At a time when women empowerment is on almost everyone's agenda, Mumbai-based last-mile cargo delivery company, Hey Deedee, is providing employment opportunities to women from low-income families by turning them into well-trained delivery agents.
Currently, operating out of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Bengaluru, the first all-women logistics company in India plans to expand to Kolkata soon followed by centres in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. "I have been associated with women empowerment for years. I pioneered the concept of a women-operated cab service in Asia with Forsche back in 2007," says Revathi Roy, CEO and co-founder of Hey Deedee. "I sold my shares in the company and started Hey Deedee in 2016 with Jagdish Gothi. I had realised the potential of the logistics sector. Last mile delivery service will be a booming sector for years to come. The number of people ordering online will only increase over the years. Thus, there will always be a demand for delivery executives. So why not create a pool of women riders and drivers?" she asks.
A woman's path to get a job has always been riddled with hurdles — irrespective of the socio-economic strata she belongs to. "We start right from mobilisation. We have a team of social work postgraduates who approach communities, NGOs, political parties and anyone and everyone who can help us get in touch with women from low-income families," explains Revathi. "We select women who want to learn the skills and are committed to working hard."
There is an extensive 45-day training where the women are taught public relations, hygiene, road signs, traffic rules and a hoard of other aspects that would help them, along with driving classes. The driving training is in two parts — first ten days on a simulator (both four-wheeler and two-wheeler) and then a month on the vehicle. "We charge a subsidised fee of Rs 1,500 for two-wheeler training and Rs 3,000 for four-wheeler training," says Roy, adding, "The major part of the training programme is funded by CSR foundations."
The company is currently working with some of the giants in the e-commerce sector. "We operate like any other logistics start-up. We pitch to e-commerce companies and then tie up with them if the deal goes forward," Revathi says. The company kicked off with a pre-seed fund from California-based Metaform Ventures LLC but is getting ready to pitch to investors soon.
