an epitome of the company’s vision to create an viable intersection of fashion, lifestyle and environmental consciousness.
FOReT while in the Beta participated in a pop-up festival for vegan and earth friendly products. As a first primary response, they have garnered huge support from the audience there. This helped them build trust and market for themselves in the real world. Â
In the current digitized world social media platforms act as the best marketing networks. Similarly, for FOReT Instagram has played a crucial role in promoting their products and showcase their brand and carve a niche for themselves in the fashion space.
FOReT – Startup Challenges
FOReT started with making handbags. As the products are made from exquisite and expensive cork, a not so widely used material, only a few limited edition pieces could be created; which also means limited audience. Only mature buyer willing to pay more were likely buy their products.
Hence, in order to overcome small consumer base FOReT expanded into jewellery section. Now, with Jewellery, FOReT products appeal to women and hence attracts a wide customer base.
FOReT – Future Plans
FOReT’s final goal is to distribute its products globally and this strategy helps it in creating products that are acceptable as per global standards and distributing the same. Also, as Cork comes from Southern Europe, working with the teams in Europe who understand the material strengthens its positioning to cater to an International audience. The company also has plans to get some of its designs made in India as a bridge between the two creative forms of design.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Who is the owner of FOReT?
The Founder of FORet is Supriya Shirsat Satam.
What does FOReT mean?
Foret is a French word for that means forest.
What is FOReT?
FOReT is an Indian Sustainable brand that makes accessories.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization InVideo.
Videos are one of the most effective ways to convey thoughts, ideas and concepts and is fast gaining popularity among the netizens. According to YouTube reports, mobile video consumption increases 100% year after year. Facebook generates 8 billion videoviews on average per day, while 53% of customers engage with a brand after watching a video on social media.
However, to take advantage of this growing popularity of videos, one must concentrate on creating effective and creative videos, which is not a simple task for everyone. But now with ‘InVideo’ making great videos is indeed becoming everybody’s cup of tea. InVideo is a web based software that helps you create fantastic videos, no matter whether you are an expert or an amateur in video making.
InVideo is a software on the web that provides seamless creative video creation services. It helps marketers, entrepreneurs, agencies, other small businesses to create professional-looking videos with ease. InVideo works with an intention to make video creation an effortless and friction less process.
While there are video making software, which are either too simple that creates videos which is no better than PowerPoint presentations, there are some other software that are too complex to be used by a non-expert. InVideo’s USP is that it is a synthesis of both simple and complex video creation softwares available, thereby, having the best of both in one place.
Prior to InVideo, the trio founded ‘Massblurb‘, an online automated platform, helping restaurants manage their end to end online presence. After ‘Massblurb’ got acquired by ‘Mobikon’, they decided to come together to set up InVideo.
Currently, Sanket Shah is the CEO of InVideo. An Electrical and Electronic engineer by qualification, Sanket did Master of Science in Quantitative management from University of Michigan. Sanket worked with organizations like ‘Right Relevance,Inc’ and ‘Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd’ in different positions. Apart from being a founding member of Massblurb, Sanket also founded ‘Visify Books’ – an interesting platform that presents main content of various books in video format. At InVideo, Sanket leadsthe Marketing and Sales department of the company.
Pankit Chedda is the CTO of InVideo. After completing his B.E from University of Mumbai, Pankit studied ‘Masters, Information Systems Management’ from Carnegie Mellon University. He worked in technical positions with organizations like ‘comScore, Inc’, ‘CouponDunia’ and ‘Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd.’ At Invedio, Pankit manages core tool technology.
Harsh Vakharia, a chemical engineer by qualification, did M.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering form University of Michigan. He worked in companies like A.T. Kearney and Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd. Harsh looks aftervideo technology and its details at InVideo.
InVideo currently has a team of 45 people.
How was InVideo Started
A personal problem faced by the founding team has led them to establish InVideo. Back in 2012, the founding team were working on creating 10-minute video summaries of non-fiction books. The process of video production was a major hurdle for them back then as it consumed a lot of time.
The team started looking for alternate solutions and realized that there are only two kinds of video creation tools:
That allows the user to create a very basic video (which is worse than a presentation).
Or one that will require a trained video editor to create a video.
While the simple video creating platforms have minimal scope for creativity and customization, the advanced versions are too complicated for a normal person to create high-quality, innovative videos. Identifying such a gap and personally experiencing the absence of a platform that caters to the needs of an ordinary individual who wants to create innovative high-end videos; Sanket Shah, Pankit Chedda, and Harsh Vakharia have put in collective effort to create the InVideo company.
When we researched, there were only simple video editors and complex ones; it did not work that way. So we did it! We ended up sitting beside a customer, observing them what we did – says Sanket, InVideo CEO
Before launching InVideo, the team studied the customers’ needs extensively through primary research. They reached out to large news channels and eventually validated the idea. Further, they built a basic engine to get a direct response from the customers before launching on a full scale.
InVideo – Name, Tagline and Logo
InVideo Logo
The company deals in Video making, and hence the name ‘InVideo’
If there’s any piece of content, our goal is to help people transform that content into great videos. So it’s like your content in the video. Thus the name ‘InVideo.’ – Sanket on explaining the thought behind the name.
The InVideo business model operates as a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. It is basically a software distribution model in which InVideo hosts applications and provides them to the customers over the internet.
The InVideo revenue works on a freemium model, with paid plans starting at just $10 per month.
InVideo – User Acquisition and Growth
InVideo has over 800,000 users from more than 150 countries who have created videos in over 75 languages.
When we had started building the technology, we had found partners like Republic TV, Network18, etc., who helped us in understanding what we should build.
As InVideo was been built taking input from the customers, the company has managed to emerge strong and successful. With strategic planning, the team was able to build a market fit product, and from thereon, the mouth referrals have helped the company to get popular.
So we built this company with our customers. And so it’s so successful. We went ahead and built the entire company with our customers.
Furthermore, InVideo has undertaken intense marketing campaigns and growth hacking. Besides, they also adopted numerous other strategies and techniques to popularize the platform.
InVideo takes great care of customer expectations and designs its products in sync with customer demand. The company also has a 24/7 customer support team that responds in minutes.
Adobe Creative Clouds revenue is 6.5 billion, and they are only targeting professional video editors. We think that our market size is at least 10x because we are targeting anyone who is desiring to create a great video – says Sanket about InVideo’s target market
Apart from this Launching LTDs has also helped them a lot in gaining new users.
InVideo’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) has increased by almost five times, from 12 to 59 in just three months.
Over the long-term, InVideo envisions to create an ecosystem like Adobe, enabling every marketer, entrepreneurs, who desire to create a video, to be able to do that easily. Now, InVideo wants to expand from a web platform to a cross-device and cross-function space. They are aiming for 5 million users in the next two years. The team is also planning to create a platform that will help users in creating templates.
Our vision has been very simple, that actually we want to take over the world. When people think about video, they need to think about InVideo.
So, if you are on the lookout for making a video, do give InVideo a try!
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Who are the InVideo Founders?
Sanket Shah, Pankit Chedda and Harsh Vakharia are the Co-founders of InVideo.
What is InVideo?
InVideo is a web based software that helps you create fantastic videos in a matter of minutes, no matter whether you are an expert or an amateur in video making.
Is InVideo free?
InVideo works on a freemium model so you can access InVideo for free but the customization options and the features you will be able to access are limited.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.
Everyone fantasizes about a dream house but building it the way one thinks, takes a lot of effort. The construction industry especially is complex and dynamic due to a lot of stakeholders involved. Moreover, the industry is marked by a trust deficit making the process of engaging in the construction process even difficult.
100Pillars Constructions makes the entire process effortless and straightforward. 100Pillars Construction is a perfect destination to get all construction works done, ranging from hiring quality contractors for residential and commercial projects to completion of projects.
Formerly known as Rathnam contractors, the company was into building and construction since 1977. With many experienced members in its team, 100Pillars construction is all set to revolutionize the construction sector and simplify construction like never before for the end customers.
