Pitstop, a Bengaluru-based doorstep car service and repairs provider, is planning to hire 5,000 mechanics in the next one year and expand in six cities amid robust growth in the sector — Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai.
The company has 117 employees on its payroll at present, with an additional headcount of about 30 mechanics.
“We are looking at 250 to 300 vans for doorstep service in each of the six cities we are currently in over a period of two years,” said Mihir Mohan, founder, Pitstop.
The company has 12 doorstep service vans running in Bengaluru currently as part of a pilot programme.
India’s automotive repair and service market is estimated to be worth $8-10 billion and half of it is unorganised, according to TeamLease Research data. There are about 500,000 mechanics employed in the sector and it is increasing at the rate of 12% per annum, said Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder, TeamLease Services.
Launched in 2015, Pitstop has raised $2.9 million in two rounds of fundraising from Blume Ventures, Goldbell Group and angel investors. It is planning another round of fundraising to fund its expansion. “We are in the process of raising more funds,” said Mohan.
Pitstop is looking at hiring mechanics from various Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnic institutes across the country.
“The changing demand of mechanics in recent times shows the need is growing, and it could be a booming skill for India as more jobs of mechanics move from informal to formal sector,” said Suchita Dutta, executive director, Indian Staffing Federation.
At present, India does not have any body collating data on mechanics.
“The plan is to create a pool of over 60,000 skilled labour who will come onto our platform, get them on-boarded and trained, and then let them work in the field wherein they can earn independently,” said Mohan.
The company plans to pay the mechanics a compensation of Rs 25,000-70,000 per month, depending on their expertise level.
Pitstop has two service models – doorstep services or company’s direct service offering and indirect service offerings through partnerships with garage service providers.
“We plan to increase the supply pool to 60,000-plus mechanics, who would be part of our direct network by 2023, through our partner development programme,” said Mohan.
The company currently offers a real-time updating of servicing status, pick-and-drop service for all cars and prior approval before undertaking tasks.