Strategy and approach Blowhorn has adopted to scale its operations and achieve more compared to the pre-COVID era

1. What has the impact of the pandemic been on the sector? Please share some data and figures to compare pre-COVID-19 to COVID-19

The pandemic brought with it significant changes to business requirements and forced companies and individuals to innovate themselves to remain relevant. The demand-side saw many customers that conventionally functioned offline to go online. While the sector was deeply impacted, with the implementation of the right interventions, Blowhorn’s business picked up in no time. The company has seen tangible improvement in the performance during the pandemic with volumes increasing by 40% compared to the pre-COVID era. Our margins have improved and our customer base has diversified and expanded by around 30%.

2. With the last-mile delivery picking up speed, what is the most important factor to consider?

Last-mile deliveries are the final piece of a complex system. Apart from aligning with consumer and business expectations, an effective last-mile strategy must consistently increase the value for consumers. Planning is absolutely essential to achieving an effective last-mile logistics strategy. To ensure seamless deliveries while fulfilling the evolving needs of consumers, it is imperative to leverage the right technology such as AI, ML etc. The cornerstone of modern-day logistic strategies, however, is for the strategy to focus on consumer needs regardless of whether it is B2B or B2C sales. The focus has to be on the customer experience and the need to provide them with the best and cost-efficient options. Some evergreen factors need to be kept in mind while considering last-mile deliveries such as speed, timeliness, accuracy, and trackability.

3. What are your thoughts on the National Logistics Policy? How do you think this is going to impact the logistics start-ups and meet the demands of the existing ones?

The logistics sector in India has historically been remained fragmented and unregulated, despite its centrality to economic growth. The National Logistics Policy by the government will organize the sector and making the supply chain more efficient supporting the start-ups with their operations and accelerating growth. The policy aims to streamline the rules and address the supply-side constraints, leading to lower logistics costs and greater competitiveness for Indian products worldwide. While the idea is appreciated, will need to get a lot more clarity on the specifics of the policy to share an in-depth perspective.

4. How has Blowhorn helped in mitigating the risks of deliveries during the pandemic?

Safety and hygiene have always been a priority for Blowhorn and earlier this year, the company further enhanced these protocols. Keeping in mind the drivers who are the backbone of our business, we provided PPE kits to all our driver-partners. We also used world-class technology to train them on contactless deliveries as well as regular guidance on the importance of hygiene and safety. With safety at the forefront of everything we do, given the current circumstances, ensuring our drivers are enabled with the best safety features was a top priority. In this regard, we have offered our health and accident insurance to support them. From in-person hospitalization to a road ambulance and other benefits, the health insurance includes an insured sum of INR 1 lakh along with benefits under the accident insurance as well. 

5. With the boom in the e-commerce sector during the lockdown, what measures were taken by Blowhorn to ensure operational efficacies?

At Blowhorn, the lockdown brought with it a great opportunity for us to bring our energies back to providing the customers with the best services in the challenging period. We focused on last-mile connectivity, efficient transportation, time of delivery to name a few while maintaining a 100% safe and hygienic environment for our employees and drivers. Additionally, we focused on contact-less deliveries to ensure the safest experience for our stakeholders. Given our strength in tech, a large network of delivery executives, and logistics infrastructure, Blowhorn has become an extremely viable and nimble option to meet the sudden increased demand for faster and more efficient deliveries.