Lately, logistics has received much-needed attention as the heartbeat of a well-functioning economy, and industry peers are doing all they can to keep the rhythm beating steadily. One such pioneer is Bobba Logistics – a complete warehousing and logistics solution company from the Bobba Group. Bobba Logistics is poised to become one of the fastest-growing logistics service providers built on its core values of efficiency, honesty, trust and commitment. Staying true to the philosophy of its parent company Bobba Group, they aim to provide the same Quality Service with Bobba Logistics to all their customers who are looking for out-of-the-box solutions to support their supply chain. Read on for more as Chandrakala Bobba, Director, Bobba Group and Bobba Logistics talks us through their journey so far and their expansion plans.
What is the idea and aim behind Bobba Logistics?
Freight, movement of goods is the need of the hour and will always be for the smooth functioning of an economy. COVID-19 only further validated the necessity for the same and the need to strengthen the supply chain and logistics infrastructure in our country.
The idea to provide the services of a warehouse in proximity to delivery locations/city centre stemmed from the increased demand and shortage in supply – how basic necessities of day-to-day function at home were getting affected during the lockdown.
Something as important as medicines, to necessities like bread, milk, grains and rice, were out of supply due to a lack of storage facilities within close proximity.
We have been in aviation and logistics and now we aim to cater to a variety of industries across, to provide one-stop solutions for all their warehousing and logistical needs, in close proximity to the city.
Micro warehousing and micro fulfilment are the need of the hour.
• It is the best possible utilization of available space, that can cater to a wide variety of businesses.
• It can ensure faster deliveries.
• Better inventory management to more efficient reverse logistics.
• Smaller boxes with a bigger vision can be the answer to beat traffic woes.
Our aim is to provide best-in-class and state of the art facility, across India. Every kind of solution in logistics will only add to the overall growth of the country and that’s what we aim to do with Bobba Logistics.
How did it all start and who all were involved?
When I started interning at our organization many years ago, the warehousing logistics space was still at a nascent stage. ‘Space’ was still a ‘godown’ which ran on manual labour and manual account books. It was a rugged, disorganized space.
30 years back, my father set the foundation and now we – my brother Balajee Bobba and I – the second generation, are adding the new concept of ‘small is the new big’ with micro fulfilment centres and micro warehousing. This idea took birth when we saw the need for space, within city limits. We both have been at the forefront of this project ever since, backed by our entire team, supporting friends, family and mentors.
We always felt there was a need for a more evolved space and the need for service along with it – having just either of the two isn’t sufficient. One needs the combined power of both, to be able to maximize the output. This is what we aim to do and that is how it all started.
Tell us about one of the most challenging situations you came across during Bobba Logistics’ initial phase. How did you overcome it?
Any new project, irrespective of experience has its own share of challenges. We have definitely had our share of them since we started our project.
For instance, we wished and hoped for speedy movement during the approval time, which had a few lags.
The main challenge, however, was the many lockdowns that came with COVID. Work had to stop and all the civil and pre-engineered building works were indefinitely put on hold. There was a lack of labor as most of the workers went home. When workforce was finally available, supply of materials was held up as production from manufacturers’ end had been delayed. It was a loop that entrapped everyone.
What are your business offerings currently and what makes you better than the rest?
With 30 years of expertise in this industry, the Bobba Group is proud to launch Bobba Logistics, a 360° warehousing solution, where a diverse set of goods can be shipped quickly, and to multiple locations. Bobba Logistics is a complete MICRO fulfilment and LITE warehousing solution, where a diverse set of goods can be shipped quickly, and to multiple locations. Almost next door to the heart of the city as well as to the Highway.
This new 75,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility has complete provisions to manage end-to-end supply chain needs. What’s more, we will also have a dedicated Cold Zone, a temperature-controlled warehousing solution for perishable products.
Complete with Value-added Services like VAS – sorting, reverse packaging, grading, pre-cooling, multi-commodity capability, labelling etc., our Dry and Cold warehousing solutions are an ideal combination to take care of every business need.
Tell us about your latest milestone achievement.
I would have to say getting Bobba Logistics up and running in itself is my biggest achievement yet. I am excited, nervous and equally proud, all at the same time.
How does your growth/expansion trajectory look like for the near future?
We want to launch our micro fulfilment in Bangalore, make it our first successful hub and then take it to select places across India. We have plans to expand into new geographical areas with similar facilities & with specific services suitable to the industry at each location. In a country like India which is huge, the demand is always there for warehousing and mindset towards warehousing which is an unorganised sector, there’s a place for all sorts of players and different models for different solutions. The best way to create a benchmark for ourselves is by providing state-of-the-art facilities and streamlining all the services in this unorganized sector and making it more organized and more technology and service efficient. We aim to provide, support and collaborate to bring in our expertise and ideas to build best-in-class infrastructure and add to the overall development of trade and business.
