udChalo Announces General Manoj Mukund Naravane as Newest Advisory Board Member

Mr. Ravi Kumar Chalo (founder,CEO udChalo) welcoming General Manoj Mukund Naravane

udChalo, a leading consumer tech firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gen (Dr) Manoj Mukund Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd) 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) (Former Chief of the Army Staff), to its advisory board. As part of the advisory team, General Naravane will guide the company, playing a pivotal role in making strategic decisions that aligns seamlessly with the needs and preferences of its customer base and beyond. udChalo is the only Online Travel Agency (OTA) to be winning the ‘National Start-Up Award’ by the government of India. The company has recently expanded its platform to be accessed by broader spectrum of users beyond armed forces, after realizing that over 70% of the travel market in India is controlled by Chinese Investors.

General Naravane, served as the 28th COAS and is a highly decorated officer with over four decades of experience in the Indian Army. Leading from front, he has also held several other prestigious positions, including Vice Chief of Army Staff, and Eastern Army Commander. He is known for his strategic thinking, leadership skills, and commitment to the welfare of the armed forces personnel.

“We are honoured to welcome General Naravane to the udChalo team,” said Mr. Ravi Kumar, CEO, udChalo. “His extensive experience and profound expertise will prove invaluable as we persist in our journey to expand and enhance our services for the benefit of the armed forces community and now beyond that, serving entire nation. We are confident that General Naravane's unmatched leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission of delivering seamless and cost-effective travel experiences to the armed forces and beyond.”

General Manoj Mukund Naravane at the udChalo event

General Naravane said, “I stand resolute in aligning forces with udChalo, a 100% Indian company in the travel industry that has dedicated its services exclusive for the armed forces. Through a range of products and services, udChalo is steadfastly making life easier for our armed forces community, extending its support not only at the national borders but also beyond, ensuring assistance wherever they may be. With over 35 lakh fauji families placing their trust in udChalo, it is poised to become the epitome of ‘Desh Ka Bharosa' by extending its platform to other users as well”

He further added, “udChalo's vision aligns well with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, demonstrating its capacity to revolutionize the online travel technology industry through local innovation and entrepreneurship. Having dedicated my life to defending our borders, I now aspire to contribute to the progress and prosperity of our nation by supporting start-ups like udChalo. Recently, India emerged as the fourth nation globally for tech venture capital investments, reaffirming its start-up ecosystem. I encourage everyone to avail themselves of udChalo’s services, as indirectly, you will be supporting our veterans who find employment opportunities with udChalo. Together, we all can forge a brighter future for our fauji families and our entire nation.”

udChalo is committed to providing its customers with the best possible travel experience. The company's team of experienced travel experts, formed primarily by Veterans and Veer Naris, is always available to help customers plan their trips and get the most out of their travels.

About udChalo:

udChalo is a national start-up award-winning leading Travel Company. Rooted in its ambition to serve the Services, udChalo is the creator of its category. The Company began its operations in 2012 by the alumni of the Army Institute of Technology and Stanford Graduate School of Business (Seed).

udChalo through its website (www.udchalo.com), App platform serves travel need of everyone and with its 70 Outreach centres caters defence personnel in remote places like Uri, Baramulla and Leh. It has grown with a CAGR of over 450% in the last 5 years.

udChalo has an OTA licence from the Ministry of Tourism. The company was recently recognized by Guinness World Records for participation in two record-breaking cycling events. It was certified as Great Place to Work for three consecutive years. It also ranked 4th at the Economic Times ET Rise Awards among India’s Fastest Growing MSME 2020 and was certified as Best Employment Generating MSE at SIDBI ET India MSE Awards 2019.

For more details visit the website - https://www.udchalo.com/

LoanTap Collaborates with udChalo to Provide Quick Financial Aid to Defence Personnel

udChalo and LoanTap's partnership simplifies the loan process for serving army personnel

LoanTap, a leading digital lending platform, has announced a collaboration with udChalo to offer quick and accessible financial aid to defence personnel. As part of this partnership, LoanTap will provide flexible loan options to udChalo's customers, with a seamless digital application process requiring minimum documentation of only KYC and income details. Defence personnel, including new-to-credit customers, can apply for loans, provided they meet the minimum eligibility criteria of being at least 19 years old and having a monthly salary of over Rs. 25,000.

udChalo is a leading consumer technology company catering to the armed forces and their dependents. With the vision of ‘Making life simple for soldiers’, udChalo offers travel, housing, financial services, consumer electronics, and utility bill payment facility for its user base. The collaboration with LoanTap is aimed at extending its services by enabling additional financial support to udChalo's customers during emergencies, allowing them and their families to feel more financially secure.

Satyam Kumar, CEO & Cofounder of LoanTap said, "Through our partnership with udChalo, we are excited to support the financial needs of our defence personnel, who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. Our platform's digital and hassle-free loan application process, coupled with flexible loan options, aims to provide financial aid to defence personnel quickly and efficiently. We are honoured to work with udChalo towards our shared goal of making life simpler for our soldiers.”

Commenting on this partnership, Mr. Ravi Kumar, Founder and CEO udChalo said, " udChalo was conceived to serve our soldiers and in our mission to simplify their lives we have been continually introducing more products and services that can support and uplift their daily course. Our collaboration with LoanTap is another step in this direction that allows us to provide easier access to credit to our servicemen. We are certain it will ease their financial woes by providing needful assistance without going through tedious procedures or extra fees.”

By working extensively for the army fraternity udChalo, over the years has created a unique and loyal customer base from the Indian armed forces and dependents of ‘Fauji Family who prefer its services for their requirements. It was one of the leading start-ups honoured with the national start-up Award 2021 and ranked 4th at the Economic Times ET Rise awards among India’s Fastest Growing MSME 2021

LoanTap's seamless digital loan application process and flexible loan options with lower interest rates and processing fees make it an attractive choice for defence personnel in need of quick financial aid. The collaboration with udChalo is expected to bring further benefits to defence personnel and their families, helping them achieve their financial goals with ease.

About LoanTap

LoanTap is one of the fastest-growing & trusted FinTech companies in the category with its in-house RBI-registered NBFC led by experienced leadership and a highly skilled team. LoanTap focuses on customer delight by helping them choose the best loan products from a portfolio of multiple products like personal loans, business loans, home loans, gold loans, loans against mutual funds plus many use-case loans.

LoanTap has had a successful year expanding its distribution and Afterpay network in various sectors. Looking towards the future, LoanTap’s goal is to make credit more accessible to over 4 lakh merchants through their Afterpay network this year. LoanTap plan to achieve this goal by utilizing LTFLoW, their innovative Lendtech platform. LTFLoW allows to establishment a roadmap towards profitable growth while creating a resilient digital lending ecosystem. With its anchor-led distribution stack, a marketplace for capital coverage, and in-house NBFC, users of LTFLoW can continue to create innovative products and expand their reach.

Website Link - https://loantap.in/