Introduction

A taxi booking platform called RodBez was created with the intention of helping people with the problems that arise from disorganised taxi services in Bihar. The organisation has worked on a number of problems that individuals have encountered and has come up with a number of affordable solutions to ensure hassle-free travel.

The biggest one-way taxi, taxipool, and carpool platform in Bihar is called RodBez. You can now travel one way without having to pay for a round-trip or return ticket. Carpooling, taxipooling, and one-way rides are ways that verified customers band together and support one another. By travelling in RodBez taxi, you can reduce the expense of your transportation. Your doorstep will be a place to find transportation. There are numerous choices for carpooling, taxi sharing, and one-way taxis on RodBez.

RodBez offers a range of services via its mobile application and website. Carpooling, taxi pool, and one-way taxis are some of these services. Taxi drivers typically charge for a two-way ride because it is difficult for them to acquire a return customer. RodBez links two persons who are travelling in opposite directions to help with the problem and enable users to save up to 40% on their commute costs. In Bihar, tens of thousands of people commute between cities or between villages each day. The passenger had to pay both sides of the taxi fare, even for a one-way trip, since the taxi service in Bihar is disorganised and the driver was unable to pick up the return passenger at any platform. A solution to this issue has been developed by RodBez in the form of One Way Taxi. Currently, RodBez operates a TaxiPool Service that connects all of Bihar's cities and villages to Patna, the state capital, saving up to 40–60% on travel expenses by combining two passengers going in opposite directions into a single taxi.

RodBez came to be as a result of observing the current fuel price increases. Their system will locate available taxis that are moving from one location to another and link the taxi driver with passengers.

Founder’s Journey of Rodbez

On June, 2022, Mr. Dilkhush Kumar, a serial entrepreneur who has spent the last few years working in the transportation industry in Bihar, founded RodBez.

He is originally from a small hamlet in Bihar. Dilkhush is a resident of Saharsa's Bihar district. He worked as a vegetable vendor and pulled rickshaws while attending school until class 12.

He currently leads the RodBez as its CEO and founder. To further his goal, Dilkhush employed graduates from respected universities such as IIT Guwahati to work in Rodbez. Additionally, he asserted that a few IIM students had done part-time work for his company.

Rodbez originated from his desire to launch his own company and offer taxi services in Bihar. The new business is not like previous cab services like Ola or Uber. Rodbez uses its database that links passengers and cab drivers and provides vehicles for longer-distance outstation travel of more than 50 kilometres. RodBez is Bihar's largest one-way taxi, taxi pool, and carpool platform. When travelling one way, there is no longer a requirement to pay for two or return tickets. Verified consumers take up carpooling, taxi pools, and one-way rides as ways to support one another. You can save money on transportation by sharing a trip with someone who is travelling your route. Rides are available just outside your door.

When he appeared for the guard job interview, he was viewed as uncultured and illiterate. Dilkhush was also asked to identify the iPhone logo, but as it was his first time viewing one, he was unable to do so. But he had a family to feed, so he never quit up. All he had when he started Rodbez was an old Tata Nano. After creating Rodbez, Dilkhush and his team raised approximately Rs 4 crore in six to seven months. At first, the company will service every village in Bihar from Patna. In the second phase, it will link cities. Their objective is to establish taxis in every Bihar town.

In the future, they hope to provide their services outside of Bihar. The most alluring feature of Rodbez is the pay provided to drivers. Dilkhush is aware of the drivers' conditions and provides them with a monthly salary ranging from Rs 55,000 to Rs 60,000.

Dilkush, who was turned down for a job as a guard because of his lack of education, has now turned the tables. Rodbez has hired graduates from IIT Guwahati, and many IIM students are working part-time to help him realise his vision.

Kumar's success story serves as evidence of the Startup scene's potential in India. India comes in third on the global ranking of countries with the largest startup ecosystems, leaving behind the US and the UK. There were 1300 more startups in India in 2019 alone, with 9300 of them being tech-related. Kumar has launched RodBez, his second company in seven years, incorporating elements of the rural experience with tactics from market titans such as Ola and Uber.