100Pillars Construction is a Bangalore based startup that is perfect destination to get all your construction work done. Their services include, Civil Contracting, Home Interiors, Home Renovation & Architectural Design Services. At 100Pillars, the team consistently works to bridge the gap between customer and quality construction, renovation and architectural contractors. Here, the customers get to meet the best professionals in the region, who are thoroughly vetted by the companyâs experts. Providing exemplary services, 100Pillars Construction strives to optimize construction as well as renovation experience for its customers.
At 100Pillars Constructions one gets access to pocket-friendly quotes with no hidden charges. Further, the company keeps a reality check until and unless your project is fully accomplished. This service is in consonance with the fact that there is often mismatch and trust issues concerning the client-contractor relationship.
The services at 100Pillars Constructions, have been specifically tailored to make sure that you always get the best service, raw material and price, respectively. Their team of dedicated professionals takes the onus of project management upon them. With next to no delays in the work, 100Pillars guarantees to provide quality, every time.
The company offers integrated services to the customers using which the customers can stay up-to date with each milestone of their project. Enjoy and stay confident while the company’s experts work hard to help build your dream home regardless of budget. 100Pillars has a pool of hand-picked engineers with their robust record speaking for themselves. The company believes in providing first-class customer service, delivery, maintenance and sales support.
Construction is a tedious, long and tiring process. As a matter of fact, it doesnât really matter if the requirement is for a house construction or even a commercial one, it requires the hassle of contacting ânâ number of people. But, 100Pillars Constructions provide an easier way out for this. They have a pretty simple and easy to understand process starting from contacting point to the end of construction.
So basically getting your construction done with 100Pillars Constructions is just a 7 step process–
Raise Request: As soon as the customer visits the landing page, they can raise a service request containing their requirement either by Call or by filling the Contact Form.
Project Ninja Assigned: The moment company receives the contact form with all the requirements, their expert a.k.a. Ninja takes up the lead and collects every possible construction-related requirement for the project. The client can also opt for a personal visit to the office and the company then collect the exhaustive list of specifications right then.
Floor Plan Designed: After a successful collection of requirements, experts at 100Pillars initiate the work and start designing based on the customerâs ideas and needs, creating a basic floor plan.
Agreement Sign Up: Then the customer signs an agreement with 100Pillars Constructions to start the construction/renovation project.
Project Initiation: Further, the assigned 100Pillars Ninja caters the customers and conveys all the updates. The whole project development process is monitored by the Ninja assigned.
Milestone Payments: A project is divided into dedicated segments or milestones to ensure that the work is done in a stringent fashion with on-time payments. This not only helps the team with the project financially, but also makes it easier for regularly updating the customer of the progress of his project.
Continuous Support: Throughout the process, the client can always contact, 100Pillar’s relationship manager to provide a hassle-free service. Furthermore, the company donât end their contact with them right after the project is completed, the old clients can still contact the company whenever they have a problem.
As a team, 100Pillars Constructions focus on quality, collaboration, and value. All their projects are tightly controlled and well managed providing clients with the lowest overall project cost. The team take it in great account to work closely and intricately with clients, architects, and subcontractors to complete projects on time, under budget, and to the clientâs utmost satisfaction.
100Pillars Constructions aims to be the first smart home enabled builders & the first robotic construction company.
The share of construction in Gross Value Added (GVA) was about 7.3% for India in 2017-18. As of 2017, the construction industry employed 49.8 million people. Provided the construction industry is the cornerstone of development; Indiaâs construction industry is expected to grow at an annual average of 6.6% between 2019 and 2028. It is estimated that investments valued at US$ 965.5 million will be required by the infrastructure sector by 2040.
The construction industry is a very competitive one. It requires a number of people and a lot of approval paperwork. One has to run through offices to get all the paperwork done. Quite often, the service dealers choose what they like the best from a plethora of choices for everything from window panes to flooring to rooftops. For someone who wants their home/ property look a certain way, the construction market could be a trust deficit industry. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, given the involvement of so many people and the requirement of so many things, especially the paperwork involved. But with the right help, everything can go just right, like a hot knife through butter.
100Pillars Constructions – Founders and Team
Srinivas Jayaram and Kishan Raj BR co-founded 100Pillars Constructions.
Srinivas Jayaram and Kishan Raj BR
Srinivas Jayaram is the Director – Marketing at 100pillars Constructions. An alumnus of MS Ramaiah, Srinivas has a decade of work experience, having worked at companies like CommonFloor, The Hindu Real Estate and Langoor Digital. His expertise is mainly in the fields of real estate, construction, management, strategic planning, sales and marketing, and technology. His experience is also the backbone that helps the 100Pillars team ideate the industry and make best plans and provide the best services to the customers.
Kishan Raj BR is the Project Director at 100Pillars Constructions. Prior to starting 100Pillars, he had started up a couple of more companies which helped him learn from the small and big successes and failures, and build a strong experience in execution, business development, and finance & strategy.
The other members of 100Pillars Constructions are –
AV Vardarajan, Chief Operation Consultant (COO). He is a predominant master with close to four decades of construction experience. Vardarajan brings a well-rounded skill set to 100Pillars Team.
Arivuarasan, Site Engineer .He has experience of doing almost every job on the construction site from Apprentice/Helper to Construction Manager.
Santosh is Architect at 1ooPillars Construction. He is a seasoned industry professional with broad-based experience in all aspects of architectural/construction project delivery.
Poojitha, is the lead designer at 100Pillars. He works closely with clients to create clever lifestyle environments.
100Pillars Constructions – How it Started?
Srinivas Jayaram came across friends who were struggling to find the right contractors with professional construction experience. There were no promising builders, also there were lot of things which was unknown to his friends that are crucial in the construction process. This knowledge gap among the people concerning vital issues with regard to construction, except a mere idea of their home or project became the driving force for 100Pillars Constructions. Working on this idea to bridge such existing gaps has led 100Pillars Construction to take shape and to create transparency in their client dealings. Srinivas Jayaram’s strong real estate and digital marketing background enabled him and his team to ideate the complete industry in terms of competitive research, historical data sources and key players.
In the process of research and through experience, the team observed that there is a severe gap in the construction industry, and this whole process is quite cumbersome from the customerâs endpoint. The conclusions from the survey/ research gave the start of points for the establishment of 100Pillars Construction. According to statistics –
99% of the Construction Project Face:- No Fixed/Fair Pricing- No End to End Ownership- Zero Smart Technology- No Safety Measures Incorporated for Labours- Conventional Construction- Difficulty in the Management of Labours
75% of the Projects Face:- Project Delays- No Raw Material Transparency- Not Utilizing Certified Experts- Shortage of Material & Debris Disposal- Neighborhood Problems
30% of the Projects Face:- Lack of Approval Knowledge (BBMP & BDA Etc)- Skipping Payment Schedules- Mis Communications- Irregular Updates from Both the Ends (Customers & Contractors)- Builders Withdrawal from Half Constructions
It is because of these issues that there exists a grim trust deficit n the construction industry and the whole process of construction turns out to be very hefty and painful for the customers. Problems like these canât be fixed by just being an aggregator, and for the same reason, 100Pillars developed a system of end to end ownership and management on behalf of the customers.
The team at 100Pillars Constructions classifies potential clients on the basis of approximate budget rates into three segments of Low, Medium, and High classes. This made it simple for the company to bisect their needs according to the competitive pricing of various services and materials in the industry. On a similar basis, the company came up with three simple package models called Basic, Standard & Premium, based on the services and materials provided. 100Pillars offers a very user-friendly website. Further, the team made sure that all the information be clean and clear so that their customers know exactly what they get and expect from the company before getting into the agreement with 100Pillars Constructions.
Facilitating a wide range of exemplary services, 100Pillars Constructions has emerged to be the first company to think about and work on the concept of clear professional transparency in the construction industry.
The name 100Pillars is coined by one of the Founders. The meaning and concept behind it is pretty simple. It is a pretty known and established fact that there are about 100 things to look for and 100 errands to run while constructing a home. And pillars are the supportive structural members of any building. So, the company envisions themselves as the supportive members that will take care of all the 100 things.
