Hyderabad-based NextDrive provides ‘Driverzz’ on demand
Hyd-based startup, incubated by T-Hub, brings out novel platform to help people get driver in any situation
Hyderabad: Imagine you are in a situation wherein you have had a couple of drinks and don’t want to take the risk of driving back home or maybe your parents need to be dropped off at the airport and you are busy with work.
Most of us ask friends and family for a driver or maybe book a cab. To help people get a driver whenever needed and in any situation, Hyderabad-based NextDrive launched its driver on-demand platform — Driverzz.
Founded by husband-wife duo Hitachandra Kanaparti and Madhuri Kanaparti, the startup incubated by T-Hub seeks to provide a formal work environment to people working in the informal space.
“My family has been in the business of construction, and we have seen that a lot of blue-collared workforce never gets a chance to grow. That is when we thought of starting a company that helps transform the lives of this workforce while providing convenience to the public at large. Our main goal with NextDrive is to digitally transform and upskill this workforce and make them part of the mainstream sector,” says Hitachandra Kanaparti.
Started in 2017, the company first focused on the driver segment and launched its first brand Driverzz. So far, it has over 150 drivers registered on the platform with 5,600-plus customers in Hyderabad alone. They plan to venture into the commercial driver vertical as part of their next phase of growth that includes drivers for ambulances, trucks, and other commercial vehicles.
Hitachandra said before starting his entrepreneurial journey, he was part of the corporate sector for almost eight years and came back to India to do something on his own. “When we started interacting with the workforce who were part of our family business, we realised that there was a clear supply-demand gap and decided to address this,” he added.
The company provides on-ground and soft skill training to the workforce which includes driving skills and communication skills besides teaching them about different types of cars and their functioning. In addition, the company provides flexibility to drivers to choose their kind of travel format – either city or intercity – and also helps them with investment options and insurance.
“Going ahead, we plan to expand Driverzz to 45 cities in the country, and we are targeting Bengaluru next,” says Hitachandra.