Business Model of Rodbez

"Taxi drivers uses their app to tell everyone where they are coming from and when they are on a specific route. For example, if they claim to be going alone from Patna to Darbhanga, their staff locates other passengers along the same route and displays the availability of taxis. Obtaining passengers is also not a challenging endeavour. The demand is ten times greater than the supply. For out-of-town taxi services, which are available around-the-clock, customers typically need to make reservations three hours in advance.

Via their app, they have facilitated connections between passengers, car aggregators, and taxi drivers. All sides benefit from it. Only in concert can we rise above the others. They have been able to cut passenger taxi costs in half thanks to this. According to Dilkhush, the RodBez app is currently being used by over 50,000 individuals. Additionally, he asserts that in the first phase, he has already extended taxi services from Patna City to practically every village in the state. He now intends to connect villages with villages in the third phase, cities with cities in the second, and other states with other states in the fourth. According to Dilkhush, if his organisation is unable to promptly link customers with taxi drivers, the team will make sure that customers are able to secure a ride at the expense of the business.

Dilkhush has given more than 3,500 cab drivers in the state jobs through his firm. It's interesting to note that the former rickshaw puller has recruited IIT and IIM grads to work with him. These experts and grads were drawn to back his firm because of his aim of providing cabs to every hamlet in Bihar, he says.

RodBez has made ₹6 lakhs in commission in August 2023. The company shared that they charge on average a 20% commission on rides booked through their platform. When it comes to pricing, Rodbez is 40% cheaper than competitors in one-way rides. If they choose taxi pool, travelers can save up to 60%. The company has completed 10,000 rides and had only one hiccup during those where a customer missed their flight. The founder shared that they booked the flight on the consumer’s behalf for customer satisfaction. They had 19 people working in the Company. With runway of only 2 months left, RodBez were burning around ₹1.5 Lakhs per month.

Shark Tank India Pitch and Deal

During their appearance on Shark Tank India season 3, co-founders Dilkhush Kumar and Siddharth Shankar Jha discussed their platform in detail. Additionally, they talked about how they learned how to develop the entire business strategy by watching YouTube tutorials.

The founders of RodBez requested INR 50 lakhs for 5% stock at a valuation of INR 10 crores following the initial pitch. They went into further detail about RodBez's business plan and how they compete with well-known companies like Ola and Uber in their Shark Tank Pitch.

They shared the following three primary services:

1. Taxi service that travels one way at 40% less than its competitors

2. Taxi Pool: Travellers can save 60%

3. Taxi Share: Customers can also save money with this.

In addition, the founders discussed how they launched the business and their professional journey. They had previously been working on a concept that was comparable but with a different brand name. They had to launch a new brand, RodBez, due to certain circumstances, and as of right now, their commission is about 20,000 Rupees per month.

Due to their extremely limited runway, Aman Gupta (Co-founder & CMO boAt Lifestyle) was forced to back out of the agreement, and Anupam Mittal (CEO People Group) and Peyush Bansal (Co-founder & CEO Lenskart.com) were also pulled out for unspecified reasons.

They received an offer of 20 lakh for 5% from Vineeta Singh (Co-Founder & CEO, Sugar Cosmetics) and Ritesh Agarwal (CEO OYO Rooms), with the remaining 30 lakh being debt at 12% interest and the funding deal locked up. This is Ritesh Agarwal's first funding deal on Shark Tank India.

Conclusion

In conclusion, RodBez's triumph on Shark Tank marks a significant milestone in accelerating Bihar's taxi revolution. The successful deal not only validates the innovative approach of RodBez but also signals a promising future for the transformation of transportation in the region. This accomplishment highlights the potential for impactful change through entrepreneurial endeavors, showcasing how innovative solutions can pave the way for progress and economic growth.