100Pillars Constructions Logo
100Pillars Constructions – Business Model and Revenue Model
The services of 100Pillars range from civil constructions to home interiors & renovations. The company has a simple revenue model, where customers are charged for the services provided according to the plan they choose. They offer three price ranges to choose from depending on their respective budget-
For Civil Construction, Starting at Rs. 1449/- Per Sqft.
For Home Interiors Starting at, Rs. 1100/- Per Sqft.
For Renovation, based on the customer requirements
100Pillars Constructions got its first few customers through generally paid ads. Initially, mouth referrals worked as the foundation for establishing business connections. Their regular communication with clients & material suppliers has helped them keep their customers aware of the functioning of the company. Regular feedback collection and constant improvements to their business, based on the feedback are the first steps that concertized their relationship with their customers. They continue a similar approach to retain customers’ referrals and ensure 100% customer satisfaction.
Punctuality and milestone checkpoints have ensured that their clients’ dream homes are in good hands. Besides providing great services, 100Pillars Constructions has made themselves available round the clock to address the concerns of their clients. Such a model of services has allowed the company to build trust and confidence among its customers, in the trust deficit market like real estate and construction. It is this commitment that has provided the company an edge over other local competitors.
“It is our firm belief that once a customer hands in his idea of a home with us, he should be able to trust our experts in making his dreams come true, without any space for apprehensions. He should be able to lay his confidence in us and be stress-free while we make his dream a reality. Irrespective of the project being an apartment building or a duplex, these beliefs help us work hard and truly for every project” Â 100Pillars Constructions co-founder Srinivas Jayaram says explaining the company’s motto.
Furthermore, 100Pillars aim is to make every project a unique and fruitful experience for the customers by its unique proposition. It aims to do so by providing quality service without any delays. The company offers integrated services to the customers, with regular check-ins about the project.
100Pillars Constructions – Startup Challenges
Construction is a long and hefty process. Challenges are bound to happen, given there are so many people involved. One of the major challenges 100Pillars, as a construction company face is labor management. Unlike any other field, manpower is quite unsteady in the construction field.
“We often see laborers not turning up to the site along with taking long vacations in the middle of the process. In order to prevent this from happening, with one of our projects we work with at least 8 to 10 teams of masons and keep shuffling them from one project to another”.
The construction market is extremely dynamic because of the changing rates in the market. The local contractors keep changing their working rate and neglect the quality of materials they use and make false promises for their own profit, disregarding the client. To resolve this, 100Pillars keep experimenting with the pricing of their construction packages. One of the major factors that keep 100Pillars distinguished from other construction firms is their exceptionally detailed quality specifications for the prices of each package that they offer.
100Pillars raised an undisclosed amount of seed-funding from Rathnam Contractors in January 2019. The fund received has provided the much-needed impetus to the company.
100Pillars Constructions – Advisors and Mentors
100Pillars is being mentored by the following expert team –
BJ Rathnam (Founding Member & Ex-CEO of Rathnam Contractors)
R Jayaram (Ex-Chief Operational Manager of Featherlite India)
BM Rajanna (Managing Director of Bondlok Adhesives Private Limited)
Besides this team of competent mentors, the teams family members, friends, the company’s customers, and competitors provide inspiration and motivation that helps the company move ahead.
100Pillars Constructions – Awards
100Pillars Constructions is the recipient of the Global Excellence Awards 2019
100Pillars Constructions – Future Plans
100Pillars Constructions has so far completed more than 27 projects and has 11 projects underway in Bangalore at areas from Devanahalli, Varthur, Whitefield, Sarjapur & Electronic City.
Their user base is growing at 70% month on month with an average ticket size of Rs 19 Lakhs. In the future, 100Pillars has plans to develop plots and apartment communities.
FAQ’s
Who Are We?
A trusted name in the construction industry, 100Pillars boasts of unparalleled quality and out of the box creative designs that lend a distinctive aura to the structures. 100Pillars specialize in both domestic and commercial construction projects and offer customized renovation services as well. At 100Pillars, we value the customerâs trust over their business. In keeping with our ethos of uncompromised quality, we blend robust engineering with unique designs and vet out the raw materials to ensure that our clients get only the finest quality.
What’s our Vision?
100Pillars recognizes that the construction industry is ridden with numerous gaps owing to lack of fair pricing, smart technology, inadequate labour management system, delays and no quality assurance on the raw materials. 100Pillars have designed a holistic system that addresses each of these issues and transform the overall customer experience. We aim to promote a culture of building right and living smart.
Can I browse 100Pillars Constructions collections?
Due to the extensive library of design items available to us we offer consultations by appointment only. This ensures 100Pillars Constructions give you the best possible service & can prepare & source suitable samples in advance. We ask that you fill the contact form on dezilo.com and book an appointment.
Does 100Pillars Constructions offer home consultations?
Yes we do carry out home consultations as part of our interior design process. Please see 100Pillars Constructions’s range of services for more details.
How to Find The Right Civil Contractor in Bangalore?
So here are a few signs that point out a Bad Contractor â
Low Cost Contractors
Method, Technique and the Lack of it.
No Fixed or Fair Pricing
Primitive Techniques and Solutions
Incapability of End to End Ownership
Insecure Labor
Project Delays
Unskilled Labors or Professionals
Withdrawal From Projects
Unclear payment record
Unorganized Milestone Updates
Uncertified professionals
Why Choose Us?
Over the years, 100Pillars have carved out a niche in the construction and renovation industry. We have completed over a dozen projects in different parts of Bangalore. Each of our projects reflect modern aesthetics and are built with durable and high quality materials. 100Pillars integrates each and every aspect of construction, ranging from the procurement of raw materials to the finishing touches and post construction supervision. We also offer a diverse range of options to address the different tastes and preferences of our customers. From sprawling villas to chic smart homes, 100Pillars has experience in benchmark construction.
Our expertise is not merely limited to construction and renovation services but also incorporates the other essential aspects of building. We provide thorough guidance on the approval process in Bangalore and assist our customers in getting a plan sanctioned from the relevant authorities. Our experienced consultants are always available to advice potential home owners on the plot charges, registration fees as well to provide financial insights into home loans and the pros and cons of the various schemes. 100Pillars aim to be the one stop solution for all your construction needs. To put it simply, you dream of a space, we build it for you. You relish the experience, while we take care of the hassles.
Accessories are an indispensable part of fashion. No matter how stylish and expensive oneâs cloth may be, the look is never complete without proper accessories to go with it. There was a time when accessories were considered more of a women’s thing, but of late the trend is changing. Now, men are also taking interest in accessories to look stylish. According to a study by Euromonitor International, US alone registered an increase in sales of menâs designer footwear by 39% during 2009-2014. Similarly, sales for luxury timepieces rose by 52% and that of menâs luxury bags rose by around 24-40% in the US. The scenario is similar in India too. To cater to the growing need of classy and stylish menâs accessories New Delhi based startup, Escaro Royale has come up with a wide range of accessories for men.
Escaro Royale Luxury, commonly called Escaro Royale is an extreme-luxury lifestyle brand started by fashion technologist Ambud Sharma. The brandâs product offerings are exclusively curated for high-end fashion lovers and consist of elegantly handcrafted shoes, exquisite premium bags, complementing belts and high street fashion accessories for men. Â
Escaro Royale is widely known for its stunning designs, artistic sense of craftsmanship, finest artisanship and impeccable service. Escaro Royale currently operates in the United States, India and Canada.
Ambud Sharma is the Founder & CEO of Escaro Royale. An engineering graduate by qualification, Ambud worked with reputed companies like Motorola Solutions, Metso and Comcast Cable. He is the founding partner of Ligo Group of companies which are associated with digital commerce, brand management, pharmaceuticals, education and exports domains. Escaro Royal is a brand registered under Ligo Intertrade Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Ligo Group of Companies.
How was Escaro Royale Started
Escaro Royale started off as a curious experiment when Escaro Royale owner Ambud Sharma and team set out to understand how luxury brands behave in the new digital world. Conventionally luxury brands offer more of a brick-and-mortar experience through physical touch and feel of the product. Careful analysis of the 4Ps (Product, Price, Promotion and Place) and various other variables of digital luxury segment helped Ambud & team unearth how luxury brands are perceived and managed. With all the excellent insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, Ambud then set out to build Indiaâs First Super-Premium Extreme-Luxury Brand for Men.
