'The Fuel Delivery' launches its Mumbai operations

App based door-to-door fuel delivery service provider, 'The Fuel Delivery' today announced the formal launch of its Mumbai operations. With this service launch, the start-up aims to cater sectors like real estate (both under construction and occupied projects), hospitals, corporate office parks, schools and institutions, banks, shopping malls, warehouses, and the agricultural sector.

Given the pandemic Covid-19 running through the second wave, it will be a win-win offer for the consumers as they can maintain social distancing norms through contact-less delivery by avoiding long queues at fuel filling stations.

The company also recently announced the signing of an 'All India Business Agreement' with state owned oil major, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). The service level agreement allows The Fuel Delivery to offer doorstep delivery of diesel anywhere in India. With the company's service offerings and IOCL's footprint across the length and breadth of the country, The Fuel Delivery aims to further expand the IOCL's rich legacy in fuel retail.

Customer places an order through the mobile or web app, while the fuel is delivered with customer details like name, mobile number, quantity, address and time of delivery. All the company's bowsers that are compliant to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) standards will bring it to the set destination.

The company has leveraged the potential of IoT (Internet of Things) new age technology for developing and deploying the mobile app. All the delivery vehicles are enabled with IoT solution that enables monitoring and tracking in real time while managing logistics better by reducing order fulfilment time.

Commenting at the launch event, Mr. Rakshit Mathur, Founder and CEO, The Fuel Delivery said, "Since we are starting now in a very crucial phase, we have orders worth more than 100 thousand litres per month/per bowser in places like Mumbai and Delhi. We have a set of customers and MOU in place, when we do the consolidated number what we get to see is with these three browsers on road today we are able to deliver approximately 300 thousand litres in a month in Mumbai."

As far as industry standards are concerned, the door-to-door delivery of fuel service is closed to 60 thousand- 70 thousand litres a month per bowser. State owned Indian retailers' petrol and diesel sales in April, 2021 fell by 61% and 57% year-on-year. This decline can be attributed to low level of industrial and transportation activity due to Covid-19 restrictions, however it started to gain momentum by late April as activities resumed. Oil marketing companies anticipate the door-to-door fuel market to be worth more than INR 2,000 crores in the near-term of next 12 to 18 months.

The Fuel Delivery has recently announced its entry into Delhi market and now has expansion plans in a phased manner to enter other key markets like Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata in next 12 to 18 months. The fuel delivery market is fast evolving with oil marketing companies entering into agreement with start-ups in the segment. The segment has the potential for start-ups to become a 'FuelEnt' (Fuel Entrepreneur) while generating employment at the grass root level.