How Dilkhush Kumar's RodBez is disrupting the taxi booking industry with its "Bihari Jugaad"

At a Glance:

Shark Tank India Season 3 Episode 3
Startup Name: RodBez
Founder: Dilkhush Kumar
Startup’s Location: Bihar
Website: RodBez
Industry/ Business Segment: Taxi Booking/ Aggregator Service
Original Ask: ₹50 lakhs for 5% Equity
Original Valuation Sought: ₹10 Crores
Funding Received: ₹20 lakhs for 5% equity + ₹30 lakhs debt at 12 % interest for 2 years
Valuation Received: ₹4 Crores
Sharks Who Invested: Vineeta Singh and Ritesh Agarwal

TL; DR

Pros: 
- Designed to be useful for both drivers and passengers, with an interface similar to Uber
- Real-time cab tracker
- Assigned captain for each ride
- ‘Bihari Jugaad’ used to bring together necessary resources

Cons:
- Kumar will need to give up some of his shares and offer better equity to investors, which may impact his decision-making abilities
- Challenge of maintaining the same level of service and avoiding running out of funds

Overview

RodBez, a Bihar-based taxi booking platform, made a significant impact on Shark Tank India. Founded by Dilkhush Kumar, RodBez offers a unique solution to the challenges faced by commuters due to unorganised taxi services in Bihar.

About the Founder - Dilkhush Kumar

Dilkhush Kumar, a native of Bihar, India, has a compelling background story. Despite facing financial difficulties in his youth and being unable to attend advanced courses, he completed his matriculation at M.L.T. College, Saharsa. He worked as a rickshaw driver and vegetable vendor before becoming the founder and CEO of RodBez. His strength lies in his determination, resilience, innovative thinking and firsthand understanding of the taxi and transportation sector in Bihar.

About RodBez

RodBez emerged from Dilkhush’s vision to create an Uber-like service suitable for small towns. The startup’s mission is to provide hassle-free journeys at a budget price. Paying attention to the way “Roadways” is pronounced in a native Bihari’s mouth, he decided to name it RodBez so that there is brand recall.

RodBez has grown significantly since its inception, establishing itself as Bihar’s largest one-way taxi, taxi pool, and carpool platform. The startup has a positive community influence, with its app being downloaded by 1 lakh+ people at the time of writing. RodBez’s business model indirectly contributes to environmental sustainability by promoting carpooling and reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

RodBez’s Services

RodBez aims to solve the problem of high commuting costs due to unorganised taxi services. Its unique selling proposition (USP) is its one-way taxi service, which allows customers to save up to 40% in commute charges. The company's innovative business model connects two passengers travelling in opposite directions in a single taxi, setting it apart from competitors like Ola and Uber by offering affordable services tailored to the needs of small-town commuters in Bihar.

RodBez provides taxi pool or carpooling services, where the cab driver logs their journey details into the app, and the passenger can view their return route and time and book their rides. The app also offers a live tracking system that allows users to know the taxi's exact location at any given time. This service ensures up to 60% savings for the customer. They also offer ‘Captains’ to the riders to help them in case of any issues.

Dilkhush, the founder of RodBez, understands the problems faced by passengers and has designed an app that caters to their needs. If a customer misses a flight due to a delay in the cab service, the company promptly arranges for a ticket on the next available flight.

RodBez’s Business Statistics

RodBez operates in a large market, with hundreds of passengers in Bihar travelling one way from one city to another or from city to village every day. The startup’s business model is primarily online, with services offered through its platform and mobile applications.

Financial Highlights:

• Initial investment: ₹46 lakhs

• Monthly burn: ₹1.5 lakhs

• Commission: 20% per ride booked

RodBez’s Equity Structure

• Founder Dilkhush Kumar: 80%

• Siddharth Shankar Jha: 5%

• Mentor and other investors: 15%

Feedback from the Sharks on RodBez’s Pitch

The sharks were impressed by their pitch, with Peyush Bansal calling them 'genius’. The sharks provided the following feedback:

Anupam Mittal:
Being in a similar sector across states, Anupam felt with his current funding patterns, this company would be difficult to scale.

Peyush Bansal:
Peyush felt that they should raise investments from their current investors so that their equity would also average out which would help them generate more revenue.

Aman Gupta:
Aman felt that at the burn rate of the capital, they have a very short runway.

Competitors for RodBez in India

RodBez faces competition from other established businesses in the same industry. Some of the notable competitors include Aarya Go Cab (Dilkhush Kumar’s last venture), Uber, Ola, QuickRide, and Meru.

RodBez’s Funding on Shark Tank India

RodBez received funding for Shark Tank India. The startup secured a deal of ₹20 lakhs for 5% equity + ₹30 lakhs debt at 12 % interest for 2 years from Vineeta Singh and Ritesh Agarwal.

Useful Links

• RodBez’s Official Website

• RodBez’s Story on India Times

• RodBez’s Feature on The Print

Watch RodBez’s Episode

Beyond the Tank - Interview with Dilkhush Kumar, the founder of RodBez

Coming Soon…

RodBez Promo code

Here is an exclusive RodBez coupon code for Beyond the Tank Community members:

Coming Soon…

FAQs for RodBez

1. What is RodBez?
   A: RodBez is Bihar’s largest One Way Taxi, Taxipool & Carpool platform. It offers mobility solutions by connecting customers to Taxi Drivers.
   

2. What services does RodBez offer? 
   A: RodBez offers One Way Taxi, Taxipool, and Carpool services. It connects 2 passengers travelling from opposite directions into a single taxi, reducing travel costs by up to 40%.

3. How does RodBez ensure the safety of its rides?

   A: RodBez has enterprise security features and verified professional drivers to make every ride safe, happy, and memorable. It also provides live tracking with ETA. They also provide ‘Captains’ to assist the riders with any issues.
   

4. Does RodBez provide services in different states?  

   A: No, currently RodBez is only available in Bihar

About Shark Tank India

Shark Tank India, a reality show, offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to present their business ideas to potential investors, known as "sharks." Launched in 2009 in the United States, it has since been adapted globally, including in India. Contestants on Shark Tank India pitch their ideas to multiple sharks in a dynamic, high-stakes setting. If a shark expresses interest, they can make an offer and potentially become an investor in the showcased business.

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