Cover Story

It was pretty much a ‘Eureka’ moment as far as we were concerned. But friends and family thought we were crazy. For starters, they said, such a business would be illegal as the Indian government did not allow diesel to be resold beyond a petrol pump

Our first pilot was to build a mobile petrol pump for Tata Motors in 10 days. It seemed impossible, but that’s what our company stands for–Relentless and Positive. We believe if you set out for the right cause with the right intention, everything is possible. And that’s how he came on board. Mr. Ratan Tata promised to invest with us and he did. His mentorship means everything. Be it through contacts or advice, he has been a guiding light

A wise man once blessed his followers thus, “May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe you can make a difference to the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.” Cut to 2019, Pune-based startup Repos Energy is looking at big things to be sure: namely changing the game of energy distribution in India by starting a door-to-door diesel delivery with the oil marketing companies. This will take care of dead mileage, spillage, pilferage and adulteration. In short, they are the Amazon/Flipkart of fuel distribution taking care of pretty much all the stakeholders in the ecosystem. Backed by none other than former Tata supremo and businessman extraordinaire, Ratan Tata himself, they aim to target as much as 65 per cent of India’s diesel consumption by leveraging IoT, Cloud, and easy and efficient payment solutions

The brainchild behind the startup, Chetan Walunj, CEO, and his significant half Aditi Bhosale Walunj, Chief Strategy Officer, Repos Energy, with their entrepreneurial insights have upped its ante. Commendably, the startup has gained rapid ground despite neither of the founders’ core training having anything to do with fuel distribution. While Chetan was taking care of his family-owned petrol pump, Aditi Bhosale was a student of forensic science and international relations. But the duo had an idea, and they put their time and effort into developing a full-fledged business plan. Therefore, here’s presenting a story of youthful positivity and relentlessness. The name ‘Repos’ sums it up best

Simply put, here’s how Repos works: It provides retail outlets with Repos Petrol Pumps (RPPs), an exact replica of retail outlets, except that these pumps are on wheels. This helps them fulfil the demand of bulk custom-ers at their doorstep. Plus, these mobile RPPs are integrated with a Repos Energy App that allows customers to order fuel and get it delivered at desired locations. Even as the core team goes from two to 150 and the turnover from Rs.70,000 a month to Rs.2 crore, the duo are clearly on to a meaningful endeavour.

What has certainly helped is a government policy change that finally allows diesel to be resold beyond petrol pumps. “Yes, we did write to the petroleum ministry, as well as the PMO. Perhaps they were already considering it, perhaps not, but either way, it gave us a much needed shot in the arm at just the right time,” they share. But the fact is: they had believed in themselves long before circumstances were conducive.

From a homegrown petrol pump business in Chakan, Pune, to forming a dynamic energy grid across the country, it has indeed been an eventful journey in a very short while. Tell us please: how did the idea of Repos first take seed?

Chetan Walunj: As mentioned, we had our own petrol pump. A prominent five-star hotel in our area needed diesel urgently for power generation. The calls were continuous: they needed it to be delivered to their doorstep ASAP. Suddenly, a parcel came for Aditi came from Amazon. That’s when the idea struck us: why not a door-to-door diesel delivery?

Aditi Bhosale Walunj: It was pretty much a ‘Eureka’ moment as far as we were concerned. But friends and family thought we were crazy. For starters, they said, such a business would be illegal as the Indian government did not allow diesel to be resold beyond a petrol pump. But Chetan and I had got married on the understanding that both of us wanted to do something different and meaningful with our lives.

The motto ‘Make in India’ means more than just a catchy slogan to us, it’s our mantra. Fuelling large scale industries was something that we were catering to on an everyday basis

Given the massive amount of energy loss due to fuel theft and spillage, it was clear that this issue needed to be addressed. We saw a great opportunity to overcome these challenges by offering a door to door service of diesel to not just tour existing end users, but to the entire nation. Easier said than done, though.

To offer this kind of a service on a large scale, we would have to face multiple roadblocks, from acquiring the know-how to the infrastructure, and most importantly, working with government approvals around fuel distribution. But we were clear that we wanted to take this idea off the ground.

The motto ‘make in india’ means more than just a catchy slogan to us, it’s our mantra. Fuelling large scale industries was something that we were catering to on an everyday basis

So that’s how it all started...

