There are a lot of fringe players in the logistics sector but there has never been a proper structure to it. With the advancement in technology and the untapped potential that logistics has, Shippr.in aims to cash in on this opportunity. Founded by Bangaloreans Rohit Fernandes, 29, and Phaneendra Hegde, 24, Shippr operates in Bangalore and Chennai, and has a fleet of more than 400 vehicles. The starting price for Shippr’s services is Rs 500 for transporting 800 kg (7ft x 4ft x 6ft). With attractive features like real-time tracking, SMS alerts and Geo Fencing Shippr aims to capture the entire logistics market.
Rohit completed his MSc in Supply Chain Management and Logistics from Nottingham University, UK. He also worked with a UK-based food supply chain company and handled budgets close to £20 million per annum. Phaneendra did Computer Science engineering at PES Institute of Technology, Bangalore, and is also a Google Summer of Code Scholar. He also founded Impulse Media, a real-time bidding platform for advertising.
Started in September last year, Shippr.in currently has more than 40 employees. “My family has been in the transport sector for decades; it always appeared that this sector could never be streamlined. A chance conversation with a friend about the same kindled in me a theory that market dynamics cannot be changed, but the way the industry operates can be changed. I explored different models to find a viable one. Shippr’s model was basically matching the demand and supply completely with the help of technology,” says Rohit. He even adds how difficult it was for him when he had to quit his job and had to face a lot of naysayers.
Shippr also provides last mile delivery for large ecommerce companies, logistics for SMEs, house shifting, packers and movers, and logistics for OLX and Quikr’s consumers. They also assist with providing vehicles for intercity movement. “Although we believe that there is no direct competitor to us that leverages technology to provide logistics solutions, we like to think of all traditional transporters as our competitors. UBERCargo is one of our overseas competitors”, adds Phaneendra.
Shippr’s month-on-month growth is a staggering 250 per cent which is made possible with the help of their digital marketing campaigns as well as having a strong sales team. After their initial investment of Rs 20 lakh, Shippr received an undisclosed source of funding with which they aim to better their business prospects. One of their short-term goals is hitting 1,000 transactions a day in the next three months. The founders want Shippr to be known as the company that organised the logistics sector.
mathew.maniamkot@gmail.com