5 minute read
Mechgiri
Mechgiri is an app-based platform that works as an aggregator for garages and spare parts dealers. The company was founded in 2016 by three brothersVassant, Girish, and Gaurish Salgaonkar.
Their father Mr. Gurudas Salgaonkar had been running a brick-and-mortar garage in Panaji since 1972. Taking the pulse from the family business, Vassant, Girish and Gaurish decided to give their father’s business an elegant touch of technology by launching Mechgiri. The company is certified as a start-up by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India and the Start-up Promotion Cell, Government of Goa.
Founders’ Profile
Vassant Salgaonkar holds a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and an MBA degree in Marketing. He has more than 12+ years of work experience. Before founding Mechgiri, he was employed in a Fortune 500 multinational company as a technology and sourcing executive.
Girish and Gaurish, both hold diplomas in Automobile Engineering. Before founding Mechgiri, both of them were working in the family business started by their father. While everything was going smoothly, Girish met with a serious accident. To take forward his father’s business, Vassant resigned from his well-paid job and started supporting his brother in the family business. Since Vassant was very techsavvy, he came up with the idea of launching a mobile app which could serve as an aggregator platform for garages and spare parts dealers. This led to the birth of Mechgiri.
How It All Started
Mechgiri started with a dream to set up a car garage in every city, but there were challenges like economic feasibility, the attrition rate of skilled manpower, etc. “The idea of an aggregator app for car garages materialized, where we could build a network of garages for our clients for hassle-free car servicing”, says Vassant.
Driven by technology, Mechgiri comprises a team of auto service experts and auto spare-parts dealers that manage and deliver top-level expertise and merchandise to proud car owners, with the motto,
‘We Care.’ Having registered as Mechgiri Autocare India Pvt Ltd, the company launched a mobile app for car owners, by way of tie-up with over 250+ service centres at 54 locations across Goa. The services they offer include mechanical, electrical, AC service, tyre puncture, road-side assistance and many more. The app is also loaded with additional features such as car codes, car servicing sheets, etc.
Their Vision
With a dedicated team of 6 members, Mechgiri works together with its network of partners to create a smarter, more connected global business community. They form strong and lasting partnerships with like-minded enterprises to create solutions and take them to the market. Working together, they help their mutual customers to meet their auto servicing challenges. With access to the broadest portfolio of auto technicians and spare-part dealers in the industry, their partners are control points that deliver quality and timely expertise. “Our vision is to create a unique bond between auto technicians and car owners and make the servicing experience more productive, more efficient, and more reliable, and encourage innovation to overcome challenges”, says Vassant.
For car owners who are looking for a friendly neighbourhood garage and hassle-free service at any time which is economical, Mechgiri is that friend who helps in catering to all said needs.
Challenges Faced
Just like other businesses all across the world, the operations of Mechgiri too were badly affected by the pandemic. Post Covid, things changed economically as well as strategically for them. “Because of Covid restrictions, we had to modify our expansion plan and focus on surviving the after-effects of the pandemic, as it was difficult to make both ends meet”, says Vassant. “However, we are happy that the pandemic has made people more tech-savvy and we take this as an opportunity to grow our business panIndia in the years to come”.
Future Plans
Mechgiri recently launched an Annual Maintenance Servicing programme for cars with a unique idea of warranty on servicing. “To start with, we are giving a warranty on mechanical servicing done under the annual maintenance programme, where we will not be charging anything on labour charges on all the mechanical servicing done for one year”, says Vassant.
In the next couple of weeks, Mechgiri is planning to launch a new updated version of its app, which will be more userfriendly and will come loaded with new features. They also plan to scale up their operations across India in the next couple of months. If anyone is willing to join the company as an investor, partner, employee or in any other position, they may contact Mechgiri on WhatsApp at 9604666247.
The Mechgiri app is available for download on Google PlayStore.
