redBus : the largest network of bus operators

When people were getting used to booking tickets for travel using IRCTC and private airline websites. So, why not buses ?

                                                      

redBus which acts as a consumer facing travel agency, is founded in 2006, and is a part of India’s leading online travel company MakeMyTrip. redBus is India’s largest online bus ticketing platform that has transformed bus travel in the country by bringing ease and convenience to millions of Indians who travel using buses.

FOUNDERS - Phanindra shared the idea 'The idea of providing customers the convenience of booking a bus ticket over the internet' with his ex-college roommates Sudhakar and Charan and they decided to take their chance.Later,Prakash Sangam became the Chief Executive Officer of redBus since June 2014 and Anoop Menon serves as Chief Technology Officer at redBus. Anoop plays an integral role in setting the company’s strategic direction, development and future growth. At redBus, he leads effective delivery of scalable systems to the customers, agents and bus operators by incorporating the latest technology.

                                                                                                                                

OBJECTIVE - The objective was two-fold – to ensure that customers don’t have to leave the confines of their comfort to book a ticket, and to give help them get a ticket when they needed it the most.This site allows to book bus tickets online easily.The technology aspect enables the supply demand match by helping both bus operators and customers. When trains are canceled,customers look for bus options.

CONNECTIONS - Together the idea met bus operators, consumers and venture capitalists to gauge how well the concept could work.All the founders of the new venture quit their well-paying, secure jobs and started redBus. Since those days there have been many ups and downs. It wasn’t easy to market the concept. It needed time and money and took a few months for things to fall in place.

                                                      

redBus MINI BUSES - redBus has introduced a new service that allows users to hire buses, mini-buses, tempos and cars  and reach your destination in a jiffy . Like, Uber and Ola both offer inter-city vehicles or outstation vehicles that make it easy for someone to book a car for a long travel. redBus has also started offering it to its customers. redBus will partner with vehicle owners and taxi services that would offer such vehicles for travel. Mini bus payment terms vary from operator to operator. Usually, o
perators ask for a 50% advance to confirm the booking and balance 50% at the start of the journey.

                             

FAMILY/FRIENDS BENEFITS - Customer can rent a bus for one-way and return trips as well as for local or outstation journeys. Buses are more economical than renting multiple cars, and provide the comfort and ease during travel. This 
provide the opportunity to go out with an extended family/friends.
   
                                   


GROWTH -  It has the largest number of tie-ups (and growing) with bus operators and a satisfied customer base.Being run by a team of young people, the culture is informal and everyone is ambitious and  What started as a team of 3 grew into a team of 50 within 9 months.Having call centers as well as franchisees ensures that they fit in as an organized travel company in India.

SERVICE - redBus has moved beyond providing value over the internet by reaching out to customers using all media that provide them convenience – be it the phone, home delivery, physical outlets or SMS. 

                     

                               

ACHIEVEMENTS - redBus has the largest network of bus operators in their list.The bus industry is a $2.5 billion unorganized business. redBus currently sells around 220 million tickets/year(contract carriage buses). The market is growing at 35-40% p.a.one main distribution network, providing access to nearly 40,000 travel agents across the country”.

BENEFITS:

-NO clumsy system 

-Reliable and not messy for the customers, 

-Reserve a specific seat and book a return ticket on the departure

-Published fares and fixed fares

Be the real King of travel without spending like one! Watch redBus's latest ad film starring Allu Arjun to get the best deals and discounts on bus tickets! Bus yaani redBus

Zomato - The Google for Food

Hello readers! 

Let's embark upon this journey to know a little about how Zomato went from mere scanning of menu cards to becoming one of the most successful food startup with net worth of a whopping 1500 crores!  Yes you read it right. You don't always need lots of money to be an entrepreneur, sometimes even a Xerox machine will do.  Happy reading!

Formerly known by the name 'Foodiebay.com', Zomato is the brainchild of  the two IITians, Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, who wanted to make waiting in long queues less tiresome for those people with 9 to 6 job and who greatly relied on restaurants and cafes for their meals.

The idea of the start-up bloomed as they saw their colleagues at Bain & Company waiting in the lines to get a glimpse at the menu card. To curb this need, these future entrepreneurs scanned the restaurant's menu and posted it on a private network which was soon made public after witnessing the traffic and response the network was generating. 

They expanded their services to the major cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Now the utility of the website was not just restricted to menu cards, it also allowed the customers to locate restaurants  near them.  

Taking a courageous plight was easy for Deepinder and Pankaj but now the real problem was how to remain the longest in the air. Their nascent idea was later fostered by Sanjeev Bikhchandani of  Info Edge India who currently owns 54% shares of Zomato.

Eventually, revenues started flooding in as the restaurants started entering into paid partnerships with Zomato. Zomato also provided an advertising platform for them. Since then Zomato has only encashed the opportunities coming its way and never looked back. After marking a much renown presence in India, it expanded its services beyond the Indian borders in September 2012. Sri lanka, United Kingdom, Philippines, South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey are few among the 23 countries that Zomato has ventured into.

  

Thus, to summarize, Zomato is a Food Aggregator which gathers information against a customer query and presents the most relevant results to the customer to help them make affordable and yummy food choices with few clicks just like Google. 

One can easily start their own business by entering into a partnership with Zomato. The official site consists of simple and easy to follow directions for the users to register one's restaurant with Zomato. 

Here's a link to guide your way through the registration process (just in case I stirred up the businessman in you): https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/zomato-registration/

To know more about Zomato straight from the horse's mouth, here's Deepinder Goyal himself speaking about his journey..