Chandigarh
26 May 2023
DIVYA AZAD
A Nagpur Husband-Wife Duo M K Perumal (42) and Rupali (38) have set up an innovative cab rental start-up ‘Peru Cabs’ in Chandigarh. Created by Peru Technologies the app for the service was unveiled here.
The story behind the app is captivating. M K Perumal, a dynamic Maharashtrian entrepreneur used to drive an auto to earn a living in Chennai. However, business ran in his blood and in 2011 he started a cab rental service in Nagpur. Through sheer dint of hard work and smart business strategies in just 3 years his company became the No 1 cab aggregator in Nagpur. But then MNC’s were allowed in the industry in 2014 and he had to close down shop in 2016. Peru then worked for different cab aggregators as a driver till 2019. He then learnt network marketing till 2022.
According to Perumal, “When I used to drive for aggregators I made a detailed calculation and found that I was getting indebted due to the skewed model adopted by cab aggregators which weighed heavily against drivers. In my heart of hearts, I always wanted to do something for my fellow drivers in the cab industry so I decided to start ‘Peru Cabs’ to create a level playing field for cab drivers.”
In 2022 Perumal and his wife Rupali came to Chandigarh to monitor the app development work being done for ‘Peru Cabs’ by a Chandigarh based IT Company. Since then they have made the city beautiful as their home.
The Unique Selling Proposition(USP) of the app is that it treats both cab owners and customers (riders) as consultants. “For us cab owners are consultants and not drivers. Once you become a consultant there are 12 different streams from which a lifelong income can be earned, even those who book rides can get a benefit of the income streams available for drivers. This is achieved through the power of networking. I am a trained network marketer so have been successful in creating this gainful model,” explains Perumal.
Peru says further, “The model ensures that drivers don’t have to pay any commission to the aggregator company and that the service is given directly to clients. The app is expected to connect approximately 45,000 drivers in the Tri-State –Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana and 4.5 million customers.”
There is a potential for approximately one million trips per week, says Perumal. According to an estimate, a payment of 8.4 crores can be collected in this cab booking app for an average trip of Rs. 100.
“We have already aggregated over 1000 taxis under Peru Cabs in the tricity. This number will soon reach 5000 as our driver and customer centric business model is being lapped up fast,” says Rupali.
“Within 6 months we aim to go pan India and then global,” chips in Peru giving details of his ambitious expansion plans.
