HomeAutoIn conversation with Automovill's CEO Mridu Mahendra Das

In conversation with Automovill’s CEO Mridu Mahendra Das

Most Read

Today we speak with Mridu Mahendra Das, Co-founder & CEO of Automovill to understand how Automovill is shaping the auto servicing industry through its innovative product offerings.

Read the complete interview:

- Advertisement -

TechGraph: Could you help give a sense of how far Automovill has come since its existence? From when it began to where it is now?

Mridu Das: Automovill was inspired by our personal experiences as local mechanics were not always credible, and OEM workshops charge hefty prices. In response to the inconsistent solutions provided by auto repair workshops and mechanics, I (Mridu Mahendra Das), Chinmay Baruah and joined by Ramana Sambu as Co-Founder and CBO of Automovill, a one-stop shop for all automobile services.

We together kick-started the Automovill journey back in 2016 by serving a small number of customers among friends and family, which further fueled our belief in the concept.

Today, Automovill is a well-established household name as it is one of the top three players in the online auto service segment, with affiliations to 200+ workshops across India.

The company serves over 2500 customers per month and we have a skilled team of over 70 employees who ensure the highest level of quality and transparency. Automovill also serves all stakeholders in the automobile ecosystem, such as health insurers, car dealerships, ride-hailing services, fleet owners, leasing companies, and parts/lube manufacturers.

TechGraph: How is the response so far to your services?

Mridu Das: In our first 2-3 years of operation, We focused on customer satisfaction rather than gaining traction which helped us understand customer requirements and expectations. Over 2,00,000 cars handled to date testify to Automovill’s seamless, tech-driven services provided to our loyal customers.

In addition, Automovill is a full-service maintenance company and not just an aggregator of local garages and mechanics. We not only provide on-demand assistance through a wide network of partners, suppliers, and auto specialists but also guarantee end-to-end responsibility, from vehicle pickup to servicing, with a post-service customer connection.

Furthermore, Automovill offers a 6-month or 5000-kilometer warranty on any part replaced by the brand, ensuring a top-notch experience for the client with complete security.

TechGraph: Do you think tech-powered automobile service providers can address the auto servicing gap in India?

Mridu Das: Yes definitely, the existing gaps are the cornerstone for many tech-powered automobile service providers. The insufficiency of quality auto-service centers in India added with a slew of other challenges like – higher waiting time, supply chain issues, non-transparent experience, and optimization of the overall process have increased the demand for automobile start-ups.

Multi-brand car service industry arose from the need to provide cutting-edge technology at the lowest possible cost. It is a pressing reason that drives the average car owner away from authorized dealerships towards multi-brand car service centers. Also, the exit of many four-wheeler companies in India offers a huge market for many automobile service providers to propel and deliver what is needed.

TechGraph: How Automovill is leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience?

- Advertisement -

Mridu Das: Automovill has an in-house technology and product team, as well as some preferred technology partners, who contribute to the smooth operation of the Automovill tech platform. The core technology platform of Automovill includes a website, m-site, admin portal for order management and CRM, apps for executives, drivers, and clients, and a client portal for tracking requests.

The cohesive platform enables clients to book the service they need, and Automovill manages the request with the most convenient service provider.

The client portal also calculates the expense of each vehicle fixed by Automovill. By leveraging technology with AI/ML and providing prescriptive, preventive, and predictive maintenance solutions to manage a car’s life cycle, the platform builds trust, transparency, and user-friendliness in service.

TechGraph: How AI/ML is helping in the revolution of automobile services?

Mridu Das: Today’s automotive industry is on the verge of a massive progression. To keep ahead of players in the market, ambitious automobile start-ups are fortifying new technologies such as AI and ML to automate their operations and services.

IoT sensors powered by AI collect valuable data about vehicle conditions and driver behavior. Based on the findings, the machine learning algorithm can accurately predict when the vehicle part will break down or which component requires servicing. AI and ML technology also extend assistance in product research and development, procurement, supply chain distribution, sales and customer service, and marketing.

TechGraph: What technology trends will shape the Auto servicing space?

Mridu Das: The increased sophistication of digitized vehicles is already putting pressure on auto repair shops to upgrade their technology to provide maintenance and repair services.

To keep with the trends many players in the automotive industry are rapidly adopting cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) which are poised to disrupt and transform the way auto servicing space works, repairs, and offers services.

These automated technologies pay off from the first day of use, keeping the shop busy, customers happy, and mechanics moving. Auto repair shops that want to ensure their existence must start taking steps now to prepare their workshops and their employees for the coming years which will be remarkably different due to new and transformative trends.

TechGraph: What are the new products in the pipeline?

Mridu Das: Yes, at Automovill we are re-launching a comprehensive platform (Automovill Express) for technicians/garages to increase their learning/earning and improve their digital presence to attract more revenue and upskilling opportunities.

Automovill is also aiming to become the leading provider of insurance claims through its network of insurance agents and digitize the entire process of handling insurance claims to fulfilling the repair process via the Automovill DSA app.

Subscribe To Morning Newsletters

Sign up to receive the latest news stories, exclusive interviews, and more in your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Editor's Pick

Krishna Mali
Krishna Mali
Founder, CEO & Group Editor of TechGraph.

Read More Stories

SKF Showcases Intelligent & Clean Solutions for the Textile Industry at International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITME) 2022

SKF India, the country's leading technology and solutions provider of bearings and services will showcase innovative products and solutions...