Aditi: Yes. We took up a cosy office space in the city, and started building a team. The following months were spent in meeting various officials to understand the processes and legality of such a huge project, which was still just an idea. Both of us realised that we needed a self-sustainable model. And so we decided that we needed to build the whole ecosystem to successfully manage the logistics.

Chetan: To do this, we created a three-step delivery model-where we combined the technology with logistics by developing a mobile app and replicated a stationary petrol pump on a vehicle chassis making it a certified smart mobile petrol pump. In short, our aim is to extend convenience to end-consumers through technology and enable petrol pump owners at the same time.

So how did you build the core team?

Chetan: Well, initially it was just the two of us. Everyone else who believed in us gradually became a part of the Repos team. Gradually, we formed beautiful synergies, even though there was no concrete government policy in this regard, then. But things did change for the better, and today, we are a strong and committed team of 150 plus people who believe in a dream called Repos.

What did the family elders say?

Chetan: They were worried, to put it mildly. Fuel distribution is seen as a place of endless governmental control and regulation. My dad explained to me how it had taken him three years simply to get a license for a petrol pump, and here I was envisaging 66,000 pumps across the country. It would cost us a lifetime, he said, not to mention our time, youth and endless efforts. But in our heart of hearts, we knew this was the need of the hour.

Aditi: Our R&D, which took well over a year, showed us that while diesel was sold door to door on local levels, considering the prominence of diesel in commercial transport and infrastructure management, it was not legal. But it made sense to make it legal, for the basic reason that India could save as much as INR 700 billion per year if the policy change to make our business plan a reality was approved. To that end, we wrote to the PMO and the Petroleum Ministry.

Two years ago, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Petroleum Minister happened to be in Pune for a programme. With great difficulty, we managed to get in and push a letter into his hands, explaining what we did and why we needed the policy change to happen. To our surprise, within a month, there came an official tweet that the resale of diesel door to door would be allowed. And that this was a service that users could look forward to. Our plan is to slowly grow a whole ecosystem to provide cost-effective solutions for India’s ever-growing need for energy logistics.

Private vehicle users only consume as much as 15 per cent diesel. They are not our target audience. The other 85 per cent is. This consists of commercial transporters like truckers, ubers and olas

A drive to deliver: Aditi and Chetan with mentor
Ratan Tata

Where is all diesel required? And what is your target audience?

Aditi: Private vehicle users only consume as much as 15 per cent diesel. They are not our target audience. The other 85 per cent is. This consists of commercial transporters like truckers, Ubers and Olas. Another major sector would be malls, hospitals, hotels and other institutions that rely on generator backups. As you know, gensets run on diesel. So the need was huge. This gave us the motivation we needed to reach out to everyone who could lead us to our goal namely, creating a global brand that is ‘Made in India’. An energy efficient logistics solution, which will help reduce harmful carbon footprint, save energy, increase efficiency and organise energy distribution.

Explain how the Repos business model works.

Chetan: When we started out, the company barely had a lakh in monthly sales as we were still new and figuring out our strategy to penetrate the market. But one thing we were sure of at that time, was that we wanted to focus only in the Pune region. The company turned two on the 1st of June this year. And from 1-2 orders a month, Repos is now clocking 35-40 orders just in Pune. In terms of value, the turnover has grown from a mere INR 70,000 to nearly INR two crores a month (just Pune).

While our focus revolves around giving convenience to the customer, the customer does not bear the cost of this convenience (unless the order quantity is low). We are able to meet our costs through the Gross Margins which we share with the Petrol Pumps that we partner with. As of today, the gross margin on diesel stands at INR 2.2 per litre. This margin is shared between the petrol pump owners and ourselves in a certain ratio depending on the type of model.

As of today, over 300 bulk consumers are using the Repos platform to get home delivery of diesel. Around two to two and a half lakh litres of diesel is sold per month through the Repos platform in Pune alone. Repos has high-end clients like Larsen & Toubro, Tata Group, Mahindra & Mahindra, Schindler, JW Marriott hotel, Phoenix Mall, The Westin hotel, and General Electrical, to name a few.

What about the initial funding?

