THE IDEA for Selvam V.M.S.’ one-year-old fruit and vegetable (F&V) supply chain start-up Wheelocity came up during a casual coffee shop conversation in Bengaluru. After some more brainstorming, Selvam identified the problems still unaddressed in fresh F&V commerce. “India is the second-largest cultivator of fruits and vegetables with an estimated market value of $136 billion in 2027, but 40% of the 1 million tonne of produce from our farms per day is wasted in traditional post-harvest supply chain,” says the founder and CEO of the brand.
The company chooses local women as delivery partners. The team procures based on their orders and the women receive the fruits and vegetables at their doorsteps and deliver them to villages in electric three-wheelers. The itinerary is fixed and logistical and operational challenges are controlled through the Wheelocity app installed in the women’s smartphones. The app gives directions regarding display, assortment, speed of the vehicle and temperature inside the van through notifications.
Wheelocity’s data science, engineering and supply chain expertise enable them to figure out demand as well as wastage. It has already brought down the waste to less than 4%. “From a food security standpoint, considering 98% of our plate is vegetarian, it is significant,” says Selvam. The women make ₹800-1,000 per day by putting in 4-6 hours.
The company’s revenue comes from the cost/kg model. The produce is procured from farmers across the country, and a fee is charged on the cost/kg produced from entrepreneur users/buyers that flow through the network.
With Series A funding by Lightspeed and Anicut Capital, and an estimated 20x growth in the next nine months, the brand is looking to expand beyond Tamil Nadu, where they are currently in, to other states as well. — Vijayalakshmi Sridhar