Evify Plans To Expand Through Geofencing, Client Analytics And Driver & Fleet Management: Pragya Mittal & Devrishi Arora, Evify

Q1. What is Evify?

Evify is a full stack tech enabled green logistics platform that offers first -mid - last mile delivery solutions to its end consumers. Devrishi Arora and Pragya Mittal founded EVIFY in July 2021 in Surat, Gujarat, with a vision to further build a sustainable green logistics services infrastructure (ecosystem) in the country.

Evify offers a combination of two broad level services to its consumers - Logistics Infrastructure (Fleet) and Technology Solutions. This translates into providing solutions for delivery players across FMCG, Ecommerce, etc. who are replacing the traditional solutions with EV. The technology solutions are further integrated via Eveeto the logistics wing of Evify that boasts of prowess like EV Fleet management, Driver management, Route optimization, Battery management system (BMS), Telematics, Financing and loan management, Credit risk analysis. Eveeto also gives clients access to various insights through a single point dashboard. This allows clients to optimise their spend and improve efficiencies across processes. 

Q2. How have you started with Evify?

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has pledged to electrify the country's transportation by 2030, promising that 65 per cent of vehicle sales will be electric. However, achieving this goal is heavily reliant on increased adoption of two-and three-wheeled EVs, which currently dominate India's streets. The leadership of Evify believes that there is a huge opportunity to electrify our country’s logistics operations.

Apart from this, the logistics sector was experiencing a sudden boom, which seems to have stabled now as well. Post lockdown, the masses have become reliant on delivery services for their daily needs, and the increase in demand has pushed delivery partners to streamline. Evify saw this potential and offered a solution through its platform. The fact that both the founders are part of portfolio companies in the sustainability space helped them to quicken their launch. 

Q3. Are you planning to raise another round of funds in the coming months?

Yes, Evify will be looking at raising the next round once its current commitments from the latest round are in line. However, it has opened a new funding round that will help the company get 2000 EVs by March 2023. It also wants to expand to cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Rajkot.

Evify had completed a seed funding round earlier this month, securing about USD 100K from investors including We Founder Circle, Speed and Scale incubators, Gaurav Singhvi, Gaurav Juneja, and Saurabh Agarwal. The company plans to use the allocation to further expand its team, operations, and technology. 

Q4. What is Evify’s differentiator amongst other similar players?

The goal of Evify is to offer sustainable logistics-based end-to-end services to India’s e-commerce giants. It has made huge investments in terms of time and resources to develop a full-stack platform that gives end users multiple insights into their fleet. In addition, the company also performs R&A on making in-house batteries with smart BMS devices that help them collect crucial data. It helps in taking preventive steps to avoid any accidents. 

Evify has also installed smart charging points in all the prime locations of the city to build a charging infrastructure to reduce range anxiety and improve its fleet’s performance.

Unlike other industry participants, Evify intends to usher a change in the country's logistics sector and contribute to the fight against the climate threat that our world is currently experiencing. It is on track to deliver over 1.5 million packages by the end of the year. Conventional logistics could result in CO₂ emissions of up to 1392 tonnes. However, with its EV fleet, Evify intends to deliver it with only 262 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, saving 1130 tonnes of CO₂.

Q5. How has been the journey of Evify so far?

EVs are still at a nascent stage in India. Though there are several players in the sector, it is not common for these brands to focus on their environmental impact. In other words, our assumption that all EVs are green is not true. However, Evify evaluates how it can keep its operations value-based and green to ensure less energy wastage and carbon emissions. 

Besides vehicles on a delivery and rental basis, the company also offers delivery personnel to our partner companies. So far, it has achieved 68,000+ green deliveries across 3,50,000+ green km. The company also plans to add another 3,000–4,000 vehicles to its fleet by the end of the year. 

Also, out of 500 startups, Evify was chosen for the Climate Tech 100, which is a list of the top 100 Indian climate tech companies based on research and review by EAI.

The founders of Evify seek to reinvent the Indian logistics business to tackle the current climate crisis. They also intend to install solar panels on the rooftops of their offices, parking lots, and warehouses.

Q6. Challenges in the EV industry do you foresee in the future?

EVs are replacing traditional modes of transportation, such as two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers, at a much faster rate than was predicted. Most e-commerce, logistics, and food delivery platforms have begun to use electric vehicles for last-mile deliveries.

However, before EVs can fully enter the mainstream mobility market, they must overcome a number of challenges, including public acceptance and adequate charging infrastructure. That is why Evify is building several charging stations for its fleet. It will continue to establish them in cities where its logistics services are expanded. Furthermore, alternative energy sources will be required for EVs to be truly sustainable, as most electric networks are still powered by coal.

Additionally, there have been multiple reports of EVs catching fire, which could lead to a slew of fallacies that can hinder EV adoption. To overcome this huge barrier, there is a need to investigate the packaging and design of Li-ion batteries, as well as incorporate safety mechanisms to ensure that no vehicles catch fire. These are some of the critical issues that the founders believe the industry must address.

Q7. Your take on the metaverse? Most automotive companies are moving towards the metaverse. Have you planned anything in this space?

The Metaverse is one of the most significant technological developments of this decade. Almost every industry is joining the space for fear of missing out and losing the early mover advantage. We don't see why it should be any different for automakers.

It has the ability to revolutionise the entire process of our social, economic, and political dynamics. Not only logistics, but industries like ecommerce, automakers, and retail also stand to benefit from the metaverse. 

Though for now, Evify is not entering the space, it is keeping a close eye on how warehouse simulation and its digital twin can increase efficiency in the logistics processes and reduce costs. In addition, the company is also considering the use of other recent technologies like industrial IoT, VR, and blockchain for its various operations.

Overall, we believe that the metaverse is beneficial for almost all industry segments to optimise their processes and avoid additional costs. And if everything turns out to be hale and hearty, they might as well join the metaverse bandwagon.    

Q8. What next big updates will we see from Evify in the next six months to a year? 

Evify plans to expand the scope of its platform by incorporating technologies such as geofencing, client analytics, and driver and fleet management. Furthermore, the company plans to expand its SOPs, increase its two-wheeler and three-wheeler fleets, and install smart charging points in each city where it expands.

In terms of clientele, Evify plans to begin cooperating with major online merchants such as Amazon, Flipkart, and others. By March 2023, the company aims to hire more than 2,000 drivers. According to its current estimates, the number of drivers hired could increase to more than 10,000 in the next two years. 

It is expected that India's EV business will be worth more than USD 15 billion by 2027. A green logistics business model has a lot of promise for the future growth of India's 160 billion USD logistics industry.

Moreover, as a carbon-conscious firm, Evify aims to continue to mitigate all kinds of emissions and wastage in our operations. 

Q9. How do you think EVs are transforming the arena of logistics and the government's influence on the e-mobility sector?

EVs have completely changed the way cars are built and are a cost-efficient and clean solution that is transforming the logistics sector. The distributions throughout the supply chain have also been significantly impacted by EVs as they have become more widely available.

The high cost of fuel, increased pollution, and obligations to curb climate change have all been crucial throughout this age. 

According to NITI Aayog, logistics costs in India might decrease by 4 per cent of our country's GDP with the help of EVs. By 2030, this will result in considerable savings. The founders of the company believe a major opportunity for EV penetration exists in last-mile mobility. However, there is still a need for a ramp-up of critical enablers, such as subsidies and ease of financing, for rapid EV deployment. 

The estimated value of India's EV market by 2027 will be around USD 15 billion. The future growth of India's 160 billion USD logistics sector holds great promise for a green logistics business model.