Kolkata-based delivery start-up to expand operations

Imagine if someone could pick up and deliver food for you from your favourite restaurant (still unserviced by aggregators). Or, what if you left the mobile charger at home, and there is someone who can bring it.

Well, such is the service offered by Obo Swift, a specialised delivery service that began operations in Kolkata around three months ago. Obo Swift is owned by Dubai-based Obo Cabs.

According to co-founder Saurav Jhawar, Obo Swift picks up and delivers “just about anything” — that includes shopping items from a store, gifts, movie tickets, etc — within a span of 55 minutes.

The start-up is now planning to widen its national presence and start operations in Bengaluru, followed by Chandigarh. Services in Bengaluru are expected to be rolled out by the end of this month.

“We identified a possible gap, with the availability of personalised delivery services. ,” Jhawar told BusinessLine.

As of now, customers ring up the call centre and place their request. The nearest available bike-borne delivery boy (called Obo Rider) is assigned the job.

Currently, Obo Swift has 19 such riders in Kolkata, with each rider making 8-10 deliveries a day. The company charges a delivery fee of ₹60-190, depending on the distance covered.

Jhawar said the firm expects to add 10-15 more riders in Kolkata by the end of January, while for Bengaluru, 10 such bikes will be introduced in the first phase.

“We are also working on developing a mobile app,” he said, adding that there are no immediate plans to raise funds.

Jhawar said, the target customers for the service also includes small entrepreneurs who work from home, especially women.

Boutiques, home-cooked food services, bakers and patisseries, among others, will provide the company with a good scope of business, he said.

Jhawar said one of the firm’s surveys revealed that five of 15 North Indian households have a woman entrepreneur.