Describing the inception of the startup, Vembu shared that the idea for Karuvi emerged when Abdul Gafoor, the founder of Mr. Light Global, a home appliances company based in the UAE, encouraged him to venture into handheld tools production.
“He, the founder from the UAE, approached me expressing his interest in having Zoho create these tools, with his intent to distribute them. Initially hesitant due to our lack of expertise in this domain, he highlighted the potential for generating employment opportunities in rural areas. That’s what truly captured my attention!” Vembu recounted in his post.
Addressing a comment on the post, he disclosed that the startup commenced its journey with a team of two engineers and has now expanded to a workforce of 10 individuals.
Vembu noted that the initial stages of the new venture have incurred expenses for prototyping and tooling. Additionally, he emphasized that the company will face forthcoming expenditures including those associated with factory space, equipment, staffing, advertising, distribution, and customer service.
When a user estimated the venture’s cost at approximately INR 1 Cr, Vembu indicated that the actual expenses would likely be twice that amount.
“To get a clearer picture, just double the figures! Developing new products in uncharted territory involves a steep learning curve – a cycle of designing and refining that’s inevitable,” he remarked.
Excitingly, the launch of Karuvi coincides with Zoho’s flurry of new ventures and products. Just back in February, they introduced Zakya, a dedicated business division aimed at serving retail businesses in India.
