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Only when we thought that logistics can no longer get more interesting and is at the top of its game, Rivigo was set up in 2014 by former Mckinsey consultants Deepak Garg and Gazal Kalra to change the game. With the sole idea of creating a relay truck model, where no vehicle driver would drive for more than four-to-five hours at a stretch and also would return home the same day, Rivigo was born.
In September 2019, Rivigo entered Unicorn club with a valuation of $1.05 billion.
Rivigo - Company Highlights
- Company Name-Rivigo
- Headquarter-Gurgaon, Haryana
- Sector-Logistics
- Founders-Deepak Garg,Gazal Kalra
- Founded-2014
- Valuation-$1.05 billion, as of September 2019
- Revenue-$138.75 million (INR 1,080 crore in FY20)
- Website-rivigo.com
Rivigo - About and How it Works
Rivigo is changing the route of logistics in the country by launching the relay model of trucking and heavily deploying the technology. In the process, it is also ensuring that the truck drivers who used to be on the road for 20-30 days at a stretch now get to sleep in their bed every night.
A truck relay! Sounds interesting right? Let’s see how this platform caters to its target audience.
The mobile application of Rivigo is built for the drivers to make their life simpler by providing a one-stop solution for all their needs. This application is more image-based than text and is available in 11 different languages. Also, it tracks everything a driver needs to do, from notification of duties to surveys.
The pilot gets the duty alert on the phone and he reaches the pit stop. There, he scans his unique QR code which is a testament that he has reached the required destination. This way the incoming pilot gets the alert on his application to the subsequent pilot that he needs to hand over.
The interesting part is that there is a technological handshake through QR codes on the two pilots’ apps. The pilot who is taking over has a checklist regarding the truck’s condition and shipments, which he needs to verify through the Rivigo application. All this takes less than five minutes following which the pilot can drive off to his next pit stop.
This whole magnanimous process of routing and the assigning of pilots is taken care of by Rivigo algorithms. Rivigo’s trucks are all IoT-enabled with the feature that tracks the vehicle in real-time. This ensures reliability and avoids breakdowns.
This smart and real-time monitoring took off to another level when Rivigo launched refrigerated trucks for the fresh eatables producing sector of the economy. Here, the clients can check the thermostat and regulate it through the mobile application.
Rivigo - Industry
According to a recent survey of the economy, the Indian road freight market is estimated to be worth around $150 billion. However, Rivigo believes that they are operating in a monopoly market with no other company that is in direct competition with the company. The model of Rivigo is one of a kind in a large enough market with room for multiple players and there are multiple different problems to solve in the sector.
Rivigo - Founders and Team
Deepak Garg and Gazal Kalra were the Founders of Rivigo. Gazal left the company in 2018 but Deepak is still there, aligned with Rivigo.
Deepak Garg
Deepak Garg graduated from IIT Kanpur and then obtained his MBA degree from IIM, Lucknow. Deepak started as a software developer at Geometric Ltd. and by the time he launched Rivigo. Deepak had spent close to a decade at McKinsey & Company as an Associate Partner and was deeply involved in the logistics and automotive sector. After this, Deepak founded Rivigo, where he is serving as the pilot.
Gazal Kalra
Gazal has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business after completing her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. Before launching Rivigo, Gazal was a Consultant at the World Bank Group. Interestingly, she was also a parliamentary associate of Lok Sabha for close to two years. Gazal was a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company and eventually became the Co-founder of Rivigo. Gazal resigned from Rivigo in October 2018 and is currently the Founder & CEO of a company that is in stealth mode, as of May 2022.
The Rivigo employee strength is listed as somewhere between 1000-5000 employees, as far as its Linkedin profile is concerned
Rivigo - Startup Story
All of this started when McKinsey and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) happened to conduct a joint study to identify where are India's most needed skilled jobs. And to everybody's surprise Logistics and construction emerged as the top sectors. That's exactly when Deepak Garg decided to take some time off from work, and flea on a road trip to interact and connect directly with the truck drivers to understand the reasons behind the shortage of drivers.
“It all started with a road trip, listening to the truck drivers and realizing that they have been marginalized and looked at as outcasts, which needed to change,” says the founder of one a kind Truck Relay.