Chetan: Repos has been completely self-funded from the beginning. My father, Rajendra Walunj, despite his concern, was the first one to believe in our idea and the efficacy of the solution. He joined our company as the director and pumped in the first three crores by selling his lands we had in Pune. Post that, we kept getting small rounds of investments from him to grow the operations. From lands, and a fully functional restaurant, along with the petrol pump in Chakan, Repos received capital from the family run businesses. In some time, Mr. Ratan Tata officially confirmed his association with the company and has come on board as an investor.<

Given that your family had invested so much in your dream, were you ever worried about failure?

Aditi: No, because in our heart of hearts, we expected to succeed. We had a great idea, we just had to find a way to make it work. To that end, we put in the home work and the long hours. It was tough but completely worth it.

So how and why did you approach Mr. Ratan Tata?

Aditi: Well, he was a natural choice considering that he is a man who backs solid ideas with ground work. And we knew this was clearly an idea whose time had come. We followed up and got an appointment. Unto this end, we had created an elaborate 3D model of a petrol pump. Mr. Tata had given us 15 minutes to build our case. He listened carefully and then said: “This won’t work. You don’t know how petrol pump owners are.” We responded that we were petrol pump owners ourselves. He responded: “Oh then, you’ll know what you are doing.” The 15-minute meeting went on to four hours. He kept saying: “If diesel, like LNG, reaches remote locations in the country, just think of the quantum leap that development and growth will be able to make.” He was motivational and inspiring.

Chetan: Our first pilot was to build a mobile petrol pump for Tata Motors in 10 days. It seemed impossible, but that’s what our company stands for Relentless and Positive. We believe if you set out for the right cause with the right intention, everything is possible.

And that’s how he came on board. He promised to invest with us and he did. His mentorship means everything. Be it through contacts or advice, he has been a guiding light.

Aditi: It’s not as if we expected him to invest with us, but we were grateful he did. When he did so, he explained that when he backed a startup, he was essentially making an investment in the founders. As the saying goes, times may change, but passion is timeless.

As of today, over 300 bulk consumers are using the Repos platform to get home delivery of diesel. around two to two and a half lakh litres of diesel is sold per month through the Repos platform in Pune alone

What about the Repos market presence?

Chetan: Today, Repos is present in 32 cities across India through 49 Mobile Petrol Pumps. The company’s strategy so far was to monetize Pune first before monetizing other locations. When we say monetize, we enter into a revenue sharing agreement with our dealers across the country. So far, we have two dealers in Pune whom we share our revenue with. The basis for sharing revenue is the Sales and Marketing effort we generate through our sales team in addition to the marketing efforts. Over the next three quarters, Repos plans to monetize 120 dealers across four cities: Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

What about the environmental impact?

Chetan: Energy can be replaced at many places with diesel as green is the new tomorrow. Today, we have diesel and we are just using it wisely. And this wise use of diesel is helping us reduce carbon emissions and loss of diesel.

What are your plans in the days to come? Where do you see yourself headed?

Chetan: Well, mobile petrol pumps are clearly the future. In the next few years, we would like to have about 32,000 Repos pumps across the length and breadth of the country. The big picture is to take the Repos solution to all possible retail fuel outlets in the country with a goal of catering to the fuel requirements of businesses in remote and rural locations throughout India.

Considering the unexpected policy change in your favour, the two of you have clearly come a long way. But what are the challenges that still remain?

Chetan: The awareness that diesel delivery is both desirable and feasible. People tend to look at this service with a bit of suspicion: what if there is a bomb inside? (laughs) But honestly, it’s fairly safe to transport diesel as it has a flashpoint of about 53 degrees.

Kindred spirit

He wanted to do something to change the world, and so did she Chetan Walunj and his significant half Aditi Bhosale Walunj realised they have met their kindred spirit. They say that passion is the mainstay of every single thing that they choose to do. In a candid interview with Corporate Citizen, they talk about their wonderful and meaningful life together and how they have worked on their ability to envisage dreams and then give it their all

So what does it take to be an entrepreneur?

Chetan and Aditi: Passion. The passion to believe in your idea, and the passion to back it up with everything you have. Simply put, passion is the mainstay of every single thing that you choose to do. When you have passion, you can pretty much overcome everything.

You both belong to different fields, and yet you took such a brave and off beaten track. Do tell us what your personal work motto is?

