ShopX - Omnipresent get Govt. Approval to Start E-Commmerce Drone Delivery Trials from Sept 1

Soon you might be able to order food from your favourite restaurant 30 km away and get it delivered to your home via a drone in less than 30 minutes. Until now drones were mostly being used for videography and surveillance. But a recent change in Govt. regulations will now allow long range drone based deliveries such as food delivery, online purchase delivery, medicine and blood delivery in cases of emergency on a large scale across India. The ministries of civil aviation and home affairs have moved at a remarkable speed and have given permissions to a select few companies to run beyond visual line of sight operations of drones. Many well know players in the UAV industry could not make it to the list because of tough technology and safety requirements from the Govt.

ShopX has come up with an innovative Drone "AirTrain" concept, for just in time delivery across Indian B2B value chains. This allows small retailers to pick "Drone Delivery" as a delivery option and get a wide range of products delivered to them within 30-60 minutes. Currently, these stores are limited by what they can carry in their limited shelf space, and conventional supply chains typically fulfil their needs once a week. With AirTrain, they can get real time fulfilment of products, thereby increasing their merchandizing ability and sales. ShopX is already running one of the largest eB2B retail networks in the country, with over 2 Lakh retailers on its technology platform.

Omnipresent comes with some solid background in this area. They had earlier done trial drone deliveries for medicine for AIIMS hospital in Delhi. ShopX and Omnipresent had jointly done trial deliveries in ShopX warehouses. Omnipresent has also developed inhouse AI Engine called the Nerve Center which allows smart scheduling planning detection and classification on board the drone. They are already empanelled by over 7 state Govt. agencies for drone based services Agriculture, Telecom, Oil refineries, Factories and Survey applications. They have done over 1 lac acres of agriculture and city mapping. "Our drones have been deployed in almost all states in India now, they have been especially useful in significantly improving output of industrial factories by giving them actionable insights on structural damage, catching theft, accurate stock calculation, virtual 3d tours and accurate mapping. Recently, we also got recognised as one of the top 5 UAV companies selected by Union Ministry of Agriculture to be given permission do precision spraying to fight recent locust attack via drones," said Aakash Sinha, Founder Omnipresent Tech. Aakash is a MS Robotics graduate from Carnegie Mellon, under guidance of Dr. Raj Reddy who was earlier president of American Society of AI, he was also Ex IT/AI advisor to US President. Aakash was also awarded TR35 (35 under 35) by MIT. Recipient of this illustrious award include top innovators like Zuckerberg and Gates. Omnipresent had also developed AI software for navigation of Prgyaan Rover on Chandrayaan mission. They have also been doing their bit for environment with their Drone Boat (Ro-boat) for the Clean Ganga Mission.

"With our partnership with Omnipresent, we want to put India at the forefront of utilizing drone tech for real applications today and intend to create a major disruption in supply chain especially for retail segment," said Amit Sharma, CEO and Co-founder of ShopX.

The Govt moving at record speed and has eased out most of the drone regulations for commercial operations by trusted service providers. It is backing BVLOS operations and creating automated Digital Sky platform which will allow authorized drone operators to fly in nearly 80% of India (Green and Yellow Zones) with automated real time online permissions process. This would result in exponential growth in the drone market as host of applications related to Ecom, food delivery and cross country mapping of highways, powerlines, railroad etc. It is expected that the drone services market with grow to about $2 billion in next 3-4 years in India.

Sharing an instance from 7 years ago, Aakash recalls how they had tested the feasibility of drone deliveries for Jabong at the behest of then MD and Co-founder, Praveen Sinha. "He told us that once we could break through the technological and regulatory bottlenecks of the time, drone deliveries would disrupt the retail logistics space in the country. 7 years later, his prediction stands true."

On being asked on the potential of drone deliveries, Praveen Sinha said that technology always holds the key in accelerating any sector and it is the same for retail. "A decade ago E-commerce was at its nascent stages in India and here we are at a stage where drone deliveries are going to be a reality. Once drone deliveries and 3D Printing become economically viable, we will see a disruption in the supply chain that no one envisioned," he concluded.

