We are publishing an interview of Mr. Prafful Shekhawat – Managing Director, Codwheo – A Travel Startup Presents Various Cultures Of India Through Engaging Acts By Locals.
Please tell us about the founders
After completing their bachelors the four founding members of Codwheo came together and formularized an idea of venturing into tours and travels industry. Although the sector was already crowded, Mr Mangesh Pawar (Chairman), Myself, Mr Swapnil Bacchav (Vice president Marketing) and Ms Kinnari Gada (HR Country Head) felt that they could give their consumers something different.
Codwheo is not just another tour and travels company. It is a travel agency specially designed for presenting the various cultures of India and has exclusive service above the usual standard at a very reasonable rate.
We mainly specialize in introducing the history, nature, art, cuisine, music, dance, temples etc. to groups as well as individual tourists.
What is the problem you are trying to solve? Can you share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem?
At first convincing people that we provide quality at a subdued rate was the most challenging part.Communicating and involving family in business activities helped a lot. Later on, with time as people experienced our quality, word of mouth did it all.
What is the uniqueness about your Startup?
CODWHEO organizes corporate tours, college industrial visits, nature trails, hiking and small treks, events almost all over India. We make it a point that we serve you the tradition and culture of that particular place by arranging engaging acts by locals.
What is the revenue model? What is the logic behind it?
Knowing what we want to be accomplished may seem clear in our head, Training new members and creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy & effective lines in communicating.
There may be days where the future of our brand is worrisome and things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain the team morale.
Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Creativity & quick decision-making: Some decision will not always be so clear-cut you may be forced at times to deviate from your set course and make an on the fly decision. This is where your creativity will prove to be vital. It is during these critical situations that your team will look to you for guidance and you may be forced to make a quick decision. As a leader, it is important to learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad choices is the best option.
Who are the consumers that you are targeting? How is this going to affect them?
Our Targeting Consumers are Students and middle class people.
What is the big picture of your startup? Will it lead to something bigger? If so, how?
Take Codwheo to every household in India.Codwheo is not just another tour and travels company. It is a travel agency specially designed for presenting the various cultures of India and has exclusive service above the usual standard at a very reasonable rate. They mainly specialise in introducing the history, nature, art, cuisine, music, dance, temples etc. to groups as well as individual tourists.
Any other information about your startup that you would like to share with us.
Mumbai based Codwheo was founded in the year 2014, and has 04 years of relevant experience in the latest Tourism Industry, they had innovated an application which made a savings of over 4 to 5 lakhs for (employer’s name) or saved duplication of task or time saved or dependency on number of resources were reduced. Or the cost of recruitment was reduced by 30% as I automated the process etc. It can be anything specific to our strength that can be considered as an asset to the organisation. And a creative or innovative mind is better than dead or fixed asset to the organisation.
In near future Codwheo aims at reaching each and every household in Mumbai.
Thanks Mr. Prafful. All the best!