After gaining a wider footprint with its suite of products in the passenger vehicle space, MapmyIndia (CE Info Systems Pvt. Ltd.) is chalking out strategies to make deeper inroads into the commercial vehicle space. The Delhi-based firm, which sells its products under the ‘MapmyIndia’ brand, is reckoned as India’s leader in premium quality digital map and data, GPS, location-based services (LBS), Geographic Information System (GIS) and location-based business intelligence solutions. The 20-year-old firm started catering to fleet operators last year with ‘Telematics’ and ‘Navigation Systems’ and is anticipating robust growth with these new product lines. The primary reasons cited by the company for this are evolution of the transport industry with a sea-change in demand patterns of various bus and fleet operators as well as the booming domestic logistics industry.
In a freewheeling discussion with MOTORINDIA, Mr. Rakesh Verma, Managing Director & Co-Founder, MapmyIndia, said: “We pioneered digital mapping in India and, since 1995, through continuous field surveys and state-of-the-art mapping technology, have built its proprietary MapmyIndia Maps, the most comprehensive, accurate, robust, reliable, full-featured and continuously-updated navigable map dataset for the entire country. We have been at the forefront of developing innovative products and applications for the passenger vehicles sector. Commercial vehicles and trucking form the backbone of any economy, and we are gearing up to contribute significantly towards this sector. The contribution from the automotive segment (to our total business) is more than 50% and is the combination of B2C and B2B2C verticals. For the last one year, we have made inroads into the CV segment and it comprises tractors, trucks, buses, logistics players, etc. Even though we entered (this segment) recently, the growth here is much higher vis-à-vis PVs. Although it is contributing only 10 pc to the automotive segment, we are confident that the share will go up manifold.”
Talking about its maiden participation in the All India Transport Welfare Association’s (AITWA) annual convention held in New Delhi, Mr. Verma affirmed: “The event was actually a smarter platform to gain the attention of big-league transport operators who might be interested in embracing our products. It’s more like a brand-building exercise getting known in the community, who might be our end customers. We have done a similar exercise at PV shows earlier. Even Eicher Motors came in (as the sponsor) to be a part of it. We have to make our presence felt in an event of that stature. We have already bagged quite a few deals with leading fleet operators at the venue.”
It is to be mentioned that MapmyIndia is driving the Indian navigation and location-based services industry by providing products and services across all platforms – Internet, Mobile, In-car, Print, Voice, TV, etc. – to end-consumers directly as well as in partnership with leading international and national players. ‘MapmyIndia Navigator’, India’s largest selling in-car GPS navigation device, sells through over 2,200 outlets in 50 cities and online. It also caters to over 600+ leading public sector and enterprise customers across every vertical the solutions which utilize location to enable their business and functioning.
Referring to the groundbreaking applications devised for the CV industry, Mr. Verma stated: “MapmyIndia’s ‘Fleet’ is a comprehensive package for commercial fleet/truck operators, specially designed keeping in view their specific needs. This is the only commercial vehicle tracking app with house-level data for effective door-to-door tracking. As a front-runner in this industry, MapmyIndia’s ‘Fleet’ offers scalability to handle a few million vehicles and advanced data storage algorithms for users to retrieve data effectively. The telematics platform is also integrated with MapmyIndia’s Award winning navigation software platforms for in-vehicle use. ‘Fleet’ comes with a complete suite of native mobile apps on Android & iOS for users to quickly review their vehicle locations. The solution allows for route scheduling and control up to the actual pick-up and drop points. Features like Remote Immobilizer, Panic Button, Temperature Sensor, Geo-Fencing, Two-Way calling, RFID-assisted driver authorization & passenger identification, etc., ensure staff and asset safety. Being equipped with Route management, Vehicle register (expiry dates of certifications, services, etc.), Live Dispatch, Reporting, etc., the app also offers a lot in terms of operational efficiency and compliance.”
Besides transporters, MapmyIndia is also looking to partner with leading logistics and e-commerce firms like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Safexpress, DHL, Om Logistics and Federal Express for fleet management solutions like Fleet Tracker.
Talking about the association with OEMs, Mr. Verma maintained: “For Force Motors school buses, we have developed a product ‘School Children Safety Solutions’ which ensures safety and security. It is a combination of RFID+Tracking+Navigation+AV technology and is readily available for any other bus-makers. We have been approaching other schools and pitching for it. The response to this concept has been very good, and talks are on with Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, AMW, Bharat Benz, Volvo, etc., for a similar initiative. We are also looking to enlarge our presence with OTR vehicles and mining trucks wherein digital mapping applications are required.”
It is interesting to note that MapmyIndia maps, approved and cleared by the Union Government, comply with its norms and regulations. The two-decade-old firm is backed by leading high-tech and private equity firms such as Qualcomm Ventures, Lightbox Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners and Zenrin Co. Ltd. Currently posting a turnover of Rs. 100 crores, it is projecting a 50 per cent growth this financial year.
