: Bengaluru Startup Helps 1000 Delivery Partners Go Electric, Cut Fuel Costs by 50% #IndiaNEWS #Electric Vehicles Kiran’s day as a delivery partner with Howdyy begins by logging into the rider app

Bengaluru Startup Helps 1000 Delivery Partners Go Electric, Cut Fuel Costs by 50% #IndiaNEWS #Electric Vehicles
Kiran’s day as a delivery partner with Howdyy begins by logging into the rider app and checking and accepting allotted deliveries for the day. “The rider app maps out the whole route for delivery and shows nearby battery swapping centres or mechanical stores,�? he explains.

Kiran, who covers Byappanahalli, Indiranagar, Kasturi Nagar, Doddanekundi, and CHM Road, says what he loves about the job is that he does not have to worry about the vehicle running out of charge, as there are always points nearby. This makes it possible for him to seamlessly complete around 24 deliveries a day.

He is just one of the 1,000 delivery partners at the Bengaluru-based startup, which aims to use electric vehicles to “revolutionise the logistics of deliveries in India�?.

As the three co-founders Aashirwad Deshmukkh, Aisshwaraya Deshmukkh and childhood friend Kannan Marimuthu emphasise, Howdyy is the “right combination of technology and EV�?.

Simplifying deliveries and making them sustainable

The story goes back to the time when the COVID-19 pandemic had just hit the country. Aashirwad and Kannan talked about how the logistics industry was set to change. These conversations were not new territory for the two childhood friends, who had always harboured a dream to start something of their own.

This common zeal, coupled with a shared love for the environment, got the duo thinking that the pandemic was the right time to sit down and work out a plan for their venture.

“Kannan has a background in the automation sector,�? says Aashirwad, adding that this also gave them insights into how the delivery industry would boom during the lockdown as everything was now shifting online.

The team of delivery agents at Howdyy, Picture credits: Aashirwad Deshmukkh

“We thought of venturing into this space while keeping sustainability as our foundation,�? says Kannan. “Our initial aim was to reduce carbon footprint and emissions. �?

The trio started watching the markets closely to deem what loopholes they could fix through their innovation. “We were intent on identifying the gaps present in the system and then designing our venture in a way that could optimise this,�? says Aisshwaraya.

The trio also realised that they could gain insights by speaking to delivery agents on ground.

“During the lockdown, I remember trying to send some material from our family company to one of our customers. The delivery process was manual, of course, and that is when it hit me that there were so many gaps that, if fixed, could make the process a smoother one,�? recalls Aashirwad, adding that when he spoke to delivery agents who were delivering medicines and groceries to his home, they would share that maintaining the vehicle involved a lot of time and energy.