10th August 2023:
Q.1: Name of the startup & date of its launch?
A: We are Pataa® Navigations Pvt Ltd and it was launched in April 2021.
Q.2: Physical Address of the Startup
Our physical address is ^PATAA05 (401 Agarwal Corporate House, greater Brijeshwari, Indore (M.P.)).
Q.3: Name & designation of the interviewee. Also, mention the contact number and email ID of the interviewee.
Rajat Jain, the Co-founder of Pataa®
Q.4: What is the problem you are trying to solve? Please share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem?
According to a report by MIT, USA, India suffers a massive loss of approximately 75,000 crore rupees per year due to its unstructured and poor addressing system, which amounts to 0.5% of the country’s GDP. An average pin code in India covers a vast area of about 179 sq. km, making addresses difficult to locate. This is one of the reasons why 30% of parcels out of 1 crore deliveries per day are returned. Additionally, 70% of addresses in India are either unstructured, unnamed, or rely on landmarks for reference, leading to unnecessary commuting and a tenfold increase in carbon emissions. Air pollution caused by this issue results in the premature death of 2 million Indians annually. Moreover, 30% of deaths in road accidents in the country are caused by the untimely arrival of ambulances due to inaccurate addresses.
Q.5 a: Please tell us about the founders
Rajat Jain and Mohit Jain are the co-founders of Pataa Navigations Pvt. Ltd, based in Indore. Necessity is the mother of invention, and we identified the problem of unstructured and unnamed addresses during our travels when we realized that it was difficult to locate and share addresses. We also observed that most people find it frustrating to repeatedly explain an address to visitors or delivery personnel. With the aim of finding a global solution to this everyday problem, Mohit and I built a team of software engineers and intellectuals who have created this amazing App. It has been a great journey so far, and we hope it will only get better as we move forward.
Q. 5 b: List all the names of the core Team Members, along with their Designated Roles
The core team members of Pataa Navigations Pvt. Ltd are:
- Mr. Rajat Jain: Co-Founder
- Mr. Mohit Jain: Co-Founder
- Ms. Kratika Jain: COO
- Mr. Gaurav Kasliwal: CTO
Q.6 a: Tell us about the Product / Solution. How did you get your first customer? Explain how you went about the Product-Market Fit Process.
Pataa is a mobile app that converts long and complex addresses into a customized short digital code, such as ^SINGH221 or ^KUMAR100, by sharing precise location up to 3 meters, user-recorded voice directions, and photos of the property, making navigation easy. We are proud to share that almost 8 million people have downloaded our app and are benefiting from it.
B2C: Our aim is to help the entire population create digital addresses, especially for those who live on unnamed streets and have hard-to-find addresses that cannot be easily explained without the help of a person or landmark.
B2B: We also aim to reduce the cost of last-mile navigation and make the delivery process seamless by helping delivery and navigation agencies reach the right location and knock on the right door.
Q.6 b: What is your USP? *What is the insight that you have about this market, which no one else has? Uniqueness about your Startup.
Pataa’s unique selling proposition (USP) lies in its innovative features and approach to address sharing. We have identified a gap in the market for a more efficient and user-friendly way to share addresses, and have developed a solution that sets us apart from competitors.
Our key insights about the market are:
Shortcode: Pataa converts long addresses into personalized shortcodes, making it easy to share addresses in a concise and memorable format. This feature provides convenience and ease of use for users, setting us apart from traditional address sharing methods.
Landmark Creation: Pataa allows users to drop a pin on their nearest landmark and record a voice direction from it to their place. This unique feature leverages the importance of landmarks in local navigation and provides a more intuitive and user-friendly way to share addresses.
Recorded Voice Direction: Pataa enables users to record voice directions in their own voice, making address sharing more personal and accurate. Additionally, the app also offers a text-to-voice option for those who prefer not to record their own voice. This feature sets us apart from other address sharing apps that rely solely on text-based directions.
Photos: Pataa allows users to add up to 3 photos of their building, making it easier for visitors to recognize and locate the destination. This visual aid enhances the accuracy and convenience of address sharing, setting us apart from other address sharing methods that lack visual references.
Extensions: Pataa provides the option to create multiple extensions for a single short code, making it easy to share different addresses for multiple users at the same location. This feature is particularly useful for home or office settings where multiple people share the same address, providing added flexibility and convenience.
Q.7 a: What were your assumptions when you entered the market, learning that you have? Who in your mind is your ideal customer? Do you have at least one of them signed up?
