Pridel Pvt Ltd: A Logistical Genius

PRIDEL Private Limited is a global logistics enterprise that has not only seen tremendous growth in the last 3 decades but with the optimization of technology they have scaled new heights. We spoke to the group’s youngest Director, Mr Aaryav Gupta, whose inclination towards technology and R&D to build new services, markets and solutions pushing his family enterprise towards foreseeing a milestone of Rs 1000 crores in revenues by 2026.

Tell us about your journey – how long have you been in the business and what is your vision for the future?

Pridel was started with a humble beginning in 1993 by my father after accumulating enormous experience and learning from 10+ years of working as a Logistics Manager at a firm in Moradabad. He found a huge gap in logistics management and to fill this gap he founded Global Cargo Forwarders now known as Pridel. Starting with a team of two which slowly expanded to a team of ten, the group extended its presence to the capital New Delhi in the year 2000. There was no looking back as we started to set up the presence across India offering logistics services to the clients. Mr. Swapnil Gupta, my elder brother, when he joined the business, we expanded our territories of service to our branches in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chennai and Cochin for our client base. In the year 2008, we saw a demand from our clients for transportation hence we decided to enter into this vertical and offer our client an integrated solution. Starting from 5 trailers in 2008, now, we operate a fleet of 221 trailers.

I joined the business in 2016 after completing my graduation and PG from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. I was initially hesitant to join the family business because I wanted to explore fields with more structured and organised structures and I wanted to implement fresh and innovative ideas to strengthen the company’s global operations. Fortunately, one of my mentors gave me the best advice about joining the family business and carrying on the legacy that my father and brother have established with the team. That’s when I decided to come back to India and take Pridel to newer heights. It took time for me to adjust and get along with the system and people before I could start taking any strategic calls but it was worth the effort. I tinkered with the technological aspects of the company and brought changes that were necessary for sustainable growth.

We are now focused towards expanding our territories without compromising on the quality and efficiency of the services we are currently providing. Integrity, commitment and innovation are the core of our company and we promise to move with them in all horizons of Life.

What is the outbound-inbound revenue ratio of your company’s solutions?

Our outbound solutions contribute to about 80% of the company’s revenue. However, there has been a small, yet strategic shift towards inbound post-Covid. With the newer initiatives we are targeting to increase our inbound solutions and make it contribute to 20% of the company’s revenue in the next 2 years.

“Pridel grew by almost 110% from FY20 – FY21.” – tell us about what strategies you adopted?

As the world was hit by COVID and life as we knew came to a standstill, we realized we had to optimize technology and provide solutions for the Logistics Industry. We had been investing in R&D for various processes and technology that helped us to streamline functions smoothly. When other companies were laying off and giving salary cuts, we paid our team members on time and without any deduction. We all worked very hard towards a single goal of Sustenance above Survival and achieved it during the hard times of Covid-19. The drivers who have been working with us for more than a decade stayed with us and we were able to deliver our services to the clients with much ease and efficacy. In fact, we onboarded 25+ new clients during the initial 2-3 months of the lockdown itself. So, it was the team’s hard work bundled with technology in the shape of our Home Grown ERP named “PRANALI” that helped us not only sail through but clock steep growth during that phase.

What kind of goods you were transporting during the pandemic?

Most shipments were essential commodities. The majority of the goods that we exported were poly films, Food Products, Industrial Commodities and Chemicals. Clients like Jindal Polyfilms, Dabur, Jubilant Ingrevia, Uflex and Greenlam trusted us with our services.

What are your expansion plans?

The key verticals in which we are currently operating are Freight Forwarding, Custom Clearance and EXIM and Domestic Transportation. We have recently ventured into Free Trade Warehousing vertical with a facility at Nhava Sheva and Chennai. We are getting a 50,000 sq ft Grade A multiuser facility constructed in Dadri. We are planning to set up new offices in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Vadodara along with a focus on increasing the warehousing space across India.

What are the marketing strategies of Pridel?

As an organization, it has been our commitment to our work that has helped us build a good market rapport. Logistics unlike some other businesses is very sensitive with strict timeline conditions and is a relationship-oriented business where you need to develop a good trust with your clients. Therefore, most of the sales that we get are through word of mouth. We have deployed a strong sales team that collates data from different sources and portals that are used in selling and pitching our services to new clients. We have started using digital platforms for increasing brand awareness and visibility. Our strategies include an expansion plan towards newer territories, India and abroad, and focus on IMPORT Shipments inbound to INDIA. We have also steadily contributed towards the adaptation of the latest technologies with a one-track vision of providing BEST And BETTER SERVICES to our clients which saves the effort and saves Logistics cost for end consumers. As mentioned earlier, we are deeply focused to expand to verticals namely, FTWZ, 3PL Warehousing and Imports.

What role does technology play in your business enhancement?

I strongly believe that technology in the right implementation can save a lot of effort and money for businesses. Newer technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Machine Learning and relatively simpler software such as Excel help in streamlining data and processes. We use technology to reduce the workload and time invested by the team in performing their tasks. Delivering the goods to the final destination involves custom clearance, transportation, freight forwarding and dealing with multiple vendors in the process. With technology, our team has the data at their disposal and they can easily track the process which actually helps to improve the efficiency by almost 75%. The bandwidth utilized in creating manual reports is alternatively used in better client servicing and notifications are delivered to the systems of our team. We are currently building client dashboards that would help our clients track the shipments and inform the clients that they are dealing with in case of delay.

Land, water and air travel routes may connect the world, but these are the logistic companies that harness these connections for the benefit of businesses and consumers. Established in 1994, Global Cargo Forwarders (GCF) started as a Custom House Broker and expanded to offer integrated logistics solutions over the years, before the group decided to merge all verticals under one umbrella named Pridel in the year 2016.

Share this on

What message do you want to give to young entrepreneurs?

Don’t be too serious as you would miss the fun and happiness of life. Arm yourself with the knowledge and different skillsets. Be aware of the happenings around the world as businesses are evolving by the minute. As a youth, you should be able to understand the geopolitical situations around the world, the fluctuation of the currencies and how technology shapes our lives and environment. One needs to consume podcasts, books and valuable content, outside of academics, as it gives us insight into known realms and broadens our horizons. Focus on a healthy body and MIND which is a much important aspect and if ignored leads to dissatisfaction.

(For business related queries, contact: info@pridel.com)

(A marketing initiative by Open Avenues)

About The Author

Open