Meet the 13-year-old boy who made the 'Ola and Uber' of Dabbawalas
- Hot and appening
Thirteen-year-old Tilak Mehta, who developed the app called Papers-N-Parcels, imagined it to be the ‘Ola and Uber’ of courier services
The idea started when he wanted a few books from another end of the city urgently. His father came home tired after a day's work, and so he could not ask him and there was nowhere to go.
This is where the idea of having a startup dedicated to carrying papers and small parcels within the Mumbai for assured intra-day delivery struck Tilak.
- Budding with Dabbawalas
Tilak is a budding entrepreneur who has founded a logistics startup, sold the idea to a banker and convinced him to quit the job and join him as the chief executive, and, also roped in the famed Dabbawalas of the city to help him with the last mile distribution.
- From entrepreneur to techpreneur
Tilak Mehta is one of the India’s youngest entrepreneur. His start-up company Papers-N-Parcels or PNP in short, is set to bring about a digital disruption in the space of door-to-door courier pick-up and delivery services.
He is studying in Class VIII,is like any other teenager, who rues about his father coming home from work late and tired.
- A dream called 'Papers N Parcels'
"Papers N Parcels (PNP) is my dream and I will work to ensure that the business becomes big," the young entrepreneur beamed.
PNP uses a dedicated mobile application for business and already employs 200 on its own and 300 Dabbawala partners, through whom it is handling up to 1,200 deliveries daily.
- Ready to blossom
PNP is also open for strategic tie-ups with companies like Swiggy if there is any possible synergy.
"Its clientele already includes pathology labs, boutique shops and a brokerage which will only grow bigger with the formal launch," said Ghanashyam Parekh, CEO of PNP.
- PNP and dabbawalas
"A Dabbawala can earn up to Rs 10,000 a month by becoming a partner," said Dabbawala Association spokesperson Subhash Talekar.
"The Dabbawalas will mostly be handling the last mile delivery for PNP after finishing their day's work," said Talekar.
At present, the company is paying a fixed amount to every Dabbawala partner but will shift to per delivery basis.
- The inspirations
