How Artificial Intelligence, Big Data help startups - Explains Gurcharan Singh of LogixGRID

Gurcharan Singh, co-founder, LogixGRID, in an email interview with Zee Business Online, talks about how artificial intelligence and Big Data are helping startups and SMEs to grow their businesses in India.

How young entrepreneurs should start their journey? What is your advice?
Young entrepreneurs should come up with such innovative solutions which can make life easier and generate huge scopes for the future. Technology can transform any activity happening in the world.

Why artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data in Logistics and manufacturing sector critical for Digital India?

The use of technologies also benefit the sectors in the following ways:

Cost-effective and responsiveness:
Capabilities of AI are ramping up companies' efficiency in the areas of predictive demand and network planning. Having a tool which has the capability to collect data from circumstances and provides accurate data and analysis make a company more proactive and thus reducing cost and enhancing responsiveness. AI in logistics also includes robotics, high-speed sorting of unregulated packages, and palletised freight; which decreases human efforts and minimizes errors.

These technologies can help create a process flow to study the current sales, sales forecast, production counts and prepare a daily dispatch plan according to the requirement. 
A smart device guides the driver throughout their trips which simultaneously communicate with the shippers and logistics vendors about the vehicle's location and suggests steps for next trip. The system learns the complete expense of that trip and helps in invoice validation and process accordingly to avoid conflicts between shippers and logistics vendors.

How did the idea of starting your own enterprise come? What inspired you?
After starting professional career in 1999 as franchisee of Express Cargo company GATI, in early 2003, I moved to the technological world and engaged in the development of software ranging from gaming to ERP to digital publishing. In 2008, started working for Google Inc. and led the technical development team involved in developing back-end applications for different Google products including AndroidMarket Place, Google News. In 2011, I decided to use these experience in logistics and software industry and founded “LogixGRID Technologies” with a vision to simplify logistics business by innovative products.

What is your company's road map ahead?
It was started with a vision to bring latest advancement in the field of CLOUD Computing, BIG DATA and Mobility to the industry. Our primary focus was to transform Indian Logistics system to an integrated information technology (IT)-driven logistics platform. We developed solutions, which were otherwise only in the financial reach of large enterprises, which are affordable to SME logistic companies. In last 4 years, all our clients have grown multiple times and which is directly visible from the increase in per client subscription count.

Now LogixGRID has existence in more than 11 countries including USA, China, India, the UK, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and Ghana.

What is your expansion plan? Have you received any funding and if yes, from whom?

LogixGRID has registered it’s another office in Canada recently to cater to the European and North American markets. One of the bigger project is being implemented for the US and European markets and our aim is to explore more countries and make this solution available for quicker deployment.

What is the role of e-commerce industry in transforming logistics?

E-commerce is a big opportunity and with the increase in popularity of e-shops and delivery companies, the logistics e-commerce businesses are also growing.  IT-driven logistics allows shipments to be automated. Automation ensures products being shipped are labelled correctly. It also ensures workers know where to deliver them. Tools like e-mail, shared databases, optical and magnetic data capture, and digital payments are part of an IT-driven logistics infrastructure. When used together, these tools facilitate e-commerce seamlessly because once an order is placed online, all the following processes work like clockwork.

How IT-driven logistics help startups?
An effective logistics system helps startups grow rapidly, as mobility has been the major problem for new ventures in India. Even smaller e-commerce players that ship only a few hundred or fewer products everyday benefit from using IT-driven logistics. However, IT-driven logistics opens up additional opportunities.