âEscaro Royale began data-based analysis of something as abstract as fashion. Sounds crazy right? It probably is, if you think about the number of business & artistic variables at play at the same timeâ Ambud says.
The team uses algorithms and big data to make informed business decisions like what to make, for whom to make, how to make and when to make. The company focuses on technology to create breakthrough product versions that are in sync with luxury market dynamism.
I talked about Escaro Royale and my digital-first launch plans with a few industry veterans & company owners. My mentor is a footwear industry veteran having worked in senior management capacity in top Indian companies. Pretty much everyone I talked to told me that it would be an uphill battle to sell high priced products directly to customers through our own website. Â But my gut feeling was that it was possible and we went ahead with it.
Escaro Royale – Name and Logo
“Escaro” as a word has two meanings. Itâs a little town in France known for its handcrafted leather and wood products. Moreover, in Spanish, Es-Caro means “It is high class”. Hence the word Escaro was chosen. Royale as a suffice was to give it a more luxurious angle. Escaro Royale thus would eventually mean “It is high class and luxurious”.
Escaro Royale logo
The logo is actually ER backward (RE). The insignia denotes the unconventional path that Escaro Royale took to the customer in the men’s luxury merchandise category.
What is Escaro Royale
Escaro Royaleâs main focus is to create luxury shoes which are 100% handcrafted and hand-painted. Besides Escaro Royale shoes, they also deal in menâs accessories like belts, wallets and cufflinks.
Some USPs of Escaro Royale products are –
Strong Product: The first and the most important differentiator for Escaro Royale is its merchandise, material selection and quality control. Escaro Royale products have superior design, craftsmanship and attention to detail. The luxury products are designed with the ultimate need of the premium category of consumers in mind. Most products they are offering are unique from those currently available in the market. Only the best materials, the finest curated designs and exceptional customer care are used.
Customer Experience: Escaro Royale is built to be the most customer-centric luxury brand with a technological edge. Every function in the company is customer-centric and each team member, irrespective of designation, is required to have a customer-first mindset. The team believes that the brandâs product offering is incomplete without the combined experience that consists of every little detail â be the user experience (UX) of the website, the checkout experience, payment experience, grievance management, the after-sales service or the everlasting consumer connection. Each Escaro Royale product and purchase experience creates a unique consumer persona. Loosely speaking, these are the tiny details like color combinations, the trims, the packaging preferences and alike, that differentiates the luxury cognizance of one customer from another. The Escaro Royale team understands these little details to learn more about what the consumer wants.
Luxurious Perception: Escaro Royale understands that there is more to luxury than just the premium pricing and a feeling of opulence. It is about connecting the consumer to the brandâs story, its reason to exist and its function in the fashion space. Â To achieve this, Escaro Royale team takes various initiatives to connect to its customers so that the customers get a feel of why Escaro Royale exists and what gaps it has filled in the generally monotonous Menâs Luxury space.
âThrough our conversations, we have succeeded in creating a thriving brand community. Escaro Royale is all about creating a perception-led community of fans that would, in turn, create larger and deeper patronage for Escaro Royaleâs excellent products!â says Ambud. Â
The products are sold online. Besides, Â Escaro Royale also has an experience center in Rama Road, New Delhi, where customers can have first-hand look and feel of its product range.
Escaro Royaleâs goal is to digitize abstract fashion to create a personalized and customizable luxury experience for its patrons. The companyâs growth revolves around perception (how brands are created), persona (how brand value is computed in the minds of consumers), and projection (how the brand eventually manifests itself in front of the consumers through websites and stores).
Escaro Royale generates revenue by selling its products through its own website and other leading e-commerce sites. Â The selling price of products ranges from INR 7000-15000.
Escaro Royale – Funding and Investors
Escaro Royale has not raised any funding to date.
Escaro Royale – User Acquisition
Escaro Royale was soft-launched in September  2017.  The company did quite a bit of social media branding right before its launch, which helped it acquire its first set of customers as soon as the brand was launched.
Besides, Social Media and Google Search Engine marketing are the companyâs go-to channels for its growth hack strategies, as said by Ambud.
âWe develop our own strategies in-house. Most of our strategies revolve around sequential-growth-hacking. It helps us getting iterative growth. We started with a very small budget of about 2 lac rupees. But we used most of it to create good content around the USPs of the brand. It helped us tell our story to our consumersâ says Ambud.
Escaro Royale follows a content-based marketing strategy that includes lots of story-telling. This includes video content and value-oriented blogging.
Finding the right talent was a major challenge while starting up Escaro Royale. Â Speaking about hiring Ambud says, âWe made some hiring mistakes in the beginning but then we tightened our requirements. We don’t hire in frenzy anymore. We ensure that we get the best candidate. If it means waiting, we waitâ.
Escaro Royale – Competitors
Escaro Royale team looks up to Nike for its storytelling capability.  It draws inspiration from the  Italian brand named Berluti since it is a mother brand of all Hand Painted leather products.
To stand out in the steadily growing competition in the menâs accessories market, Escaro Royale always strives to offer an unique range of products. Â A lot of colors is used in the products to makes it stand apart. The company also pays special attention to user experience and ensure that the consumer keeps coming back due to the world class customer service.
Escaro Royale is achieving  8x year on year growth. The company also claims to have 25% repeat customer rate. The company has gained popularity through its excellent range of products and has received coverage in all top magazines and newspapers of India.
Escaro Royale hopes to be in top 10 Indian luxury brands in next 3 years. It sees India as a huge market â given the wide and vast palette for luxury across tier 1 to tier 2 to tier 3 cities. The company is aspiring to create luxury hubs that will steadfastly cover all the cities in India, keeping the customer luxury sentiment â specific to the demographics and psychology in mind.
The company envisions to establish Escaro Royale as Indiaâs First and Largest Extreme-Luxury Super-Premium Tech-Driven Brand for Men.
We are a consumer-focused company and our DNA is 100 percent driven by customer satisfaction. Â We have been approached by many “paid” awards companies as is very common today – but we don’t believe in bogus awards. We will get our awards through our merit. And no company can be award-worthy in the first two years of operations in our opinion.
Escaro Royale – FAQs
Who is the Founder of Escaro Royale?
Ambud Sharma is the CEO & Founder of Escaro Royale.
What is Escaro Royale known for?
Escaro Royale is an extreme-luxury lifestyle brand that offers premium quality mens’ accessories. It is widely known for its stunning designs, artistic sense of craftsmanship, finest artisanship and impeccable service.
What is the Revenue Model of Escaro Royale?
Escaro Royale generates revenue by selling its products through its own website and other leading e-commerce sites. Â The selling price of products ranges from INR 7000-15000.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by The Good Life Company.
Are you feeling tired or depressed? Are you having a bad day at work? Then, you should know that a simple steaming cup of tea or coffee can make you feel much better. Studies have shown that even holding a hot cup of tea or coffee can have positive effects on human mood and behavior. Tea and coffee top the list of most popular drinks worldwide. Also, there are wide varieties of tea and coffee available in different parts of the globe. The Good Life Company, a Mumbai-based startup is serving you the best tea and coffee from around the globe.
StartupTalky interviewed ‘The Good Life Company‘ founder Bhuman Dani& Shariq Ashraf to understand more about his venture.
According to Euromonitor data, the Speciality Tea Market has currently valued at INR 5,100 crore and growing at the rate of 12% p.a. whereas the CTC tea market has valued at INR 13,000 crore, growing at the rate of 3% p.a. in India. Globally, the tea industry is currently at $44 billion, growing at the rate of 5% per annum. As far as coffee is concerned, the instant coffee market in India has currently valued at INR 2,800 crore, growing at 5.5% per annum while the fresh coffee market at INR 1,500 crore growing at 6% per annum. Â The global coffee market currently stands at $85 billion growing at 4% per annum.
