For a proud denizen of Bengaluru, what could’ve been better than to have some of the choicest groceries from legendary neighbourhood provision stores be delivered at his or her doorstep. It might be an apt expression for a city so cozily wrapped in a blanket of memorable habits and practices.
If Bhojan were to be called any food startup, it might be an incomplete reference, for the brand founded by Bengaluru’s Anuradha Sheshagiri has embarked on a ‘hundred-foot-journey’ of sorts, granting locals quality vegetarian provisions, especially tapping into the very popular buy-and-save grocery stores.
“Bhojan came up early this year. While there are several large established food tech players helping deliver relevant items (FMCG and groceries) to households, I realised that there was none tapping into buy-and-save stores — which sell products at discounted prices — as a part of their sourcing. As a native of Bengaluru, I was aware of how popular some of these stores are, known for their time-honoured quality and cost-effectiveness,” Sheshagiri said.
Accordingly, the Bhojan food aggregator app contacted, tied up with, and listed 45 buy-and-save stores in Bengaluru, with an intention of primarily supplying customers with household kitchen groceries (grain, cereal, pulses, oils, vegetables and fruits, among others).
In terms of the app’s function and usage, Sheshagiri said, “Customers will have to download the Android-based app and then feed in one’s name, phone number and email id. Then, on searching locations, they’ll find a list of all vendors present. Once a vendor is selected, his product list will pop up, after which the order may be placed. A minimum order of Rs 1,000 must be made, and a bill will be generated. The delivery address must be keyed in, the submit button hit, and the order id sought. The groceries will be delivered within three hours.”
Currently, most of the deliveries are made by the stores themselves, with only a cash-on-delivery option available for paying bills. There is also a vendor app that allows them to list inventory and track orders. The app boasts a modest over 300 downloads, with over 60 active users. In terms of revenue generation, Bhojan earns a percentage commission from each vendor.
“I sought a $50,000 commitment from an angel to begin this business, which is being used in developing user-base, increasing vendor-base, moving to more cities, and facilitating own logistics,” she said.
Over the next six months, looking at going beyond tapping stores, Bhojan wants to increase stability in Bengaluru, while over the next one year, it’s looking at setting up mobile stores in Bengaluru, and other places within Karnataka. “The plan is to have an own supply chain in order to control delivery-time, and last-mile connectivity. The aim is to have at least four mobile vans across Bengaluru, and I am in talks with suppliers and farmers to source fresh produce. Foraying into Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada is also being considered,” Sheshagiri said, adding that there are plans to even tap the restaurant market.