Starting up at the grassroots

Vinti Doshi — CEO & Co-Founder, AUTOnCAB.com

Coming back from a sabbatical of almost a decade, Vinti Doshi setup AUTOnCAB (www.autoncab.com). AUTOnCAB is a smartphone based app which uses GPS technology to directly connect auto rickshaw drivers with customers. It empowers auto rickshaw drivers with technology. And with just one click, customers get a hassle free, reliable and eco-friendlier ride.

A Bachelors in Electronics & Communication Engineering and a Master’s in Information Systems & System Engineering, Vinti Doshi worked for a few years as a Senior Information Security Engineer at MITRE Corporation in USA before moving back to India. Family was her focus for about a decade and she is now investing all her professional energy into scaling up AUTOnCAB.

Aside to this venture she has also been actively involved in Bagiya, a project run by Sanshil Foundation, based out of Gurgaon. She is a part of the core founding team of the project which has under its fold over 150 lesser privileged children. These children are nurtured for a better future through training in arts, music, computers and other vocational skills.

An avid reader, Vinti also loves travelling and dabbling in new culinary adventures when time permits. Spending quality time with her friends and family are also a part of her daily schedule and something she makes time for.

High point in career

“The day we signed the first driver and the day the first customer took a ride was eureka moment for me. It was very exciting to see the app go live and a real user using it. The day we completed 1000 rides in a single day in Gurgaon, was another milestone which gave me an overwhelming feeling that our service was being well received and appreciated by our customers.”

Most challenging assignment so far

“This startup is the most challenging task I have taken up so far in my life. Getting the auto rickshaw drivers to become comfortable with smartphones and technology was a little difficult in the beginning. Also, to make them believe and understand the value proposition that an app like AUTOnCAB brings, took some time because they are so used to doing business on their own terms.”

Greatest inspiration

“Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs or closer home, the founders of Indian air carrier, Indigo are a great inspiration to me. Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, because of their ability to dream big, attitude to not give up during failures and their passion to grow bigger. Indigo is an indigenous example of sticking to one’s business values and overturning a segment completely against everyone else’s expectations. They have maintained their promise of timeliness, quality of service, and pricing and have made air travel accessible to a segment of people in India who could not even dream of it earlier.”

Most important milestone in life

“Every little achievement in my venture, like a compliment from a customer or appreciation from a driver is a milestone for me. I interact with the drivers regularly and it gives me lot of satisfaction and happiness when they tell me that AUTOnCAB has made a difference in their lives.”

Women are the better halves. What does it mean?

“Actually this question got me thinking about why someone would have come up with this statement. The reason I could think was that all along, women were more or less solely responsible for taking care of home and family. Since the man was earning for the family, and getting more visibility, maybe to make the lady feel good and to give her credit for her contribution and support to his success, she was called the better half.

I think in today’s age when women are actively taking up professional careers, both partners should get equal credit for supporting each other in their dreams and for working out a balance in their relationship. I would like to think that one is the better half of the other.”