In India, as of 2019 orthodox tea accounts for almost INR 10,000 crore of sales growing at a rate of 10% annually whereas other teas account for INR 13,000 crore of sales at a growth rate of 2.9%. Combined, the tea market in India is expected to be at INR 22,000 crore by 2022.
Founded in 2016, TGL Co. is the fastest growing hot beverages startup in India that sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with a deep focus on fresh, clean and natural ingredients. The Mumbai-based startup envisions itself becoming the largest hot beverages brand in India.
TGL sources teas from the best plantation around the world/ from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and India, then blends them with dehydrated fruits, flowers, and spices to give them an aromatic flavor.
All About The Good Life Company
The Good Life Company – Team
TGL Co. (The Good Life Company) was founded by Bhuman Dani and Shariq Ashraf in 2016.
Bhuman Dani is an ex-management consultant of BCG, London. He did his MBA from INSEAD and BE in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani, Dubai whereas Shariq Ashraf worked as a management consultant in BCG, Melbourne. He did his MBA from Oxford University.
TGL | Co-Founders | Bhuman Dani & Shariq Ashraf
Bhuman & Shariq met at an alumni event of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Mumbai. Their shared love for tea and coffee coupled with a passion to bring inspired blends and beans to millions in the country, brought them together to change the norm for hot beverages in India.
Currently, TGL Co. has a diverse team of 85+ members across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kolkata.
“The way we met is a perfect example of serendipity. As a start-up, we believe in wearing multiple hats, where roles are not clearly defined, and people are required to multi-task and handle various responsibilities. Â We have been actively involved wherever required, starting from packing teas to strategizing future business plans to raising funds,” says Bhuman.
When TGL’s founder Bhuman Dani walked into the East India Company store in London one day, little did he know that it would change his life. With no background in the world of specialty teas and coffees, this experience opened his mind to brews, blends, blades, and beans. On researching more about the Indian specialty tea market further, he realized that there was no player he could clearly relate to when it came to premium teas.
But this appetizer only fueled his thirst for more knowledge in this space. So, he began his apprenticeship with Jane Pettigrew, one of the most renowned master blenders of tea in the world, and learned about teas, origins, and influence of botanicals in creating the perfect blend. His interactions with Sanjiv Mehta (Director, East India Company) inspired him to pursue his passion and create an aspirational brand of premium teas and coffees in the very commoditized Indian consumer industry.
At the same time, in another corner of the world, Shariq Ashraf, an MBA graduate from Oxford University and a self-professed tea aficionado was inspired by another tea company. He got his Eureka moment while traveling to Antarctica via Argentina where he met Ines Berton, the owner of Tealosophy South Americaâs biggest specialty tea company. He got inspired by his enviable tea knowledge that helps him to know about teas, blends, and the business model.
This led him to quit the Boston Consulting Group and move back to India, following his passion to introduce a spectacular range of tea and coffee.
The Good Life Company – Name and Logo
TGL Co. lets one enjoy the goodness of life through its exquisite range of tea and coffee and believes that the world’s finest tea and coffee should be an everyday luxury that celebrates sophistication, tranquility and good health.
TGL Logo
They’re devoted to bringing an articulate revival to the known hot beverage experience by sourcing the best teas & coffees in the world and masterfully blending them with innovative flavors and botanicals. With every brew and blend, it is reviving the concept of tea and taking it to places where it has never been before. Â
TGL’s logo symbolizes the Ancient Tea Horse route which first enabled teas to travel beyond China. They want to take it much further into a new era of unwavering excellence. Towards the rapidly increasing tribe of tea aficionados. To re-imagine it, no longer as a legacy drink, instead as one that entices, excites and rejuvenates.
The Good Life Company – USP
TGL Co. brings to you the best of tea and coffee from around the world. Although the company was incorporated in April 2016, it had started selling in October 2016.
The Good Life Tea Company has various types of tea like white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, yellow tea, and CTC tea. It sources tea from countries like China, Japan, Taiwan and Srilanka besides India. One can choose from a variety of ingredients, flavors and aromas.
It also has a wide variety of coffee in India and the different parts of the world.
The USP of TGLâs tea that sets them apart from the competitors are:
Sourcing of Tea Leaves: Most players source their leaves from the Indian subcontinent, i.e. India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. But TGL believes in sourcing the best tea leaves. A white tea grows best in the Fujian province of China. The humidity, temperature, altitude, alkalinity in the soil is optimal for these leaves to grow in these regions. So TGL, instead of just limiting itself to the Indian subcontinent, also goes to China, Taiwan, Japan, Sri Lanka, etc., and source the finest leaves from these countries.
Sourcing of Ingredients: Most players source their ingredients locally that’s why the range is limited and quality is sub-optimal. TGL Co. after sourcing the leaves from around the world, ship them to Europe to its contract manufactured blending facility wherein they mix the teas with dehydrated fruits, flowers and natural flavors in the presence of European botanists and culinary experts – botanists to ensure blends are amazingly healthy and culinary experts to ensure the optimal taste. It uses exquisite ingredients that are both unavailable and unheard of in the country – such as Barberries, Mallow petals, Schizandra Berries, Muira Pauma, Thistle flowers, Osmanthus, etc. Â Apart from being amazingly tasty, most of these ingredients have medicinal values. TGL Co. follows a streamlined central purchasing principle. It sources ingredients from locations they grow best – for example, Barberries come from Iran, Schizandra Berries from Russia, Muira Puama from the Amazon rainforest & Mangoes and Strawberries from India.
The Blend: Most players have simple, conventional blends – Green tea with mint, Green tea with ginger, Green tea with rose, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chamomile, etc. A typical blend that The Good Life Company offers is Green Sencha Tea mixed with mango, banana, melon, guava, sunflowers, cornflowers and passionflower leaves. It has 8 ingredients in one tea that make it extremely flavorful, tasty & healthy with less than 6 calories a cup and is extremely high in quality because of the sourcing process.
The Good Life Companyâs Coffee
The USP of TGLâs Coffee is:
Sourced from the Best Plantations: Some of the best coffee in the world grows in high appellation regions as high as 2000ft. above mean sea level and anywhere between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn and in places with rich tree shade and a desirable microclimate. These are the kinds of coffee that TGL seeks out for its tightly curated collection. TGL Co. procures the highest quality Arabica beans from the best-placed coffee plantations world over, including Ethiopian Yirgachaffe, Colombian Excelso, El Salvador Santa Cristina, Peruvian Organic Coffee, Brazilian Santos, and coffee from award-winning coffee estates in India.
Expertly Roasted Beans: When you buy coffee off-the-shelf, it is likely you are buying something roasted many months ago and hence, stale. The truth is that the best tasting coffee is the one that is made from a batch of recently roasted beans, i.e. the flavors are freshly extracted and hence, in prime form. TGL Co.âs Indian coffees are roasted once every two weeks, and in small lots, to ensure the flavors are crisp, bright and intense, and for the good haul.
Ground To-Order: Pre-ground coffee rarely produces a cup that can match the complexity of the flavors and aromas that seep from a freshly ground lot. This is because from the moment the beans are ground, air starts to take effect. Most store-bought coffee is roasted many months ago and ground to a generic, industrial- standard. In sharp contrast, TGL Co. prefers and encourages grinding freshly roasted beans to-order, and to the drinker’s preferred way of brewing. This way, the coffee is exposed to minimal oxidative degradation and retains flavor better. Â
To be able to provide teas apt for the Indian palate, without compromising on quality and health, TGL devised more than 300 recipes with their team of botanists and culinary experts â some extremely fruity with tropical fruits such as TGL Mogo Mogo Green Tea. They also introduced naturally sweet teas, mimicking dessert and cocktail profiles such as TGL Strawberries & Cream Black Tea or TGL Ice Wine White Tea.
The Good Life Company – Revenue Model
TGL Co. has a robust revenue model. The company has different channels of sales based on its target market and each of them operates on a direct or commission basis model.
TGL Co. initially had a very narrow, well-defined slice of the population as the target audience. The company strongly believes that its products stand out in terms of quality and so, right from the beginning, their strategy has been to get as many people to sample and try out their products as possible.