When entering the market, our assumptions were based on the insight that the unstructured addressing system in India was causing significant challenges and costs in the last mile delivery process, as highlighted by the research conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA. We recognized that nearly 30% of the cost of delivery in India goes into the last mile due to incorrect addresses, resulting in a loss of over 75,000 crore rupees annually and impacting India’s GDP.
Our ideal customers are diverse, ranging from businessmen, service providers, to householders, who struggle with navigating and sharing accurate addresses in India. Our solution, Pataa, caters to a wide variety of audiences, and since its launch in April 2021, it has gained significant traction with 8 million downloads. This indicates that the app is effectively solving people’s addressing issues and they are highly satisfied with its benefits. Users can simply click on the share button, and their guests or visitors can navigate directly to their place using Pataa. Moreover, users can record voice directions in their native languages, making it even easier for locals to reach their destination.
As per our data, we have a large and diverse user base, including businessmen, service providers, and householders, who have signed up and are actively using Pataa to navigate and share accurate addresses. The positive feedback and high download numbers showcase the effectiveness and satisfaction of our ideal customers with Pataa’s features and capabilities.
Q.8: How are you pricing the Product? What is the model you are following – Free / Freemium / Premium etc. ? Explain your thought process.
We have adopted a mixed pricing model for Pataa. For B2C (Business-to-Consumer) users, our app is completely free to use. For B2B (Business-to-Business) customers, we offer flexible payment plans based on their specific needs and requirements. This thought process allows us to cater to a wide range of users while generating revenue from our B2B segment.
Q.9: Please tell us about the investors (if any)
Pataa has successfully completed its first round of funding, raising 2.5 million dollars from Dubai-based investors. We are currently in the process of securing another round of funding with our strategic partners.
Q. 10: Is there any interesting success story of your startup? If yes, please write about it. ?
Pataa has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Indore Smart City Development Limited, showcasing our commitment to strategic partnerships and collaborations. These partnerships enable access to ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Geospatial Services and APIs for the development of an addressing system, as well as launching a mobile app for allotting a unique digital doorstep number for all properties free of cost. Additionally, Pataa has gained significant traction with 8 million downloads in a short span of time, indicating its rapid growth and success.
Q. 11 a: Since inception, give us a sense of the value of business done by your venture? Please explain in detail.
As a pre-revenue stage startup, we are currently focused on product development, user acquisition, and market penetration. While we do not have a specific value of business done at this stage, our primary goal is to establish a strong user base and generate revenue through B2B partnerships and flexible payment plans for our B2B customers.
Q. 11 b: What is the big picture of your startup? Is this Product/service leading to something bigger? If so, how?
The big picture of our startup is to revolutionize the addressing system in India and solve the last mile delivery challenges faced by businesses and individuals. Our long-term vision includes expanding our platform to include drone delivery integration with leading drone companies and making Pataa a global addressing solution. We believe our innovative approach to addressing will have a far-reaching impact on logistics, e-commerce, and other sectors, making it easier and more efficient for businesses and individuals to navigate and deliver to accurate addresses.
Q. 12: Who do You Perceive as Your Competition? How do you differentiate yourself with them?
Our product, Pataa, is distinct from other map or navigation products in the market as we are solving a unique problem with unstructured addressing in India. While there may be other mapping and navigation solutions, Pataa’s focus on providing simplified and accurate addressing with voice directions in local languages sets us apart. Additionally, our strategic partnerships, MoUs with IN-SPACe and Indore Smart City Development Limited, and our vision for drone delivery integration further differentiate us from traditional navigation products.
Q. 13: What would be your goal to accomplish in the next six months? Any other information you would like to share?
In the next six months, our primary goals are to launch Pataa in the global market, establish integrations with big e-commerce and logistics companies, and continue expanding our user base. We are also focused on product enhancements and improvements based on user feedback and market demands.
Q. 14: What message do you want to convey to fellow entrepreneurs?
Always believe in your idea and never be afraid to present it to the world in the form of a product or service. Be persistent, adaptable, and open to feedback. Surround yourself with a supportive team and strategic partners. Keep learning, iterating, and improving. And most importantly, never give up on your vision and keep pursuing your passion with unwavering determination. Success may not come overnight, but with perseverance and hard work, you can achieve your entrepreneurial goals. Dream big, stay focused, and make a positive impact in the world with your innovation and creativity.
