Brothers Started Car Cover Business With Rs 1 Lakh And Made It Into Rs 50 Crore Business

In the early days of their business, the brothers, in their 20s, sold covers at gas stations in Mumbai, withstanding the heat and dust as they went about their daily routine.

"We used to sell covers to people who came to recharge their vehicles by standing in small temporary stands near petrol pumps," says Bhavesh. It was difficult to persuade me to buy a product made of tarpaulin, but it cost almost twice the price of the tarpaulin cover."

Later, they not only improved their product but also changed the business strategy from B2C (Business to Consumer) to B2B (Business to Business) and started selling covers directly to car manufacturers.

Rohit and Bhavesh graduated from HR and Commerce College in Mumbai in 1996 and 1998, respectively, and began researching business ideas shortly thereafter. They did not want to go into their father's dye and printing house or find a job.

"We wanted to start our own business, even if it meant starting from scratch and facing difficulties," said Rohit. After studying many possibilities, the duo finally started making raincoats from water-repellent fabric (used to make umbrellas).

They borrowed 1 lakh from their father to start the device. They visited shops and talked to the owners to sell their raincoats. "But it is unlikely that buyers have shown interest as there are already major brands in the market. We faced tough competition," said Rohit.

When they planned their next course of action, the brothers found that the tarpaulins were used as car covers in the countryside, but they scratched the cars and were not waterproof.

"We came up with the idea of ​​making tailor-made car covers that could be good quality and waterproof. No other company in India worked with car covers and the sector was completely unexplored," he said Bhavesh.

With eight employees, the brothers began making car covers and selling them to customers visiting gas stations. The lids were priced at 800 to 1000 crowns.

When they came into the company, people were told that the product would not work, but young people believed in their idea and worked hard to make the dream a reality. In 2002 they set up their own company Polco Creations Private Limited. (They got the name Polco from "polyester cover".)

Producing 40 car covers a day, the company has grown in many ways and now produces 3500 pieces in one day. Their bottom-up journey can inspire potential entrepreneurs and startup owners.

The learning curve itself is a lesson on entrepreneurship, to learn from mistakes, correct courses, innovate and then improvise further.

As they look back on the journey, the duo recalls the early challenges they faced in business.

"People then used cheaper tarpaulins. There was also the idea that cars only needed attention during the monsoon," Rohit said. "But we tried to convince them that we need car protection covers all year round. In the early days, we only sold 3-4 covers a day."

When the model did not work, they decided to change strategy and go directly to the car manufacturers. "We told them it would be manufactured and sold under the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) brand and not for Polco," Rohit said.

In 2003, they bought Mercedes (in Pune) as their first customer. "We replaced the 2,000 square meters with a monthly rent of Rs 20,000 in Andheri to make the covers. We started traveling all over the country by contacting car companies and explaining to them about our products," he said.

Large car companies such as Honda, Hyundai, Ford, and Maruti slowly became their customers. Their turnover amounted to 25 million rubles in 2002-03.

In 2005, they contacted DuPont, an American company, and bought Tyvek, a synthetic material. "We introduced car covers manufactured by Tyvek for the first time in India," says Bhavesh. "Tyvek is an environmentally friendly material. It prevents water and even protects the car from harmful UV rays."

When order intake grew, they moved the factory from Andheri to Goregaon in 2008. "In principle, we rented about 4,000 square meters with a monthly rent of SEK 40,000," says Bhavesh. "Later, we added two units of about 2,000 square meters each in 2010 to the same complex."

The company also diversified into the production of two-wheelers and cords with brands such as Honda, Royal Enfield, and Yamaha.