16-year-old ‘s startup
Tilak Mehta, a 16-year-old from Mumbai, is proving that there is no age limit to becoming an entrepreneur. At the age of thirteen he was the youngest entrepreneur in the world to set up a company called Papers N Parcels. Tilak‘s life proves that age is not a barrier to doing something good, innovating or making a difference.
Papers N Parcels along with Dabbawalas
Tilak Mehta decided to become an entrepreneur when he was in eighth grade. His father Vishal Mehta, who was late from the office, forgot to buy some books of Tilak. Tilak thought he could courier the book in the midst of his father’s busy schedule. Tilak‘s new knowledge when his father told him that the courier charge for delivering a book from a shop a short distance from the city would be more than the price of the book. Tilak shared the idea of a courier company with his father. The father also supported his son’s idea by giving him advice and capital. Tilak was inspired by the work of Mumbai Dabbawalas, which deliver food items across the city quickly and efficiently. Adopting that model, Tilak formed a digital courier company offering a one-day parcel service with the help of Mumbai Dabbawalas. Papers N Parcels is a start-up that provides door-to-door pickup and delivery services ranging from a pen to essential documents.
Parcel costs Rs 40-180
The startup is based on a mobile application with over 200 employees. In addition, more than 300 dabbawalas are collaborating with the startup. By working on Papers N Parcels, dabbawalas earn up to Rs.10,000.
About 1,200 parcels are delivered to the destination daily. Depending on the weight, a parcel costs Rs 40-180. Customers can download and place orders through this app from the App Store or Play Store. The app also provides live tracking of orders.
The company has a turnover of Rs 100 crore
In an interview, Tilak said, “I am inspired by Mukesh Ambani. I also enjoy reading about Steve Jobs, who dropped out of school and founded a successful company like Apple. The 13-year-old’s dream project to become a company with a 20 per cent share of Mumbai’s intra-city logistics market and a turnover of Rs 100 crore comes with Tilak‘s realization that entrepreneurship is not a child’s play. Tilak wants his startup to grow and become a bigger company. Tilak‘s vision is to simplify the lives of everyone, be it a delivery partner, a can or a customer.
