Online cab service plans to step into 200 Cities

Ashish Kumar, director of Bookcab.in, which is a platform for users to search between different car rental options by comparing fares, cab operators and vehicles, is now planning to expand to 200 cities. Ashish plans to achieve this target by March. He got talking about how he started the company and the difficulties that he had faced.

“Way back in 2011 and even today, there are hardly any car rental companies that provide quality and reliable service. That’s when we decided to venture into this industry. The online market was picking up. More and more customers were booking trains, flights and buses online. This was the right time and right place to bring a platform to book taxis across India.

There were similar platforms in the West but not in India,” said Ashish. The company which was founded by four people soon started to lose its footing. Now the lone co-founder in the company, Ashish says that the journey was tough. “Before we started, we spent close to four months talking to car rental companies and drivers across Bengaluru.

After a series of discussions and conversations, we had a clear picture about the problems that existed in the industry. We decided to start only after evaluating the challenges. And a little after we started, my partners decided to quit. I felt a pinch. It was one of the most difficult phases of my life,” he disclosed.

But Ashish persevered. “I was positive that there would definitely be a requirement for the kind of services that Bookcab offers. I took it up as a challenge to keep the company afloat and focused on putting it back on track. Secondly, as the head of a company, I did not want to abandon my employees and walk away. The investors also were optimistic about the future prospects. Their support played a huge role and motivated me to continue,” Ashish divulged.

He is adamant about grouping in travel agents from across the world. “We also have plans to open up the technology that we use to all car rental operators across India. We want Bookcab to act as a technology enabler for the operators and help them to drive more business and give quality service to their customers,” Ashish said.

Speaking about the scope for youngsters in the current market, he said, “There are innumerable opportunities in India. Every good business idea will see the light of the day with hard work and patience. The success stories from the startup world are also on the rise. Patience and the right kind of advice are keys for the success of any business. If youngsters can be guided in the right way then there can be a lot of employment opportunities that can be created.”

By:Askari Jaffer