424 Vivigo | Defying the pandemic and making a mark in the business world by providing unique corporate gifting solutions
- ByStartupStory | December 3, 2022
“Covid was never a challenge for us but it was an opportunity of a lifetime since we were able to start our own business.” – said Mr. Gopal Tukadiya, founder and MD of 424 Vivigo in an exclusive interview with Startup Story.
Gopal Tukadiya the founder and Managing Director of 424 Vivigo India have been working from a young age. He has worked in various professions including big and small since he was nineteen years old. Mr. Tukadiya’s hard work and dedication have taken him to great heights throughout his entire career. Gopal Tukadiya hails from the small village of Porbandar in Gujarat and without any educational degree he started out as a Clerk Associate for Shree Maruti Courier Services Pvt. Ltd in 1997. He credits his zeal and passion as the only reason for starting a career in the corporate world.
Before starting 424 Vivigo he took the franchise of Shree Maruti Courier Services Pvt. Ltd where he managed the entire business. He was able to build a vast network of clients at this time which helped Shree Maruti Courier Services create major strides for more than twenty-five years. While continuing to do so he decided to take his entrepreneurial journey to the next level and started Vivigo a year ago.
From starting his journey in India’s silicon valley with just 700 rupees to making an air delivery to his clients at the height of the pandemic, he shares his journey in an exclusive interview with Startup Story where he was joined by Vignesh Mohan Raja, director at 424 Vivigo.
The Company Overview And Functioning
424 Vivigo was founded in September 2021 by Gopal Tukadiya. He started it to provide gifting solutions to different corporations in India. The company is headquartered in Bangalore and is planning to expand its operations across various parts of India. The company started its journey during the Covid 19 pandemic and is completely self-funded. The idea to start the company emerged when the demand for cotton bags surged during the pandemic. Today, 424 Vivigo manufactures and sells backpacks, cotton tote bags, t-shirts, and other clothing accessories.
The company is financed by redirecting funds from Mr. Tukadiya’s previous business ventures and has working capital of its own. The company has a healthy work environment where everyone works as a team on each and every project. The company believes in the professional and personal growth of its employees above everything else. Gopal Tukadiya the founder of 424 Vivigo acts as the managing director and Vignesh Mohan Raja acts as the director of the company. Another important member of the team is Shyam Tukadiya who is also a director of the company. He is a young and capable guy who is working with his superiors to take 424 Vivigo to the next level.
The company’s main products include t-shirts, trophies & mementos, caps, pen drives, key chains, clocks, watches, leather products (diaries, planners, bags), mugs, umbrellas, and multiple types of bags such as backpacks, cotton tote bags, and sling bags. They also manufacture and sell office utilities, home utilities, decor items, and custom-made gift items. Everyone at 424 Vivigo believes in the timely delivery of products to their clients no matter how big or small. Their commitment to time was tested during the pandemic when logistics became an issue but they overcame all the obstacles and made air deliveries to their corporate clients. One of their biggest clients includes ITC.
Customer Experience And Target Customer
In order to provide a satisfactory customer experience 424 Vivigo aims to provide the best in quality products to their clients. During the pandemic to meet the huge demand for cotton bags they started outsourcing their production. In this process, they ended up providing income to more than 6000 women from low-income households and they continue to do so even today.
So far the customer feedback has been very good as the company has seen growth in its revenue. Gopal Tukadiya has big plans for the company as he plans to take the company to different parts of India. His ambitions were echoed by Vignesh Mohan Raja when he said that they are planning to open offices in different metro cities of India. 424 Vivigo is also planning to start its operations in overseas markets like the USA, UK, and UAE.
Women empowerment at its forefront
424 Vivigo manufactures and sells a huge range of products. Since most of their clients are big corporations the demand for their products is huge. In order to meet this high demand 424 Vivigo outsources its production. This outsourcing process helps in providing income for many women. 424 Vivigo aims at providing more and more earning opportunities for women across different parts of our country. They embarked on this journey of empowerment during the pandemic and are planning to take it further as the company continues to grow.
What Makes Them Unique?
424 Vivigo has a very friendly work culture where every employee is valued equally. Mr. Tukadiya says that the senior employees engage with everyone in a friendly manner and they even eat their lunch together. Just after one year of its functioning, the company has been able to stand out in the market with its unique products and timely delivery.
Employees are rewarded with timely incentives based on their performances and with more than three hundred products launched they are keen on improving themselves by taking continuous feedback from their employees. At times the company has faced some financial challenges but has always made sure that their got paid.
Advice for young entrepreneurs
Finally, Gopal Tukadiya said that he believes hard work, dedication, and commitment can take you anywhere in your life. He even jokingly said that he never got the time to study business through formal education because he was so busy building his own. He ends by saying, “424 Vivigo is a testament to the passion and commitment of all the team members who have always prioritized customer experience above everything else.”