Mr. Harsh Vardhan, CEO -; Founder, CarterX

27 Jul 2022 , 10:27 AM

Q. Luggage from “doorstep to airport.” CarterX seems to have a niche offering. What is the expected market size of your service in India?

It has been five years since CarterX launched its unique baggage transfer assistance offerings for Indian flyers. It took a while for Indian travellers to warm up to the idea of moving around hands-free and experiencing ‘baggage-free’ travel across major airports but we have been able to make an advance since inception.

With the commercial aviation market bouncing back post-pandemic, eased travel restrictions and international skies opening, CarterX expects spectacular growth in terms of the number of users and traction. We may have only scratched the surface so far but we are affirmative of capturing about 33% market share in the passenger baggage segment in the next five years. We are hopeful about transforming the way Indian flyers take to the skies and travel.

The market size for this is being established by CarterX currently as a first mover. However, the market for passenger convenience services is about a billion dollars in India alone.
 
Q. What is your target customer segment?

Anyone who travels by air, especially from major Indian airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore merits for the CarterX advantage. We have served business travellers who wish to move from one meeting to another without being concerned about their luggage, elderly travellers who shouldn’t really be lugging their bags after a certain age, new parents who can always use help with the extra luggage and weight they end up with, large families aiming for that perfect annual vacation, so on and so forth.

Most people travel to take their minds off the routine chaos and then end up concerned about what to pack, how much to carry around, long waits at the airport etc. CarterX, with its versatile array of offerings, can be of huge assistance with luggage handling and transit.
 
Q. For the part of your service from “airport to the doorstep,” are you able to offer it at foreign airports too?

While we are not yet operational at international airports, we do offer luggage transfer assistance to international flyers travelling to/from India at the airports we operate. CarterX is currently available at India’s busiest airports, Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. We plan to take our services further to five more airports by 2023 and expand our presence to 15 airports over the next five years. CarterX plans to expand into these new airports and build synergies with more airlines, thus transforming how people fly and travel.
 
Q. Given the prices that you are charging, do you think your service is affordable for the middle class in India too?

CarterX began its operations with the idea of offering affordable convenience to its customers and lakhs of people who travel every day for various reasons.

A hassle-free, baggage-free experience with a secured and trusted partner like CarterX enables the flyers to travel light, skip long check-in queues, cut short the airport wait time, and manage excess bag weight at pocket-friendly prices.

We offer both B2B and B2C services and the end-user pays for the service they opt for. If it is an airport luggage transfer service, then the prices are based on the service booked, the number of bags, and the distance calculated. Our prices can range from INR 670 — 6279 for local to outstation services respectively.

For non-airport services offered by us including Rush Cargo, the prices are based on the mode of transport booked (surface, air, and air express) and the weight of the goods or parcels transported. The price ranges between INR 111 — 17899 for local to outstation services respectively.
 
Q. Do you need to have a tie-up with airport operators at every airport where you are present?
Yes, CarterX is proud to be the only baggage transfer assistance provider to have official permits and security clearance to operate within the airport premises and handle customers’ luggage both inside and outside.

Flyers opting for our services not only get their baggage picked from their doorstep and delivered at the check-in counters but can also avail quick access to airport formalities through our official synergies with airline partners.

We also work in partnership with leading Indian airlines such as Indigo, Vistara, AirAsia and Spicejet. Customers flying with these airlines can avail CarterX’s luggage transfer assistance via services known as 6EBagPort (IndiGo), Vistara GateToGate (Vistara), LuggageAssist (Spicejet) and FlyPorter (AirAsia).
 
Q. What is the level of investor interest that your company has seen till now?

We have successfully secured two rounds of funding in 2019 and 2021 through Mumbai Angels Network and Venture Catalysts respectively in seed funding. We are in the process of raising our pre-series A round currently.  With this round, we aim to create more awareness amongst the target audiences and expand our network of airports.
 
Q. Are you focussing on revenue growth or profitability?

We have over the years built our airport network and strengthened our associations with the airlines. We are now looking at revenue growth currently but we aim to be a profitable start-up by 2026.
 
Q. Has the response till now to your company’s offering been as per your expectations?

We have received positive feedback from our customers who were looking for alternative ways to travel by air, minus the chaos. What we are offering is a niche service line which has the potential to be synonymous with affordable luxury and travel lifestyle. The pandemic slowed down our mission to serve a larger audience but we also believe that every great transformation and shift in mindset deserves patience. Good words such as “Best service for sending your extra luggage” and “Great service available” keep us motivated to serve our customers.