OneRare and Cornitos: Bringing the Magic of Cornitos to the Foodverse

Cornitos is a leader in the Snack category and has always strived to give its fans and patrons the...

Chitkara University Signs MoU with NEC Corporation India to Transform Learning in the Field of AI/ML

Chitkara University announced its collaboration with NEC Corporation India, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, for a comprehensive...

Role of skills-based hiring in promoting inclusive economic growth in India

In recent years, India's employment landscape has experienced a profound shift, with an increasing emphasis on skills-based hiring. This...

Global Cryptocurrency Regulations: Impact on Industry and Investor Behavior in 2024

The world of cryptocurrency has seen remarkable growth and evolution since its inception, transitioning from obscure digital assets to...

COP28 UAE: SANY Promotes Green Manufacturing Transformation, Takes Concrete Action to Tackle Climate Challenges

CHANGSHA, China, Nov. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SANY Group, ("SANY"), a globally leading enterprise of the high-end equipment manufacturing industry, is accentuating advancing sustainable development and the green manufacturing transformation of the heavy machinery industry, ahead of the COP28 UAE, that is set to take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. The theme of the 13-day program this year is "Actionism," calling for people to rise to meet the climate change challenges.

The COP28 will center on four major paradigm shifts – namely accelerating the transition from fossil fuels, agreeing on climate finance shifts, emphasizing the role of people and nature in climate action, and ensuring the summit is an inclusive event that women, indigenous people, local communities, youth, countries and more can all be a part of.

SANY is responding actively and positively to the summit's agenda with concrete actions to promote the transformation of green manufacturing, bringing sustainable solutions to the industries of mining, construction, wind power, and more.

Taking green actions to build a sustainable future

SANY is vigorously expanding the use of green energy (renewables such as solar and wind) in production processes to reduce the reliance on traditional energy sources, lower carbon emissions, and support climate change actions. It has adopted multiple initiatives, especially in accelerating the R&D and application of wind energy, hydrogen, and electrification solutions, and achieved significant results.

SANY's subsidiary SANY Renewable Energy has been investing in and constructing wind farms to boost the proportion of wind power in the energy structure, through intelligent upgrades in manufacturing and creating intelligent workshops. By doing this, SANY Renewable Energy has reduced the overall unit energy consumption and carbon emissions by 15 percent compared to pre-upgrade.

In 2022, SANY has added more than 3,000 energy metering connections. SANY built China's first intelligent mixing station park and invested 3.22 million yuan in photovoltaic construction that will produce 900,000 kWh of power annually. The park will cut 887 tons of carbon emission, 242 tons of dust emissions, 26.7 tons of sulfide, and 13.4 tons of nitric oxide to achieve synergetic development of intelligent manufacturing and environmental conservation.

A total of 11 subsidiaries of SANY have installed photovoltaic power generation equipment, with clean energy usage amounting to 16.013 million kWh.

SANY is actively engaged in the R&D of hydrogen fuel cell technology to improve battery efficiency, reduce cost, and boost the production and storage capabilities, while expanding the applications of hydrogen energy.

Innovation-driven climate action tackles industry bottlenecks

Through establishing a green supply chain, SANY adopts renewable materials and environmentally friendly technologies to reduce resource waste and improve the sustainability of the supply chain.

SANY continues to improve the long-term mechanism for pollution prevention and control, strengthen the control of waste emissions including water, gas, and other hazardous substances, and be cautious of business and operation actions that could damage the ecological environment. In 2022, the group's wastewater and gas emissions met the standard rate of 100 percent, with a 100 percent compliance rate for hazardous waste disposal.

The group is also pushing for using environment-friendly materials to minimize pollution, so that the carbon reduction throughout the product life cycle also includes materials. In 2022, its VOCs emission density was 0.0011 tons per million revenue, a 39.71 percent reduction from the base year.

Meanwhile, the continuous upgrade of production techniques and processes, promotion of energy conservation technologies, and advancement of low-carbon technology development are not only playing key roles in improving production efficiency, but also reducing carbon footprint and aims to reach the "dual-carbon" goals.

Calling for the public's participation

SANY has been carrying out training programs and campaigns centered on environmental protection for employees, while further raising community engagement in terms of green, low-carbon, community-friendly, and educational innovation agendas. In 2022, the company employees completed 687.4 hours of volunteer work, and SANY invested 9.75 million yuan in the year to support 15 public welfare projects.

SANY Construction Industry is leading the green technology application in urban infrastructure construction to accelerate the sustainable development of cities and building intelligent cities, green transportation systems, and energy-conserving architectures to reduce energy consumption, improving urban environment quality and people's livelihoods.

In terms of biodiversity and sustainable development, SANY emphasizes the conservation of soil, ocean, crops, and animals to create a better future, and advocates a circular economy to decrease the waste of resources.

In the context of increasingly severe issues of global climate change, SANY, as a leader in the green industry, is committed to promoting sustainable development and actively joining global efforts to address climate change through comprehensive initiatives such as green supply chains, green energy, and carbon emission reduction.

For more information about SANY Group, please visit www.sanyglobal.com or follow us on Facebook or YouTube.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2284211/SANY_s_New_Energy_Action.mp4
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1518641/logo_Logo.jpg

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cop28-uae-sany-promotes-green-manufacturing-transformation-takes-concrete-action-to-tackle-climate-challenges-301996601.html