“Hello this is Ratan Tata Speaking”, the story of a phone call that transformed Pune couple’s destiny forever!
Pune’s young entrepreneur couple Aditi Bhosale Walunj and Chetan Walunj have revolutionized the energy sector through their startup Repos Energy. Their journey is very inspiring and unique, in which veteran industrialist Ratan Tata played a special role.
The Beginning of a Dream
Repos Energy was founded in 2017. This startup adopts the model of mobile energy distribution and provides services like home delivery of diesel. Aditi, who is a graduate in chemical and forensic science, and Chetan, who used to manage his father’s petrol pump, started working on the possibilities of energy distribution like e-commerce. Their inspiration came from a simple Amazon delivery.
Meeting Ratan Tata: An Extraordinary Story
Aditi and Chetan always looked for a mentor who did something for a bigger purpose. They had only one name in mind – Ratan Tata. But meeting him was not easy.
Aditi says, “We wrote a letter to him and waited for 12 hours outside his house. Tired and disappointed, we returned to the hotel, when we got a call. That call was from Ratan Tata. His voice said, ‘Can we meet?’ At that moment, we both became speechless. The next day at 11 am, we met him.” The meeting lasted for three hours, in which they shared their plans and ideas. Tata not only listened to them carefully, but also shared his experiences.
When he asked what they expected from him, the couple replied, “Guide us.” Tata then agreed to help them. The journey of Repos Energy Repos Energy used technology to improve energy distribution. They started delivering diesel using IoT and cloud solutions. Their services have reached more than 65 Indian cities and the startup provides its services to big companies like Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Group and JW Marriott. Recently, Repos Energy launched a ‘mobile electric charging vehicle’ powered by organic waste, which reflects their innovative thinking in the energy distribution space.
Challenges and Achievements
Despite the stringent regulations and primary challenges of this industry, Aditi and Chetan garnered government and industry support. They also played a role in policy changes by contributing to the government task force.
Repos Energy started with a small team of interns and fresh graduates. Today, the same team is in key roles in the company, which shows the power of leadership and teamwork.
Way Forward
Repos Energy aims to achieve a revenue of Rs 200 crore by FY25 and organise India’s energy distribution. Apart from this, they want to support MSMEs and increase employment opportunities by extending their services to rural areas.
Aditi says, “Repos Energy is our baby, and while the hustle is real, the purpose keeps us motivated.”
With the guidance of Ratan Tata, the vision of Aditi and Chetan, and the hard work of the team, Repos Energy is emerging as a transformational force in the Indian energy sector.
