Indian startup offers pay-per-use storage service

F or the first time in India, a Noida-based start-up – named StoreMore – has begun providing storage services in the Delhi NCR region.

StoreMore, a company set up by Nitin Dhawan and Pooja Kothari, offers secure storage facilities to businesses and households across 10 locations in Delhi NCR offering a total storage area of over 1 lakh square feet.

The service includes an option for the customer to choose space at one or multiple locations through the StoreMore website using an option called space estimator — more like booking a hotel room. As part of the service, the company’s team will also pack the goods and transport them for safe storage to the facility of the company.

“Our technology platform is the first of its kind in the country. It allows users to book space across multiple locations, and provides cloud-based access to inventory of stored goods for easy re-delivery,” StoreMore managing director Kothari told IANS.

It will also, if required by the customer, deliver the goods back to where the customer wants it though the service will be chargeable. The service is charged at a monthly rate of Rs.30 per sq ft, with slight variation for location of the warehouse.

“StoreMore’s USP is its flexible, pay-per-use model which has never been applied to warehousing before in India. It does not require any long-term commitments of time, or any security deposits. There are no complicated leases to sign either. Customers pay monthly rent for the amount of space their goods use in a facility,” Kothari explained.

Interestingly, the startup does not believe in maintaining its own logistics service.

“We don’t want to maintain our own logistics as it kills the efficiency in the system and will burden us with maintenance costs. We have tied up with another startup for the service while just having two delivery trucks in our stable,” Kothari said.

The company offers two types of solutions for storage: box storage and pallet storage. The first type offers corrugated boxes for storage of files, documents and small-sized items.

“Each box can hold up to 15 kg to 18 kg of goods. The second type of storage offer space on pallets that can be used to store large-sized items, such as chairs, tables, inventory of goods,” Dhawan said.

“We are especially relevant to e-commerce businesses that can store their goods across multiple locations and move closer to their customers, thereby reducing delivery times. What’s better, they achieve this without any headaches of managing security or management of inventory,” he added.

Consumers can also check a cloud-based inventory of stored goods which makes access and retrieval easier.

StoreMore claims that its facilities are run on systems and processes. Access to storage areas is controlled using a biometric/card-based system along with CCTV cameras monitoring all entry and exit into the area.

“Pest control services every 15 days ensure protection against rodents and pests. These facilities are also protected against fire and elements of nature,” Kothari said.

StoreMore Storage Solutions is co-promoted by the family office of Burmans, who own Dabur. Bedrock Ventures is also an investor in the company.