Enterprise

technology-based products in India. The world is moving towards a keyless future where one will no longer carry a key around to unlock doors. It will be done using one of our personal devices such as a smartphone or a smartwatch as a Key. The Spintly platform is built to accelerate the transition to this keyless future. Spintly believes that their Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) platform has a huge potential to enable use cases in smart buildings, as smart buildings move towards wireless infrastructure.

Spintly represents a breed of Indian startups which focus on deep-tech and have a potential to disrupt global ecosystems. The Access Control market is currently a $70B market expected to reach $84B by 2023. Out of the $70B market $42B is the SaaS component of the market which is a huge shift in this hardware centric world of physical security. As per a report from IPVM SaaS based physical security startups raised a total of $300M in 2020.

Srikanth Rajan from Keiretsu Forum Chennai said, “Touchless authentication and access control is a big need of the post-Covid world. Spintly’s technology has applicability across all geographic markets, and in several verticals with additional potential from a future data play. We are coinvesting in Spintly along with RiSo Capital because we believe that between RiSo’s footprint in the US and ours in India, we can help Spintly rapidly grow its success in global markets.”

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the industry including the Spintly business. After an initial slowdown during the lockdown phase, the demand for Spintly products has increased steadily due to the need for contactless solutions which can be managed and operated remotely. Spintly has been quick to seized this opportunity and has expanded rapidly. The future looks really promising for Spintly as the focus of the world has shifted away from China and towards India to deliver strong products for the global markets

The team at Spintly

Smitha Vijay has transitioned from a journalist to an entrepreneur. Her venture, DOORSTEP GOA, is about bringing convenience to your home

Smitha Vijay

DEEP-CLEANING AT YOUR DOORSTEP

By NICOLE SUARES

Smitha Vijay’s name isn’t new to business circles. In the past, the former business journalist for The Economic Times was a regular byline reporting on the business scenario in Goa. After doing the rounds for more than a decade, Smitha decided to get on the other side and become an entrepreneur herself. This year, when Goa was thrown into a raging pandemic, she launched Doorstep Services, Goa’s trusted online bookable service directory to solve the pressing issues of home repair and maintenance.

The aim, she says, is to provide an array of stay-athome services at the doorstep. The single platform books verified vendors to attend to yours and your home needs, safely in this pandemic. “Through our web platform we offer cleaning, sanitisation, pest control, plumbing, laundry, electrical repairs, mobile and Apple repairs, handyman and other home improvement services. All this is book-able with ease and convenience of just one click. The platform is easy to navigate to book a service and reach trusted vendors who will call you and confirm the booking. Once you opt for the service, clients can choose a date and time convenient to them,” Smitha shares.

What distinguishes it from other online services is Doorstep Goa takes the onus of background checks. “Our platform offers trusted vendors having established business in Goa. We crosscheck each vendor based on number of years in the market, compliances, and accreditation. Book them to come to your home or office to ease the stress of repairs. My team provides customer care too, to solve any queries,” says Smitha.

Solving Lockdown Woes

It was during the last lockdown in 2020, that Smitha observed an urgency to meet home repairs. “I would receive calls from friends frantically looking for trusted handymen. Also identifying reliable vendors was an issue for clients overseas with parents back in Goa. So we toyed with the idea of creating a reliable and trusted digital platform that would solve these pressing demands,” she explains.

The platform has seen a surge for home services in the past six months with registrations close to 300 and 150 serviced clients. Talking about the growth so far, Smitha shares, “We began small. But, I’m glad that the idea has done well in the market. We have seen a modest growth but we are looking to scale operations soon. We are grateful to our friends, patrons, and vendors who are with us.”

The services are already available for the major cities – Panjim, Margao, Vasco, and Mapusa, with smaller areas like Old Goa, as well.

The company began with limited services like santisation, cleaning, salon, laundry, and pest control and has now diversified to offer specialised services like personal training, swimming pool, alternative healing, nutritionist, and more. “We began with what was important and expanded to other areas. We look forward to onboarding more services in the future and reach customers across the State,” she talks about the future.

Doorstep Gos also offers customers cash-back through reward points from the second booking onwards.

The platform works on a no-commission basis for vendors. “We want to build a community of trusted, experienced vendors providing solutions at the core and not pure profit.” Doorstep Goa provides the backend customer care for any queries and to address grievances.

From Journalist to Businesswoman

The transition from journalist to businesswoman hasn’t been easy. Smitha confesses that it took some getting used to. “When you’re in the hot seat it’s different. I was used to grilling entrepreneurs about their work, but now I know what it feels like,” she laughs.

Which does she prefer? While both have their pros and cons, nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing your business grow. “I do miss writing, but I think running a business is equally exciting. You serve people every day. And nothing makes me happier,” she adds.

Future Plans

Smitha says, “I see it as a trusted friend who will support you when the need arises. We wish to grow to all towns and service the smallest nooks of Goa. It is the need of the hour and we’re happy to help our customers find easy solutions to all their home and office improvements”