Chetan: I believe that if you give your hundred per cent to every situation in hand, life takes care of everything.

Aditi: If one works selflessly towards creating something larger than life, then one doesn’t need any external motivation.

Alright, so let’s switch tracks from the professional to the personal. How did the two of you meet?

Chetan: Well, our families knew each other for over 20 years and wanted us to meet. So we did. But it wasn’t a typical arranged match at all.

Aditi: True. When we met in 2015, I was all set to go to New York for a journalism course. He was managing his family business, but as we spoke, I realised I had met a kindred spirit. He wanted to do something to change the world, and so did I. A student of Chemistry and Forensic Science, I have this tendency to dive into things I find interesting. Chetan was still in his second year of Mechanical Engineering when he took over his father’s successful fuel station business. But we just knew we would have a wonderful and meaningful life together. Both of us have this ability to envisage dreams and then give it our all.

What are the qualities you most admire about each other?

Aditi: What I admire most about Chetan is his seemingly endless patience.No matter what happens, he never loses his cool: be it a roadblock or a breakdown. He simply has this ‘What next?’ attitude that makes things fall in place. If you want things done, he’s your man. Fix meetings, find a way around problems, solve and resolve. Execution is his forte.

Chetan: Her most outstanding quality, according to me, is that she can think out of the box. That is how Repos was conceived, actually. Plus, she can present things beautifully, build a strong case to convince people. She is creative and confident.

Considering the stresses of building up a business, how realistic is to ask for a work-life balance? And are you able to manage it?

Aditi: Honestly, work-life balance is a cliche. We don’t believe in a distinction between personal and professional life per se. There is simply life, and it is meant to be lived with 100 per cent passion, positivity, commitment and conviction. Just give it your all, and you will be fine. That said, managing things on the home front has been easy, because Chetan’s mom has stepped in to take care of everything for us, as she wants us to give everything our best shot.

How much of a challenge is it for a husband and wife to work together?

Chetan: It isn’t a challenge at all. In fact, given our experience, I would say it’s terrific for a husband and wife duo to work together to be able to work towards making their dreams come true. You tend to complement each other, and support each other in different ways, and it’s both beautiful and rewarding all around.

Aditi: As I mentioned, we got married because we had a similar outlook and shared value system. We are not the kind to make an issue about birthdays and anniversaries being forgotten or overlooked. If there’s an important meeting that day, then that takes precedence. That is how you move forward in life.

How else do the two of you unwind, beyond work, that is? How do you spend quality time? What hobbies do you like to pursue?

Aditi: I fundamentally disagree with the phrase ‘beyond’ work, because I don’t really separate work from other aspects of my life. But yes, I love to read and write. The library in our home is bigger than my closet. Both of us enjoy travel and exploring different places. We also love the movies the big screen please not Netflix. There’s something magical about the theatre. Sometimes, we watch movies during work hours or go on a travel spree. This rejuvenates us for the month ahead.

Chetan: Well, apart from our love of movies and travel, we both enjoy creating new ideas. I am also an avid cyclist.

Not that it’s mandatory, but most young couple typically have ‘The Talk’ with regard to starting a family. Any plans on that score yet?

Aditi and Chetan: It’s like this: we like to give our 100 per cent to everything we do, be it work or relationships. Considering our commitment to the big picture as far as work goes, no, we aren’t ready for parenthood. We have chosen to live our life for something greater than ourselves, and I don’t mean just work. Overall, we want to live our life for others, not just ourselves.

Aditi, considering you are a woman, how much of a challenge has it been to work and lead the way in a male dominated field like fuel distribution?

Aditi: Initially, I thought so, because people didn’t tend to take me seriously. But I realised I would have to work in a focused and consistent manner to change that mindset and prove myself. So, I chose not to think of myself as a woman in a male dominated field. I absolutely love what I am doing and I am giving it my all.

Conflict management is an important aspect of a relationship. How do the two of you handle fights when they happen?

Chetan: Well, certainly, fights do happen and there is shouting and yelling too. (smiles) But it’s usually over work-related matters, never on a personal count. At the end of the day, we both want to take Repos forward.

It’s been four years so far. What, according to you, makes a marriage work?

Aditi and Chetan: A mutual dream, the will to make sacrifices for it, and to see it take shape day by day.