31.Aniket Nathvani: Navigating Quick Commerce and Entrepreneurship From Calcutta to Amsterdam
A journey through contrasting markets, regulatory landscapes, and innovative logistics strategies in India and Europe.
Hi Kula readers,
This week, we delve into Aniket Nathvani's journey from Calcutta, India, to the Netherlands, navigating the landscapes of quick commerce, transportation technologies, and entrepreneurship.
Key Highlights
🚀 Quick Commerce Growth Divergence: Quick commerce surged during the pandemic, however while in Europe is experiencing a slowdown, in India it continues to expand rapidly, particularly in tier 2 and 3 cities.
⚖️ Quick Commerce Regulatory Challenges: Europe’s stringent labor laws increase costs for quick commerce companies, whereas India’s lenient regulations provide operational flexibility despite facing logistical hurdles.
📦 Freight Logistics Strategies: In the logistics sector, BlackBuck adapts to India's competitive and fragmented market, while Sennder emphasizes quality management within Europe's strict regulatory environment.
Introduction to Aniket
Aniket Nathvani, originally from Calcutta, began his career with a degree in Electronic Engineering and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. His professional journey spans continents and industries, encompassing start-ups, established corporations, and diverse sectors such as IT, FMCG, logistics, and technology. Driven by a quest for global exposure and cross-cultural experiences, he moved to the Netherlands, drawn by its dynamic start-up ecosystem and the ease of English communication.
Aniket's entrepreneurial spirit is evident through his ventures, including co-founding Trail Markers, a consultancy that guides brands in industry trends, growth strategies, and securing funding. He has supported D2C brands and service-based start-ups like hair salons.
Soon after relocating, he joined Antler as an Entrepreneur in Residence, where he gained insights into the European start-up landscape with a particular focus on quick commerce. Building on this foundation, Aniket took on a leadership role at Sennder, specializing in quality management.
Delivering at All Costs: The Journeys of Quick Commerce in Europe 🇪🇺 and India 🇮🇳
Understanding Quick Commerce
Quick commerce refers to the ultra-fast delivery of goods, often within 10 to 30 minutes, mainly focusing on groceries and daily essentials. This model has rapidly gained popularity due to changing consumer expectations for convenience and speed. Key features include quick delivery times, a limited product range, localized operations, and 24/7 availability.
Well-known players like Gorillas and Flink in Europe, along with Swiggy and Zepto in India, have initially capitalized on this trend, which surged during the pandemic. However, while European companies have faced setbacks, scaling back operations, Indian firms continue to push for rapid delivery at all costs.
Market Dynamics: India vs. Europe
In India, quick commerce is still thriving, with companies promising deliveries in under 10 minutes and aggressively expanding into tier-2 cities and beyond. The market’s fast growth has attracted significant investment, though recent corrections are shifting the focus towards profitability and scalability.
In India, Domino's set a high standard with its 30-minute delivery guarantee, promising free pizza if they missed the mark.
In Europe, growth in quick commerce has been more measured. Companies have struggled with high operational costs, strict labor laws, and strong competition from traditional supermarkets and e-commerce giants.
Gorillas is a prime example of rapid expansion, quickly becoming a well-known brand across European markets, only to vanish just as swiftly as it had risen. (Read more at TechEU)
According to Aniket, European consumers tend to prioritize value and rational decision-making over speed, making it challenging for rapid delivery services to achieve the same scale as in India.
Challenges in Quick Commerce
Both regions face obstacles to profitability due to high costs. Environmental concerns around frequent small-scale deliveries are also prevalent.
This table highlights the contrasting dynamics between the two regions, emphasizing how labor laws, market competition, and logistical challenges shape the quick commerce landscape in each market.
From BlackBuck to Sennder: Logistics in India 🇮🇳 and Europe 🇪🇺
Logistics is the backbone of global commerce, ensuring the seamless movement of goods across supply chains. The industry, which underpins sectors like e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail, is characterized by fragmentation, with even the largest companies holding only small market shares. This fragmented nature presents both challenges and opportunities for companies to innovate and differentiate themselves.
Aniket’s deep expertise in logistics comes from hands-on experience at leading companies like BlackBuck, Shadowfax, and Sennder, where he tackled the complexities of scaling operations in both India and Europe. His work has focused on leveraging technology to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and drive growth.
BlackBuck: One of India’s largest logistics tech companies, BlackBuck is transforming the traditionally unorganized trucking sector by digitizing freight operations, optimizing routes, and enhancing service quality.
Sennder: A leading European digital freight forwarding company, Sennder connects shippers with trucking firms to optimize load efficiency, reduce carbon footprints, and make freight transport more sustainable.
Key Challenges in Logistics
Logistics companies face various challenges, including:
🔄 Optimizing Round-Trips: Minimizing empty runs and improving route planning to maximize the efficiency of vehicle utilization.
💻 Driving Technology Adoption: Encouraging drivers, fleet operators, and logistics providers to integrate digital tools into their daily operations for increased transparency and efficiency.
🎁 Offering Value-Added Services: Enhancing service offerings through additional features like fuel discounts, insurance, and financing options, which improve the overall value proposition for clients.
Comparing BlackBuck and Sennder
BlackBuck and Sennder’s approaches reflect the unique characteristics of their respective markets:
In India, companies like BlackBuck navigate a highly competitive landscape marked by geographic diversity and infrastructure challenges. The market demands innovative solutions to drive efficiency in a fragmented industry.
In Europe, Sennder operates within a stricter regulatory framework that includes robust labor laws. Aniket’s work at Sennder involves a strong emphasis on quality management, covering areas such as service reliability, risk management, and product development.
Conclusion
In summary, the article highlights the contrasting trajectories of quick commerce in India and Europe, where India continues to expand rapidly into tier 2 and 3 cities while Europe experiences a slowdown due to regulatory challenges.
Additionally, the logistics sector showcases differing strategies, with BlackBuck addressing India’s competitive landscape and Sennder focusing on quality management in Europe’s strict regulatory framework.
Aniket's insights and experiences in both markets illustrate the importance of adapting strategies to meet regional demands and challenges, providing a roadmap for future growth in the logistics and quick commerce industries. 🚀
Great insights 👌