When in 2013, Ankit Jain came up with the idea for MyOperator, his intent was to help small businesses use its cloud-based call management solution to respond and manage business or customer queries. According to Jain, the service is meant for those who cannot afford to have a dedicated call centre. From an initial funding of just Rs 12 lakh from Jain’s own pockets to a company with around 6,000 clients including names like Flipkart, Uber and the Prime Minister’s Office. Excerpts:
From just 600 customers to 6,000, this model has worked very well for you. What next?
When we started, our focus was on efficiency and affordability. Our service starts for as cheap as `1,500, which is very affordable for start-ups. There is still a large market which is completely untapped. We are focusing on the Tier II and Tier III cities and are also exploring rolling out AI-based services in the future. There are many areas like disaster management where this technology can help.
You have also worked for the Prime Minister’s Office...
Yes! That was a good experience. Our cloud telephony service was used to record issues or questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address during the Mann Ki Baat programme. In fact, the Aam Aadmi Party has also used our services. I am personally interested in using the service during natural disasters.
You have been exploring new geographies to expand into. Can you tell us where you plan to expand?
We are looking at locations in South Asian countries, Middle East and Latin America. Negotiations are already underway.
Are you now looking for more funding?
Honestly, we are in a comfortable position for the time being. We have enough to fund our operations and expansion both.