While Deepak was just getting acquainted with the idea of the startup, he met with the future co-founder of Rivigo, Ghazal Kalra over coffee. That time, she had just gotten back from the US after finishing her joint program and was looking to put together a startup. Deepak and Gazal had not worked together yet, but Deepak knew Gazal through her husband who happened to be his colleague at McKinsey. To get a primary idea of what was happening on-ground, Gazal decided to hit the road herself. She was looking to understand the underlying reason behind Indians not taking up paid jobs like truck drivers. And the most surprising fact was this was the condition despite the massive unemployment ratios in the country.
Reminiscing, she said, “At a village in Rajasthan some three-four unemployed men were sitting around playing cards. I asked them, "Why don’t you consider the option of becoming a truck driver?" They took great offense to the question. One guy said no one would marry him if he took that option, while another said he had studied till Class 8, not for such a job.”
Analyzing this stigma on the mindsets of the people, this duo realized that there were several reasons why the “truck driving” profession has traditionally been frowned upon. Among these reasons, the biggest one was owing to drivers staying on the road for a stretch of days. So this meant that truck drivers go home three-four times a year. Also, this profession was perceived to be a high-risk job mainly because of factors like poor living conditions, vulnerability to contracting HIV, drug, and alcohol addiction, and pressure from truck owners to drive more often and faster. Somehow both these co-founders knew that if they work out an arrangement where they could send the driver home the very same day, the whole scenario could be reversed.
Rivigo - Logo and Tagline
Rivigo's Tagline is 'Making Logistics Human'
Rivigo - Business Model and Revenue Model
Rivigo to date has always declined to reveal the pricing modules that it charges to its app users. Rivigo's net worth is unknown but the company made it a point by saying that its clients see a saving of 12% to 20% in overall logistics costs when they use the Rivigo application. However, Rivigo has not been able to pass on the entire cost-benefit to clients.
Rivigo - Startup Challenges
Theoretically, this system sounds simple enough. But in reality, this process is very cumbersome. Rivigo has created a network of over 70 pit stops across the country, which translates to a driving distance of around 250 km or around five hours for a driver between pit stops. However, to make this as effortless as imagined, the team has to ensure full control and monitoring of the mechanism.
This is not it. The pilot who is handing over the truck again needs to board another truck that is coming in the opposite direction. So, essentially the trip planning and routing are required to be done optimally so that trucks are traveling in both directions at about a similar time.
Also, one of the major challenges faced by Rivigo is finding the right set of drivers and, therefore, requires huge investments to build an effective HR process. Both the co-founders have tried to create a hiring process for drivers that is as stringent as the management hires involving checks for behavior, attitude, and technical skills. All drivers go through strict and regulated training programs at Rivigo.
Rivigo - Competitors
Although Rivigo believes they do not have any direct competition in the industry with their relay logistics, in recent years we could see truck marketplaces such as Blackbuck, Lobb, and Trukky entering the market. Not just that, there are ventures like Delhivery and Ecom Express, operating in the same segment, who offers a holistic combination of warehousing, line haul, and last-mile delivery services. Some of the top competitors of Rivigo include:
- Blackbuck
- Lobb
- Trukky
- Delhivery
- Ecom Express
Rivigo - Future Plans
Gazal said: “Rivigo is only getting started: Our philosophy from day one has been that this is a large sector to solve for. We want to build Rivigo into an institution that will last beyond our lifetime. Our aspiration keeps growing every year. But the main aspiration is quite simple – make India number one in logistics in the world.” Rivigo is currently planning to launch an IPO within the next 18-24 months after seeing a Pre-IPO round.
FAQs
What is Rivigo?
Rivigo is a technology-enabled logistics platform provider that offers transport services. The company's full-stack logistics offering includes relay-led trucking and freight marketplace.
Who are Rivigo Founders?
Deepak Garg and Gazal Kalra are the Founders of Rivigo.
Who are the Top Competitors of Rivigo?
Rivigo faces competition from:
- Blackbuck
- Lobb
- Trukky
- Delhivery
- Ecom Express
What is Rivigo valuation?
Rivigo has a valuation of over $1 bn.
How can you book a Rivigo truck?
A Rivigo truck can be booked by simply going to their website
