CxO of the Week: Hiranmay Mallick, CEO & Co- founder at Tummoc

Tummoc is on a mission to be the pioneer of a smart, cashless commute in India by Providing actionable information on the best available public transport options Offering easy and flexible contactless ticketing options for all public as well as private modes of transport Integrating all MaaS (Mobility as a Service) providers to offer first and last-mile options such as electric vehicles Connecting with urban commuters to acquire significant mindshare Creating employment opportunities for last-mile partners while ensuring the healthy growth of the organization and investors alike Enabling proper asset distribution planning by MaaS providers based on existing and projected demand.

Tummoc is also soon announcing the launch of their new & essential ticket/pass booking feature. In partnership with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), it will resolve the city’s daily public transport concerns via digital ticketing or pass options. This new feature allows passengers to buy both bus tickets & passes via the app. It will minimise the ticket troubles for BMTC & customers and remove the dependency on physical cash.

What is your and your startup story?

His Story 

Orissa is where I was raised. I stayed till I finished my engineering degree there. After that, I moved to Mysore to complete my MBA degree. After that, I was hired as a Management Trainee at HCL.

My entire career has been shaped by my first four months at HCL. I was continuously told that I wasn't the right person for the job for never making a sale. That didn't stop me, though.

I've been active in sports my entire life. That, I feel, is the source of my "never give up" mentality. That's why I worked even harder when no one believed in me.

Two mentors came into my life around this period, and I'd like to acknowledge them now. At the time, the DGM of HCL Infosystems Ltd. was Mr. NM Syriach. In a way, I consider him a godfather since he taught me so much about leadership and how to deal with people. Then there is Mr. UmangSinghal, as well (AGM, Product Management, HCL Infosystem Ltd). I became a better person as a result of their consistent encouragement and mentoring.

Mr. Syriach approached me one day and asked if I'd be interested in testing out a new product.

Konica Minolta's PP was an exceptional piece of technology. Because it was a brand-new product on the market at a hefty price, selling it proved difficult. As soon as I heard about the opportunity, I jumped at the chance and did my best.

Understanding the competitor's product and consumer needs took a long time, and I spent a lot of time doing it. An eight-lakhs-over-target sale of Rs. 18 lakhs finally brought me over the finish line. Nothing could go backward from that point onwards. It became my baby because it was a new product. My career took off from there, and I quickly rose through the ranks at HCL to the position of Product Owner for the South. I believe that was the start of my journey to entrepreneurship because I gained experience in operations, people and process management, P&L, BD, and so much more because of that one product.

In the present day, getting to do what I enjoy doing is a daily event for me. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster that I enjoy riding since it presents me with fresh difficulties and new learning every day. What I enjoy most about becoming an entrepreneur is the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. Each new day brings with it the lessons you've learned from the one before.

Tummoc Story:

What is your successful view of your company? Where do you see it in the coming years?

The term "successful" has a lot of nuance to it. Success has no limit. Rather, I'd prefer to state that my firm is in a mature stage right now, and that's because when we first started, we realised that we weren't providing a 360-degree transit solution for 75 million daily commuters. Consequently, we redesigned our product and came up with a superior solution. The platform we've built is more advanced now, in my opinion, because we are India's first and only multi-modal public transportation app, combining public and private modes to provide a seamless travel experience. My company's success depends on its ability to adapt and grow.

It is our goal in the future years to be the only B2B and B2C solution provider in the industry. Right now, our focus is on B2C, but we plan to expand to B2B in the near future. Once it is accomplished, we can truly declare that we are building an effective transportation network for India.

What brilliant advice (professionally/personally) has motivated or changed your life?

I'm a firm believer in taking on new challenges and never saying no to a work opportunity. The fact that I always take something away from it helps.

One of the founders of a company once told me that it isn't the larger companies that are destroying, the smaller ones but rather the pace or speed of the other companies. So, that's what we're going to do based on the excellent advice I received.

This has little to do with the size of the company but rather the speed with which it enters the market in order to eliminate the competition. These thoughts have stayed with me, and they are what I am working for.

How do your business partners, employees, and co-workers see you as a leader? How would you describe your leadership qualities?

By coworkers and employees →

Hiranmay is regarded as the calmest, most composed, and most patient person in the workplace. He is a team player who is always looking for ways to improve the situation and ensure everyone is on the same page.

How does he describe his leadership qualities? 

His leadership philosophy is based on the fact that he is a people person. Like he usually says, the system can only function with the support of others, and he places a high value on individuals. He has a deep belief in Tummoc's people, and he and the other members of the organisation are quite selective when it comes to selecting new members.

Throughout your career journey, what was the most vital risk you took? How did you succeed?

When I began my career as a management trainee at HCL, I'd say the first risk was taking a chance on myself. The general manager referred me to the position. A brand-new product was about to hit the market. It was not ready for the market. For my product, I had to spend a lot of time getting to know customers and competitors, and I was able to map it well. And make sure it's at the right place for the user. I could have had faster results with other products, but I decided to focus on the more difficult ones at the moment.

Second, I would say this start-up as I was confused at the initial stage about whether or not to take on the challenge, as I had a lot on my plate at that time. Then my wife and Tummoc's Co-Founder Monalisha gave me the confidence to go for it, I was able to take the leap. So this was the largest, I wouldn't say risk, but more like a challenge that I accepted. My life has been full of trials and learning since then, but that one decision/risk has made all the difference in my life.

Being an entrepreneur, how did the pandemic wave (s) affect your mental health? How have you dealt with it?

The outbreak of the Pandemic was actually a godsend for the business. In order to deal with it as an entrepreneur, I made sure to take care of my health and never let the pandemic stop me from pushing my limits. Which, I believe, helped me maintain a healthy mental state. Second, my wife and the company's CMO & Co-founder, Monalisha Thakur, have been a tremendous support to me on a personal and professional level. All three founders worked hard for six months and prepared well on the product to get it ready for market. We filed our patent for being India’s only multimodal public transport app.

As a result, we were able to roll out our multi-model platform. From 15,000 to 300,000, I estimate the growth. I was only able to accomplish this because I was surrounded by people who were upbeat. For me, it was easy to keep going because I was surrounded by a supportive group of family and friends as well as co-founders, my wife, and my child.

Please give us a bird-view of your business goals? What is your next move in the digitally intelligent world?

The pace at which technology is evolving is only going to accelerate. We must keep up with the pace/speed of the game. We'll have to see that in the following five years as well. What may or may not happen to the user? It'll be interesting to see how users adjust to new technology, as well as what the competition is doing and how global players fit in. It's time to get started now, and I believe we need to keep improving.

We've got a lot of young people working with us on our plans. Having younger members of the team will allow for more fresh ideas to be brought to the table. We must focus on bringing new technology, bringing pragmatism to what we are doing, being relatable to the market and user, and being aware of what our competition is doing and how challenges are adjusting to our technology in order to keep growing and expanding.

How do you see your company in the metaverse in India?

For Metaverse, I believe there is still a lot to learn, and we'll keep progressing as technology improves. Additionally, when our customer base adjusts to the metaverse, we will make the necessary changes to our products. As a general rule, the metaverse has yet to be fully explored in India.

Do you consider any negative aspects of pandemic and post-pandemic stages for your company's services? If yes, what are they?

There has been no negative impact, as stated in the answer to Question 6.

Please describe the role of your business partners in the HR ecosystem.

 This isn't relevant.

Any recent funding.

Tummoc has raised $540K in its seed investment round and is now looking forward to Series A funding in the next months as they expand to ten additional locations.