BS Nagesh, Founder of TRRAIN and Retail Stalwart, Joins SHOPX Advisory Panel

SHOPX, announced that B. S. Nagesh, founder of the Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN) has joined the SHOPX Advisory Panel, effective from 1st May 2017. B. S. Nagesh is one of the pioneers of the modern retail format in India with more than 35 years of experience in the consumer and retail sector. As an advisor to SHOPX, Mr. Nagesh will guide the leadership team in understanding the dynamics of general trade and modern trade ecosystem to improve the earnings and profitability of SHOPX retail partners. Mr. Nagesh brings deep experience in building retailer businesses and understanding the needs and challenges of retail employees and entrepreneurs.

Mr. Nagesh is the Founder of TRRAIN and Non-Executive Vice-Chairman of Shoppers Stop Limited. He joined K.Raheja Corp. Group as the General Manager in 1991 and is responsible for setting up the retail arm of Shoppers Stop. He subsequently took over as the Managing Director and CEO of Shoppers Stop (1997 - 2009) and has been bestowed with innumerable awards and accolades during his tenure. Mr. Nagesh is the first Asian retailer and the only Indian retailer to be inducted into the World Retail Hall of Fame at the World Retail Congress conducted in Barcelona in 2008. He was recognized as an iconic retailer with awards like the 'Most Admired Apparel Retail Professional of the Year' at the inaugural ‘Images Fashion Awards 2000’ and 'Top CEO Award 2001’ instituted by the Institute of Marketing Management. The Economic Times nominated Mr. Nagesh as one of the Top 33 Indians driving philanthropic initiatives in India. In 2016, SHOPX celebrated ‘Retail Employees’ Day’ by sponsoring nine scholarships in association with TRRAIN for retail partners to support their children’s education.

Commenting on this new development, Mr. Amit Sharma, CEO of SHOPX said, “We are delighted to welcome on board Mr. B. S. Nagesh, an industry stalwart, at a time when we are planning and executing the next level of growth for the company. He brings immense expertise in modern retail and in scaling up an organization through rapid growth. With his deep understanding of the retail ecosystem, Mr. Nagesh will play a pivotal role in SHOPX by adding significant value to our growth and strengthening our business capabilities. More importantly, he will help us to be even more focused on the needs of our retail partners”

Mr. B S Nagesh said, “I am excited to be associated with one of the most dynamic start-ups that has disrupted India’s retail ecosystem. Retailers in Tier 2 and 3 towns in India have contributed immensely in strengthening the economy. While e-commerce is picking up, a large portion of consumers remain untapped. This gap is being fulfilled by small retailers. SHOPX’s digital offline model enhances the shopping experience for consumers in Tier 2 and 3 towns of India. The small retailers can use technology to benefit their businesses and at the same time give their customers access to wide range of products across categories. On the other hand, various brands across categories have been able to rapidly expand their outreach. I am really looking forward to collaborate with SHOPX and be a part of their journey to enhance the lives of consumers and retail partners.”

SHOPX is backed by strategic investor Nandan Nilekani. Within 18 months of its launch, SHOPX has empowered 45,000 small retailers in 230 towns across 10 states in the South and West of India; serving more than 4 million customers, making it one of the fastest growing start-ups in the country. SHOPX aims to provide the 400-million middle-income population in India (as against the current 50 million active internet buyer base) access to e-commerce through its retailer network.

ShopX Appoints Kirti Varun From Amazon to Head Product Management

ShopX, India’s fastest growing digital offline platform that powers small retailers in India, today announced the appointment of Kirti Varun to head its Product Management function. Kirti brings together a decade of professional experience across e-commerce product management, strategy consulting and operations in leading global and Indian organizations. He joins ShopX as Vice President of Product Management, and will be a part of ShopX’s leadership team. He will work closely with the ShopX co-founders Amit Sharma (CEO) and Apoorva Jois (COO) to help ShopX achieve its mission of organizing commerce in India through technology to make it accessible and valuable to everyone.