The company reaches its target customers through the 3 following ways:
By partnering with the best hotels, restaurants and cafes in the country like Taj, Marriott, Westin, SOFITEL, Lalit, Hyatt, Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Indigo, Smoke House Deli, The A Club, Fatty Bao and many more.
By taking part in multiple events throughout the year and doing samplings.
Entering modern trade through Shop in Shop concepts where the companyâs teas and coffees are displayed in beautiful glass jars, and the customer gets to smell and taste the products and realize the quality of their offering. This helped to build and anchor TGL Co. as a brand. Â
TGL | Tea
The Good Life Companyâs tea is available at almost every major e-commerce platform online as well as its own website and on the shelf at multiple retail locations.
As said by Bhuman and Shariq, TGL Co. focuses on the following factors to attract customers:
Target Audience & Brand Positioning: An average Indian household can be segregated into 3 categories based on income – Elite & Affluent (> 10LPA), Aspirational (5 to 10L) and the Next Billion (<5L). Over the next 5 years, the segment that grows the fastest is the âAspirationalâ segment. Thus, having a brand that is Aspirational and not masses, would be the first step to scale up in this category. The category is a commodity that is all about premium sizing and uplifting the existing category to cater to the âvalue-conscious Aspirational Indianâ.
Reinforcing Health & Wellness: More than 50% of India is less than 25 years old & 65% is less than 35 years old. Young India is deviating towards health and wellness due to factors like global trends, peer pressure, influencers, celebrity endorsements. Hence, providing consumers with healthy offerings with natural ingredients having medicinal values that fulfill their health goals is essential.
Innovation & Indulgence: Just focusing on health, wellness and quality is meaningless without repeat purchases. And repeat purchases are only possible if the product is innovative and becomes a daily indulgence for consumers. When health becomes an indulgence, (and if the category is commodity-driven) it conjures instant fortune. Â
The Good Life Company has raised a total of $1M in funding over 1 round by 2 investors Abu Farhan Azmi and Ayesha Takia Azmi. The Company has used the funding for-
Building a robust sales and distribution network across the country. It aims to reach 1000+ POS within the next 12 months.
Increasing its online sales, both through its own website and online marketplaces.
Revamping the existing website to cater to international markets. The soft launch in June 2019.
Brand building and increasing product awareness: visibility at HORECA, International Airport, Airlines (GoAir), Sports Teams (TGL Butterfly Squad) Â
Funding for a business is like fuel for an automobile. It helps the business propel faster towards its goals. While we are confident about the quality of our products, funding has enabled us to expand and exponentiate our growth 10x. What we could have achieved in 10 years otherwise, we have been able to achieve in a year.
The Good Life Company – Advisors and Mentors
TGL Co. was conceptualized after detailed discussions with Jane Pettigrew, Sanjeev Mehta, Ines Berton and certain BCG partners.
One of the foremost challenges was understanding the Indian palate and what tea drinkers in India would prefer to consume daily. Initial months were spent in rigorous market surveys wherein Bhuman and Shariq conducted extensive tastings with HORECA owners, various business owners and regular tea drinkers to understand the Indian taste profile. They were surprised to find out that the majority of consumers refrained from consuming loose-leaf tea daily because it was too bitter for their liking. They preferred teas that had a fruity aftertaste or were naturally sweet.
TGL | Challenges | Problem Solving
Another major challenge that TGL Co. faced was the phenomenal growth its products received.
âWe grew too fast and too early. While we were extremely happy with the response we received, at the same time, we werenât prepared then operationally to match the demand. And therefore, we did experience a phase where we had delays in order processing and manual errors in some ordersâ says Bhuman and Shariq.
With time, the company has been able to equip itself operationally to match the demand by implementing automated production practices and expanding their team. Â
Getting the sourcing model right was also a challenge that the company faced. For this, Bhuman and Shariq personally visited dozens of plantations across various countries, interacted with numerous tea masters and sommeliers, and selected the leaves from the high quality and best plantations. Â
Again, working out the supply chain to get these teas from around the world into Europe for blending, and then finally to India for selling was a huge logistical challenge. In order to ensure the freshness of the teas and the blends, TGL Co. air freighted everything instead of the traditional cheaper shipping model. While this adds significantly to the costs, the company believes that the value it adds to the freshness of its teas is invaluable.
Every startup from the outset is implicitly prepared to deal with various crises and dilemmas throughout the journey. However, some dilemmas can still astound you, mainly because it wasnât anticipated or you simply donât know how to respond to it.
The Good Life Company – Competitors
Owing to its unique blend, ingredients and tea leaves sourced from different parts of the globe, TGL Co. has been able to make a distinctive place for itself in the Indian tea market. As such there are no direct competitors to TGL Co. Â
At TGL, we have revived the known tea experience by sourcing the best tea from around the world and masterfully blending them with innovative real ingredients, such as Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea with real saffron and almonds, Jasmine Blush Green Tea which is a refreshing version of a Jasmine tea with peppermint.
Such innovations have helped us stay ahead of the competition. Â
Some of the major milestones achieved by TGL Co are as follows:
TGL has witnessed exponential growth over the past 24 months. Revenues have grown ~7x in the past 18 months and the ultimate aim is to create an INR 100 crore revenue brand by 2024.
It has sold over 5 tonnes of tea and 2 tonnes of coffee in the past 12 months that ~25L cups of tea and ~3L cups of coffee.
The company is serving more than 85,000 happy customers and repeat buyers.
TGL is now available at more than 200 hotels, restaurants and cafes across 9 Indian cities including popular properties such as Taj, Marriott, Westin, SOFITEL, Lalit, Hyatt, Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Indigo, Smoke House Deli, The A Club, Fatty Bao and many more.
TGL is also retailing at more than 600 points of sales at popular modern trade stores such as Godrej Natures Basket, HAIKO across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi-NCR.
TGL is also available at the Mumbai International Airport in the duty-free shopping areas and on the in-flight menu onboard GoAir flights.
The Good Life Company – Awards
TGL Co. has received the following awards:
Awarded as “Startup of the year 2020”
Awarded Coca-Cola Golden Spoon Award 2019 forâMost Admired Food Startup of the Yearâ
Listed in Sutra HRâs âTop 100 Startups to Watch in 2019â
Bronze Medal Winner in Global Tea Championship 2019
Awarded ET Now Global Award for Retail Excellence 2019 for âFood & Grocery Brand of the Yearâ (Hot Beverages)
Recognized as an innovative startup by Amazon and listed on Amazon Select.
Awarded Amazon Connect Extra Mile Award for âOutstanding Performance in 2018â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
The Good Life Company – Future Plans
TGL Co has interesting plans for the future. Some of its future plans are:
Product Launches
Introducing tea range specially formulated by botanists and culinary experts with herbs, spices and medicinal ingredients aimed at improving overall well-being including immunity boost, digestion, sleeping patterns, etc.
Introducing premium single estate first-flush White Teas at affordable pricing.
Introducing high-quality traditional stone-ground ceremonial grade Japanese matcha and its exotic flavors such as sakura, lavender and more.
ExpandingChannels of Sale
Retail: TGL to launch teas and coffees in retail packs at 1000 Points of Sale across Tier I cities in India over the next 6 months.
Online: TGL to increase online sales via its website and third-party online marketplaces. The company is also setting up an international website to be able to serve multiple countries through their website.
HORECA: Association with popular properties Taj Exotica, Taj Rambaug and Taj Bengal for supplying teas & coffees in rooms as well as on the menu.
Alternate channels of Sale: Collaboration and listing with various co-working spaces, gymnasiums, and airlines.
Team Expansion
TGL aims to grow from a current team of 80 professionals to over 200+ in the next 12 months.
The Good Life Company – FAQs
Who are The Good Life Company owners?
TGL Co. was founded by Bhuman Dani and Shariq Ashraf in 2016.
What does The Good Life Company offer?
TGL Co. is the fastest growing hot beverages startup in India that sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with a deep focus on fresh, clean and natural ingredients.
What is the Revenue Model of The Good Life Company?
