These EVs were an improvement on the old bikes, they had no gap between the front and back seats and gave 75-85 km per charge. But they cost ₹1 lakh each. AMIT BATWALKAR, Founder, Battu Services

Amit Batwalkar started Battu Services in 2021 to cater to Zepto's delivery needs in the Hinjewadi area

- Namita Shibad

PUNE: Problems abound or existing solutions can be made better, and therein lies the beginning of a startup. Like most young men, Amit Batwalkar, who'd completed his mechanical engineering from MIT, Pune, started his career with a job. He worked first with No Broker and then with Uber Eats and as any professional would expect, did well. "I was looking into the rewards programme for the delivery personnel and understood the nitty-gritty of the quick commerce business," he said.

He was posted in Mumbai and his father, Amarchand Batwalkar, who is now also his co-founder used to tell him to either join his company (interior design for industrial units) or start on his own. "My father wanted me to join his business. However, I was into logistics and understood the ins and outs of this business. Logistics is one of the fastest growing sectors in our country and is the backbone of every business."

How it started

Amit started Battu Services in 2021 to cater to Zepto's delivery needs in the Hinjewadi area. At that time, COVID-19 had wreaked havoc in the quick commerce sector, and many delivery boys were either jobless or had left for their hometowns. Given his experience, he understood the difficulties a delivery man had to go through as well as the demands of the business, which were not necessarily well synced. Customers wanted their parcels delivered at odd hours that were not necessarily a typical 9 to 5.

Amit, with his deep experience, found a solution. He says, "I come from Vengurla in Konkan, where jobs are generally available mostly during tourist season. So I got people from smaller towns where jobs were not easily available. I approached Zepto and started at Hinjewadi with three members of staff from my hometown and two from Pune."

Teething problems