Prior to ShopX, Kirti was a Principal Product Manager with Amazon India, where he was responsible for building India-specific product innovations to improve key customer inputs such as Pricing, Inventory, Affordability and Selection. Previously, he was a Senior Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company, where he led client engagements across multiple sectors and functions. He also played a pivotal role in building the Digital Banking practice for McKinsey in India. Kirti earlier handled multiple roles in Operations and Project Management at ITC Limited, where he led breakthrough innovation projects using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve quality & productivity, and reduce cost of operations.

Commenting on this new development, Mr. Amit Sharma, CEO of ShopX said, “This is an exciting time for ShopX as we are scaling up our retailer base rapidly with a sharp focus on unit economics and profitability. With our digital offline model, we have been able to offer a wide range of products across categories through our 45,000 plus retailer network. Kirti brings together rich general management and product management experience, and will play a pivotal role in executing ShopX’s mission of making commerce accessible and valuable for everyone.”

Mr. Kirti Varun, Vice President & Head of Product, ShopX said, “While e-commerce in India has solved customer problems in terms of access and convenience in shopping for a large selection of products, its reach has been limited only to 45-50 mn customers in tier I and II cities. There is a large and untapped opportunity of making e-commerce accessible and valuable to the next 600 mn middle-income Indians. Building a scalable and viable business to tap into this opportunity requires significant innovation across every aspect of the business model ranging from front-end shopping experience to back-end supply chain and logistics. ShopX is innovating rapidly to build a viable business in this space, and I’m excited to join them in this journey.”

ShopX is backed by strategic investor Nandan Nilekani, and mentors Jagdish Kini [ex- CEO, Airtel (South Region), Managing Director, Gillette India], and Pramod Varma [earlier: Chief Architect, UIDAI Aadhar Project, CTO Sterling Commerce]. Within 18 months of launch, ShopX has empowered 45,000 small retailers in 230 towns across 10 states in the South and West of India; serving more than 3 million customers, making it one of the fastest growing companies in the country. ShopX aims to provide the 600-million middle-income population in India (as against the current 50 million active internet buyer base) access to e-commerce through its retailer network.

ShopX Introduces Travel Booking Options in South and West Indian Markets

ShopX, India’s digital offline platform that powers retailers in India, introduces travel booking options in South and West Indian markets. The service enables easy ticket booking while offering the most affordable deals. Presently, 7-8% of ShopX’s 40,000+ active retailers are booking travel tickets. The company expects this demand to grow by 25%.

The new travel booking feature is an additional revenue stream for retailers in Tier 2 and 3 towns of India. ShopX travel fares are most affordable and contributes a good margin to the partner retailers. In addition, customers will be able to book their travel tickets hassle free at the local retail outlets. On the other hand, this will offer an opportunity for retailers to earn the commission that was earlier made by a travel agent. Amongst the South Indian states, Karnataka and Kerala are the most active markets and Bangalore to Mumbai is the most booked travel route on the app. Redbus, TravelYaari, Provab, Galileo and Amadeus are ShopX’s key partners in this venture.

According to the recent report by NASSCOM., India is expected to have 730 million internet users by 2020, with 75% of new user growth expected to come from Tier II and Tier III areas. The report also predicts that 50% of travel transactions to be online by 2020. There is a growing demand across India for travel and ShopX will play a pivotal role in meeting this demand with their robust technology network/platform.

Commenting on this new development Mr. Amit Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of ShopX said, “The travel agent is the point of contact for customers in Tier 2 and 3 towns for making travel booking. At times, there are only 1 or 2 travel agents in a city and individuals should travel over 10kms to book a ticket. With ShopX, we are providing the customers accessibility to technology to meet their needs. Now, customers can book tickets at their convenience, save enormous amount of time and get the most affordable deals.”

ShopX is backed by strategic investor Nandan Nilekani, and mentors including Jagdish Kini [ex- CEO, Airtel (South Region), Managing Director, Gillette India], and Pramod Varma [earlier: Chief Architect, UIDAI Aadhar Project, CTO Sterling Commerce]. Within a year of launch, ShopX has empowered 40,000 Retail Partners across 200 towns in 10 states; serving more than 1 million customers, making it one of the fastest growing companies in the country. The Company aims to provide the 600-million middle-income population in India (as against the current 50 million active internet buyer base) access to digital commerce through its Retailer Partners.