TGL Co. earns revenue from the following sources:
HORECA – Hotel, Restaurants & Cafe (Direct sale)
Offline retail (Commission model)
Online retail via own website (Direct sale)
Online retail via third-party websites such as Nykaa, Amazon, etc. (Commission model)
Gifting (Direct sale)
Where to get TGL products?
One can find TGL products on both online and offline platforms. It is easily available in supermarkets and e-commerce sites, if not, one can visit its site.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Chezuba.
While most of us utilize our time, money and skills for our personal benefit, it gives us immense satisfaction when we spare some of our day to do a little for our society and for those in need. Yes, we are talking about volunteering.
Though we naturally assume that only the receiving party is benefited from volunteering, the giver (read as volunteer) also gets back something in the form of advantages to his or her physical and mental well-being. Carnegie Mellon University undertook a study which showed that regular volunteering can lead to lower chances of developing hypertension and promotes psychological well being.
Has reading this awakened the volunteer in you? If it’s a yes, than Chezuba is the perfect platform for you to explore. Chezuba NGO lets you offer voluntary services to NGOs from around the world so that you can make a positive difference in the lives of people across the world, all from the comfort of your home. StartupTalky interviewed Chezuba Co-founder Sukhendra Reddy Rompally to learn more about this unique startup.
Based in Hyderabad, Chezuba is a global online volunteering platform bridging professionals worldwide with assisting Non-Profits through skill-based online volunteering. It makes volunteering incredibly easy, accessible, and fun. Chezuba envisions a world in which anyone and everyone can make an everlasting impact without the need to relocate or travel.
The Volunteering Segment
Volunteering and philanthropy as a whole is an unorganized market. More than one-fourth of the worldâs population volunteers every year and hundreds of billions of dollars are given as largesse. A recent Forbes report suggests that 72% of skilled professionals seek positive impact in their work and more than two-thirds aren’t able to do this.
âWe aim to organize this market by channelizing the 10 million registered NGOs and bringing them together with corporates, skilled professionals and the governments. As the newer generations march towards reaching higher in the Maslowâs pyramid, we foresee the whole world engaging in community development activitiesâ, Sukhendra explained.
Sukhendra Reddy Rompally, Jagan Kothacharla and Adela Strakova are the Founders of Chezuba.
Sukhendra Reddy Rompally, Jagan Kothacharla and Adela Strakova
Sukhendra Reddy Rompally is the CEO of Chezuba. He is an IIT Dhanbad graduate. He founded AIESEC IIT Dhanbad and led a team of 50+ individuals. Sukhendra worked as Product Manager, an international BD and HR in Russia, Taiwan, and India. He also volunteered in 4 countries.
Jagan is the COO (Chief Operations Officer) of Chezuba. He too is a graduate from IIT Dhanbad and co-founded AIESEC IIT Dhanbad. Jagan worked as pan-India BD manager and established the sales and operations processes for a startup. He is also an active volunteer with activities in 3 countries.
Adela is the CXO (Chief Experience Officer)of Chezuba. She worked with multinational teams in China, Taiwan, and Slovakia. Adela has masterâs degrees in Sinology and Arts Management and 6+ years of public service experience in foreign missions. Adela has volunteered in Taiwan and India.
Jagan and Sukhendra represented Jharkhand in the National Squash Championships while they were studying together. They had been friends for close to 9 years and Jagan was the first person Sukhendra approached when he wanted to start Chezuba. Adela and Sukhendra were flatmates during their work stints in Taiwan.
At the time when Sukhendra was contemplating about a volunteering based startup, Adela was actively looking for volunteering opportunities abroad. The idea was a perfect match and instead of working for a non-profit, Adela joined the founding team to aim for a bigger impact. The three have attracted great talents from various backgrounds and over a year and a half has grown into an 18-member dedicated and passionate team.
Team Chezuba
How was Chezuba Started?
After Sukhendraâs first volunteering experience in Malaysia, he cofounded AIESEC ( Nonprofit Organization Management Company) at his alma mater IIT Dhanbad with Jagan. Those 3 years at AIESEC opened up opportunities for him to volunteer in India, Malaysia, Russia and Taiwan. However, once he entered the corporate world, he realized that time, location and opportunity constraints were hindering interested individuals from contributing as volunteers.
Sukhendra’s idea was bolstered further during a backpacking trip in Myanmar where he met several other young professionals from different countries, facing similar hindrances. That was the Eureka moment. After he came back to India, he discussed the idea with a few friends who loved it and joined hands either as co-founders or as investors, and the venture came into existence!
Chezuba – Name and Logo
The business plan of Chezuba was laid out at the end of Sukhendraâs backpacking trip in Myanmar. The first word he heard after landing in Myanmar was âChezubaâ, which means âThank Youâ in Burmese. He found it relevant to his idea and it was quite catchy too; without wasting any time, he checked for the domain availability and voila! That’s how the startup got its unique name Chezuba meaning Thank you!
Chezuba Logo
The logo was designed by Adela. It represents a hot-air balloon in front of a blue globe. Hot air balloons over Bagan make up the most famous landmark of Myanmar; they are laid out in the shape of a heartâa symbol of love or doing good.
âWe hope that our minds, skills and hearts can travel to the other part of the world via âairâ (online) as the balloonâ, Sukhendra narrates the deep philosophy behind the logo.
Chezuba – What is Chezuba
Chezuba connects NGOs and volunteers from around the world. Non-Profits who need skilled volunteers sign up on this platform and complete their profile. Chezuba conducts a first level screening of such Non-Profits. The Chezuba team then understands the Non-Profitâs case and recommends what volunteers they might need; assisting them in creating online volunteering projects on Chezuba. The company uses digital marketing and partnerships to find them the right volunteer.
A volunteer signs up, creates a profile, and explores the existing projects. Once he or she finds a project of interest, they go through an application process which tests their intent, skills, and understanding of the project. These data points are shared with the NGO responsible for the project so that it assesses the candidate for determining whether he/she is the right fit. And voila, the chezuba volunteer can then help out the NGO in their effort to take a better society!
In the process of providing truly impactful experiences, Chezuba has also partnered with several organizations that let the volunteers contribute through other meansâ raising money for the partner NGOs through crowdfunding, marathons, corporate volunteering, etc.
Chezuba – Launching Startup
Once the initial team was in place, the members raised a small fund from colleagues, employers and friends, launching the first product in March, 2018.
âWe received a lot of support from millennials worldwide as we had users from 50+ countries in the first 10 days of our launch. A friend got us featured in the French press and a user who came across us offered to engage with us and wrote articles and blogs about us in Nicaragua. By the end of the first quarter, we had users from 100+ countries, most of who came to us organicallyâ, Sukhendra recounts.
Chezuba – Revenue Model
Chezuba earns revenue from three sources –
The NGOs which pass the initial screening of Chezuba become eligible to list their needs on the platform. Such NGOs pay an annual subscription fee of USD 100 which lets them post any number of projects online, related to any skill.
The company has a crowdfunding partner which lets volunteers raise money for the partner NGOs through social media and affiliate channels. Chezuba charges a commission of 2% on the money raised.
Chezuba also engages corporate clients and finds customized, online volunteering opportunities for the senior management in those companies. The company charges 50$ per employee in such cases.
Chezuba – Funding and Investors
Chezuba has raised a total of $203.7K in funding over 6 rounds. Their latest funding was raised on July 31, 2020 from an Angel round.
Funding Date
Funding Stage
Funding Amount
Investor
31 July, 2020
Angel Round
$50k
–
12 March, 2020
Angel Round
$30k
–
15 October, 2019
Angel Round
INR2.8 Crore
–
31 January, 2019
Angel Round
INR 3.3 Crore
–
27 August, 2018
Angel Round
$16.2k
–
24 January, 2018
Pre Seed Round
INR 1.4 Crore
–
The investors are a great support to the Chezuba team not only in terms of finance, but also for mentorship and guidance.
As Sukhendra puts in, âWe were very lucky with our investors not being only very supportive, but with some of them also providing extra value in terms of mentorship in their field of expertise. It is our strong thesis to choose investors that can add more value beyond moneyâ
Chezuba – User Acquisition and Retention
Chezuba has come up with some excellent strategies for building customer relations. The company believes in building an ecosystem where customers play the role of business promoters. Chezuba engages customers in several innovative ways.
