Platform strategy to drive 30-40% growth
iQuippo digitizes co-lending programs, offers dynamic pricing to borrowers and dynamic risk adjustments to lenders:
iQuippo, India’s first digital marketplace for infrastructure equipment, has launched its upgraded financing portal (www.iquippo.com) and has become the first digital platform in the country to digitize co-lending programs. iQuippo’s customers can avail finance for their equipment purchase at the click of a mouse from the comfort of their home/office.
Anant Raj Kanoria, CEO of the company, says the state-of-the-art platform now offers the company’s customers an option to choose offers from different financial institutions. Customers are able to track their loan applications online, get feedback on documents that they need to avail loans and get answers to all their queries relating to the disbursement process. They do also benefit from a single window access to multiple financiers, simple documentation and hassle-free application and get real time offers from the financiers in the form of competitive rates and higher loan to value ratio.
Dealers are able to upload their invoices, generate leads, track customer applications and avail a free customer relationship management tool, which improve their client relationships.
BANKS, NBFC OFFERS LOAN
On iQuippo platform, financiers can check credit scores and receive other necessary data for loan approvals in a transparent and efficient manner. This leads to a quicker turnaround time, digitized documentation and reduction in cost for financing partners. Says Kanoria: “The current sole lending and co-lending banks and financial services companies are expected to offer more and more loans to iQuippo customers for purchase of infrastructure equipment on the platform.”
iQuippo’s research showed t hat the primary reason for low volumes in co-lending model was the slow turnaround time. Hence, the company, with the help of technology, decided to remove the existing process barriers and made the entire process easier and faster for all its stakeholders. This enhanced the company’s drive to digitize the entire lifecycle of infrastructure equipment and bring all the relevant stakeholders – customers, OEMs, dealers and financiers – on one platform. Says Kanoria: “The portal has integrated the risk and the pricing engine, which provides customers with dynamic pricing and financiers with dynamic risk adjustments according to the changes in the market situation, both at micro and macro levels.”
After covid outbreak and the lockdown, iQuippo realized that its customers were looking to finish the ongoing projects as early as possible. With migrant workers returning home, there was also a shortage of manpower. Hence the company attempted to refurbish many of the used equipment, ensured that they are in good working condition and made them available to customers at affordable prices. The feedback has been encouraging as it is now seeing a rise in demand for used equipment.
NEGOTIATE, CUSTOMIZE
Kanoria says Indians always have a preference for bargain buys. Therefore, the portal, he says, negotiates with the customers online on behalf of the financial institutions and customizes offers according to their financing needs. “The most fascinating aspects of our portal are the negotiation and customization options for our customers. To digitize the process of negotiation initially was a challenge. But we have been able to introduce this aspect and create a value proposition for our customers. We want to be known for our innovation and to have positively disrupted the infrastructure equipment ecosystem by bringing customers, OEMs, dealers and financiers on one platform. We are committed to transform the infrastructure equipment industry and will continue to innovate to create an environment in which P2P, B2B and B2C businesses flourish,” he elaborates.
IBM’S TRANSFORMATION TECH
iQuippo is a 360-degree digital platform that facilitates buying, selling, financing and leasing of equipment, asset certification, machinery evaluation, insurance of equipment, auctioning, parking and logistic facilities, yard management, spare parts and other asset related services. It allows buyers and sellers to interact, negotiate and close transactions in a timely, transparent and cost-effective manner. The portal has been jointly developed with IBM to offer transformation technology with highest level of security, performance and transparency. “We are in the process of becoming India’s first ever platform to digitize the co-lending process,” says Kanoria.
MARKETING & GROWTH
Since most of its customers are from the traditional industries like construction and infrastructure, its digital presence is complemented with personalized outreach programs. “We have a focused presence across the 2 major social media platforms – Facebook and LinkedIn,” says Kanoria, adding: “We have a registered user base of over 90,000 customers and around 200,000 visitors on our website every month.”
He expects a growth of 30-40% in GMV during the current financial year.