Ankush Sabharwal was taking a train from Delhi to Bengaluru around 10 years ago. A fellow traveler became ill and needed immediate medical care. The traveler had to wait an additional one to two hours to disembark at the next station as there was nowhere to obtain medical assistance aboard the train. Ankush later discovered that nobody was aware that a doctor had been aboard a few bogies away. If the passengers had had a common communication network, the doctor might have been notified and the patient could have received first assistance right away.
Ankush realized after this encounter that there was a need for a platform that could link travelers so they could work together and support one another. While he balanced a number of professions and business endeavors, the notion lingered in the background. After a few years, he was able to give his idea more momentum, and CoRover was established in Bengaluru.
Ankush explains the idea behind his award-winning firm, saying, “There is no platform that integrates service providers and tourists.” The market’s current solutions are either mass text messaging-only or individual based. To address this issue, CoRover offers a centralized cloud-based solution. Our goal is to facilitate communication between passengers, personnel, carefully chosen suppliers, emergency responders, and other service providers.
Entrepreneurial Difficulties
Similar to the majority of fledgling business owners, Ankush has had his fair share of difficulties. The biggest obstacle was finding the proper talent within my budget to carry out my concept. Due to a lack of resources, I had to start looking for alternatives to outsourcing during the bootstrapping period. Ankush states that freelance marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr played a major role in helping to launch the project.
Ankush was eager to make his tech product debut, having worked in software product development for almost 13 years. But he had no idea how difficult it would be to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that meets the essential criteria at the lowest possible cost. He tested the Proof of Concept (POC) by releasing the product onto the market following a number of setbacks and difficulties. After that, this startup has been constantly working to develop. Ankush sold up his personal belongings and obtained a bank loan during the seed stage due to a shortage of funding. He forced favorable credit conditions from vendors by driving a hard bargain in order to limit the loss of funds.
Ankush also believed that the CoRover app would become popular with little advertising. He was eventually shown to be mistaken when the platform began to require a large amount of resources in order to increase activities related to client acquisition and engagement. At this point, he changed the company model to B2B2C, which has turned out to be profitable.
Modus Operandi
CoRover is a mobility platform that runs on SaaS. In a variety of industries, including travel (by rail, bus, or airplane), hotels, events, schools, universities, apartments, hospitals, helpdesk/service desk, marketplaces/merchant-vendor connect, etc., it has become an award-winning digital communication tool.
CoRover’s primary areas of interest are:
- Provide centralized registration via CoRover or a service provider to enable systems for feedback, information, and delivery.
- Provide services as a white-labeled version, an API/SDK, and a consumer app.
- Provide broader services, such as trusted vendor services, operational messaging, etc.
- Establish strong commercial ties with key partners.
At the moment, CoRover provides two main products:
- CoRover Connect is a group messaging app that uses QR codes to link members who have registered with staff, service providers, and other members. Along with other helpful features, users may text or share URLs, photos, and locations via private and group chats. Privacy control is also available. They may investigate local deals, events, and activities by utilizing a real-time digital visitor guide. The best thing about this program is that its chat interface functions both with and without a SIM card (or mobile data or network) and the internet. A simple push of the button will enable consumers get emergency or panic assistance quickly and get in touch with medical professionals, law enforcement, or other support desks.
- CoRover Trips: This real-time global transportation platform links co-passengers traveling on buses, trains, and airplanes. In essence, it’s a traveler’s social network. With an average rating of 4.54/5, CoRover Trips has 104 reviews on the Android Play Store and 10 reviews on the Apple App Store.
Customers
Major travel agencies including Karnataka Tourism, SRS Travels, and Leisure Routes are among CoRover’s clients. Approximately 30,000 people have downloaded it thus far.
The partnership between Uttarkannda district government, Karwar, and Karnataka Tourism to launch the app in Murudeshwar gave CoRover the much-needed exposure it was seeking. The app has linked over 3300 travelers with 18 different categories of carefully chosen services, including sports, reservations, emergency services, local festivals, and other ancillary services, in just one month since its inception. Even a letter of gratitude for CoRover’s role in improving Murudeshwar’s tourist potential was sent by the Karnataka government.
CoRover is also in the process of gaining worldwide clientele. Its geographical reach has increased to include Ethiopia, Zambia, Israel, and Japan. CoRover represented India in November 2017 at the world’s preeminent IT conference in Japan, which drew over 50,000 attendees and exhibitors from different nations. Launching CoRover Connect in Japan was Dr. Poornima Rupal, a diplomat from the Indian Embassy in Japan. Businesses from Japan and other nations have shown their willingness to form collaborative ventures with CoRover in order to introduce its goods and services in their own nations. In actuality, WIREDGATE Inc., a company established in Kawasaki, has already started the legal procedures necessary to associate with CoRover.
Three possible use cases for the product are anticipated by the mobility startup in Japan:
- Service desk with chat support for bus companies in Japan.
- A digital platform for cooperation designed for Okayama, a future smart city.
- Olympic digital communication platform in 2020.
Successes
CoRover has quickly gained recognition for its products’ ability to promote innovation in the travel sector with a number of awards and accolades:
- BMA, USA’s Best Mobile App (Travel/Social Space).
- One of the top five product businesses chosen by the NASSCOM Product Council to represent India at the DLD Tel Aviv Tech Festival.
- Accenture Ventures MD Mr. Avinish Sabharwal introduced CoRover Connect in Israel.
- included in Headstart’s list of the Top 10 Startups in India.
- BITS Pilani is listed in Conquest’s list of the Top 50 Startups in India.chosen for the New York 2020 Startup Accelerator.
The NASSCOM Link
Since being incubated under the NASSCOM 10000 Startups initiative, CoRover has experienced significant benefits. “The NASSCOM designation is a significant turning point in our startup experience. In addition to being able to reach investors and global markets, we have also been successful in connecting with the appropriate partners and receiving free hosting space and no transaction costs, adds Ankush.
Even while CoRover has had great success in its early stages, it is becoming clear that speedier execution now will be essential to its long-term success. There are many new obstacles to overcome on the path to the next phase. Ankush goes on, saying, “To scale, we need an infusion of capital.” Thus, we are putting a lot of effort into getting venture investors to support us. Managing time is turning out to be a significant difficulty as CoRover tackles a bigger scale. There is an endless amount of work to be done, including team management, customer service, meeting potential clients, forming affiliate relationships and partnerships, and strategizing future moves. It’s not simple, but I’m learning how to prioritize, assign responsibilities, and decide what deserves my attention.
Millions of Indian tourists are finding solutions to their concerns thanks to CoRover. They may forget about their worries and enjoy the true thrill of traveling when they have CoRover loaded on their cellphones.