The founder and chief executive officer of Zippee is helping D2C brands and e-commerce players bridge the gap between customer expectations and delivery realities by providing next-generation fulfilment infrastructure
Madhav Kasturia’s journey with Zippee exemplifies the transformative potential of innovative logistics solutions in the e-commerce industry. By addressing critical pain points and embracing technology-driven strategies, Zippee is revolutionising same-day delivery and empowering D2C brands to thrive in a competitive market landscape.
Madhav Kasturia embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in 2015 as one of India’s youngest Food & Beverage entrepreneurs while studying at Hindu College in Delhi. Graduating in 2018, he ventured into scaling a chain of multi-brand dark kitchens across Delhi and Mumbai. However, it was during a period of personal need, while bedridden with an injury during a COVID lockdown, that the idea for Zippee was born. Frustrated by the lengthy delivery times for his online purchases, Kasturia saw an opportunity to revolutionise same-day delivery logistics in India.
Redefining Same-Day Delivery
Founded in 2021, Zippee quickly gained traction as India’s first same-day delivery logistics platform focused on e-commerce brands. Leveraging a network of tech-enabled dark stores and fleets across 10 Indian cities, Kasturia aims to bridge the gap between customer expectations and delivery realities. Shifting its focus from ‘growth at all costs’ to ‘only sustainable growth’, Madhav moved fast on streamlining fulfilment processes and refining category focus. Kasturia believed that brands concentrating on fulfilling a limited number of stock-keeping units (SKUs)—typically, 40 or fewer—tend to enhance consumer engagement, brand loyalty, and profitability. The shift has been evident through Zipee’s optimised delivery networks, catering to the increasing demands of over 120 D2C brands across 1,000 pin codes in 10 cities and nine states, facilitated by a network of 150 dark stores and a last-mile delivery fleet.
Navigating Challenges and Achieving Success
Despite facing initial hurdles such as demand, supply, capital, and competence, Kasturia prioritised customer trust, transparency, and operational efficiency, which propelled its rapid growth and expansion. His innovative approach includes utilizing dark stores as storage-cum-fulfilment centres exclusively for D2C brands. Equipped with advanced systems and tech features like live order tracking and cash-on-delivery (COD) verification, these dark stores enable seamless order fulfilment and quick delivery. Processing an average of 1.25 lakh shipments every month Kasturia is targeting Rs50 crore in annual run rate (ARR) in the current financial year.
Tackling Cost and Competition
As e-commerce continues to evolve, Zippee faces challenges from incumbents and market giants. However, strategic partnerships, innovative solutions, and a focus on customer experience set Zippee apart in the competitive landscape. With ambitious plans for expansion and growth, Zippee aims to redefine logistics in the D2C ecosystem and empower brands to deliver exceptional service to online shoppers.
The startup secured $1.6 Mn funding from consumer giant Haldiram’s and marquee angels such as Kunal Shah (CRED), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), Ashneer Grover (BharatPe), Prashant Pitti (EaseMyTrip), Aakash Anand (Bella Vita Organics), Arjun Vaidya (V3 Ventures), and Raj Shamani (House of X) to scale up hiring, build its tech infrastructure, and expand its physical footprint. Zippee is poised to expand its footprint to 10 additional cities in 2024, with a targeted objective of reaching operational breakeven within less than four months in these new markets.
Kasturia is a featured speaker, an e-commerce expert for media publications and an advisor to funds across India.
He was most recently invited by the UN General Assembly in New York to share more on India’s e-commerce + Digital public infra playbook—as part of a delegation of India’s top tech founders and policy thinkers like Amitabh Kant and Ruchira Khamboj.
The founder and Chief executive Officer (CEO) of Zippee joins Vineet Gautam, CEO, Bestseller India for a Fireside Chat at the Phygital Retail Convention (PRC) 2024 for an interesting discussion on the success of quick commerce in food and essentials to explore if the blueprint of Quick Commerce can be successfully applied to the Fashion industry as well.
Join them to discover the possibilities!