Speaking about the various ways in which Chezuba engages the customers, Sukhendra explains, âOur customers engaged with us as Regional Ambassadors, taking up short term research projects for us and even joining us full-time as employee(s). Listening to the customer is the key and we have made it a point to interact personally with as many customers as possible which eventually made them promoters of our brands. One of the biggest reasons for Chezubaâs exponential growth has been the network effects of our happy customersâ
Technology has been the biggest challenge for Chezuba since inception. Be it choosing a stack or hiring a team with limited budget, Tech has always been a challenge, adding to the fact that none of the founders are technical. However, the company plans to solve this issue by incorporating an in-house tech team soon.
Explaining the technical challenges Sukhendra says, âThe product has been built from scratch by childhood friend Murali, who we got on board as our Chief Technical Advisor. A college junior of mine joined then as a developer and we hired a senior developer later. We heavily rely on our CTA and other mentors/advisors to temporarily solve tech, the permanent solution will be hiring a full-fledged in-house tech team, which is our first plan of action upon closing our Pre-Series Aâ.
Chezuba – Competitors
Catchafire in the US functions similar to Chezuba. They are a 9-year-old organization focusing on US based NGOs and corporates. On the other side, there is Vollie from Australia which is 2 years older than Chezuba and has a similar business model, but the focus being the Australian market.
However, Chezuba being a global platform has a wider scope than its competitors. By working out of India, Chezubaâs pricing is an advantage for the company. Chezuba caters to the needs of NGOs primarily in Asia and Africa, where volunteering is largely an unorganized sector.
Chezuba – Growth
Chezuba is growing every month on user acquisition at 32% and at about 52% on its revenue. Venturing out into corporate sales with bigger ticket sizes, the cash flow for Chezuba seems a lot more stable and the company is eyeing profitability in 3-6 months from now.
The company is currently in the middle of its first institutional fund-raise, which will enable it to focus on further productization and market expansion in Latin America and Africa. By the end of the year, Chezuba is expecting to cover over 4,000 Non-Profits and close to 50,000 volunteers, engaged with about 1,000 online volunteering projects.
Chezuba was recognized among the top 100 startups globally at Startup Istanbul – 2018.
It was also selected for the top 5 social impact startups at TiE Global Summit â 2018.
It is one of the Top 50 Impact startups in India by Bombay Stock Exchange.
Chezuba – FAQs
What is Chezuba?
Chezuba connects NGOs and volunteers from around the world. Itlets you offer voluntary services to NGOs from around the world so that you can make a positive difference in the lives of people across the world, all from the comfort of your home.
Who is the Founder of Chezuba?
Sukhendra Reddy Rompally, Jagan Kothacharla and Adela Strakova founded Chezuba in the year 2017.
Who is the CEO of Chezuba?
Sukhendra Reddy Rompally is the CEO of Chezuba.
Top Platforms for Online Volunteering for NGOs
iVolunteer, Chezuba, CRY, UNV Online Volunteering etc., are some top platforms for volunteering for NGOs.
In the Indian market, every year there are different sets of trends, be it exciting, crazy, or bizarre, the fashion keeps changing. If one wants to remain trendy and up to date, then they need to hold the grip on current trends. This isnât just restricted to the clothing, footwear, and hairstyles but also the eyewear too.
Today from classic to trendy, the fashion in the eyewear category is too witnessing exciting shifts and rolls. To be updated one needs to get rid of the old-fashioned trends and take a chance to experiment with their frames, sunglasses, goggles, lenses, and much more.
There are many brands in India that are influencing the trends in the eyewear industry and one such market mover is Coolwinks. Know more about these eyeglasses brands in India in this article.
Coolwinks was founded in the year 2016. It is online eyewear stored based Indian startup that deals in various kinds of eyewear products including sunglasses, eyeglasses, and contact lenses.
They have become a brand in India where one can find the latest frame styles, designs, and technologies that are supporting the eyewear industry. Their main focus is to target the audience where they can market their youthful eyewear products.
Currently, they have served more than 30,00,000 lakh customers from various geographic locations. They have more than a million people who have used their application, and have more than 4000 different products to offer to their customers.
Founder of Coolwinks and How it started
Ganesh Iyer is the founder of Coolwinks. Before founding the company he has worked with companies like Goibibo and Akbar Online Booking Pvt. Ltd. He has done his Bachelors in Commerce from Mumbai University and has also completed his Masters in Business Administration in Marketing & IT.
In 2016, when Ganesh was interested to start something on his own he found out that there is essentially a problem that has been unaddressed in our country and that was a poor vision. He thought that there is a huge challenge to get the accessibility of eyeglasses and eyewear’s that are suitable for the human eye.
That is when he envisaged a company that would ensure to provide people with eyewear products that are stylish, affordable, and of high quality. The mission was to enable people to see better and give them a life with a better vision.
Coolwinks – Name, and Logo
Coolwinks is a name that is self-explanatory. The company is a leading online eyewear brand that focuses on the fashion-forward range of cool spectacles, sunglasses, and eyewear products.
The logo of the company is also quite interesting, wherein the semi-colon is wearing a frame depicting what the company offers for its customers.
Coolwinks Logo
With hassle-free deliveries, Coolwinks is driven towards helping thousands and millions of people to improve their vision and in turn lead towards better lives.
Coolwinks – Business Model and How it works
Coolwinks has a wide range of products that are almost non-competitive in comparison to other similar platforms in India. They offer high-quality and affordable products that are in accordance with the target audience, youth, and trends of the industry. The business model of Coolwinks is an e-commerce platform.
Key Aspects of their Business model are:
Quality is a priority
Quality is one of the prime factors of the business model of Coolwinks. Their aim is to provide eyewear products that are of prime quality, so that their customers are satisfied.
Affordable products
Coolwinks aim to provide products that are of high-quality and are affordable at the same time for the people of India. Their aim is to have maximum reach and maximum availability at an affordable price.
Trendy and Youthful products
Fashion trends with low costs are the mantra of Coolwinks. Their products are known to be very youthful and fashionable which is currently in the trend.
Wide range of variety
The business model of Coolwinks introduced a wide range of products that are conceptualized with the changing times and have thousands of varieties in it.
Coolwinks – Competitors
There are various eyewear brands in India now. Though Coolwinks has its own presence in the market, there is tough competition for it too.
Top Competitors of Coolwinks are:
Lenskart
Specsavers
Classic Specs
Waldo
Eyerim
Smart Glasses Buy
Eye Buy Direct
Leoptique
Coolwinks â Product Range
Coolwinks has a diverse and wide range of categories and products. Broadly they have products differentiated for males, females, and kids. Along with that their major categories include Eyeglasses, Sunglasses, and Contact Lenses.
Each of them has a different range of offerings which vary from colors, sizes, types, brands, shapes, etc.
Coolwinks â Marketing Strategies
Coolwinks have had some amazing marketing strategies which have helped them in establishing their brand in the Indian market in a very short span of time. Initially, they went with a strategy where they sold their product at as low as Rs. 5 per sunglass.
Indians bought 2 sunglasses of Coolwinks at just Rs. 10 worth Rs. 800 each by applying a code â SUN20. The customers got a cashback of Rs. 1000 using PayTM and there was similar cashback offers on payment methods like PhonePe and PayPal.
Coolwinks Marketing Strategy
The reasons why they went with this amazing marketing strategies were:
1. Coolwinks wanted to achieve loyalty from the Indian market towards their products.
3. The business model of Coolwinks and their marketing strategies have attracted various investors and have drawn various investments, and They are able to offer various discounts.
4. Coolwinks doesnât spend huge amounts on advertisements and thus is able to save a lot on advertisement expenses.
FAQ
Who owns Coolwinks?
Essilor International which is a world leader in ophthalmic optics owns Coolwinks.
The huge online eyewear platform, Coolwinks, has been selling multiple types of products for every purpose and for every category of needs. Coolwinks has now become very popular among the Indian market which caters to all customers within the geography and is expanding its customer base each day.
Disha
