CEO Insights Magazine

The price of success is the result of dedication and passion to the job at hand and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. Mehul Desai is one such ardent entrepreneur from a non-Business family who has carved a niche for himself in the automobile sector through relentless dedication. Automobile Engineer by profession, Mehul knew that he would always be his own boss, for he had a huge passion for cars and wanted to give people the best. With the enriching zeal of serving the people better in the car care industry, he incorporated Mquik, a one stop shop for end-to-end automobile requirements. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights Magazine, Mehul Desai walks us through the unique proposition of Mquik as well as his explicit professional trajectory.

What was the inspiration behind establishing Mquik?
I was always fascinated by vehicles since I was a child, and it was clear in my mind from my childhood itself that I wanted to do something in the automotive industry. That is the reason why I did my automobile Engineering and got into this field. The core objective or the motive behind the entire concept of incorporating Mquik was to bridge the gap in the market. This is a typical industry where there is a lack of confidence; people don't trust workshop proprietors due to the malpractice or negligence which is going on in the industry. Further, the accessibility of spares and the technical ability of independent repair shops are another challenge.

There are multiple layers in the vehicle maintenance industry which includes authorized dealers or service stations for a specific manufacturer, chain of independent workshops(which exists in India but is not yet at scale), and the third layer is mom and pop shops. Since there were very few organized players in this specific field of multi brand car maintenance, I seized the chance and founded Mquik with strong core principles and a clear vision of creating a transparent business model that met all of the customers' needs under one roof.

Define Mquik as an organization and its present position in the market place.
When we look at the Indian market for this specific industry, it is very scattered, with someone doing tires, someone doing Body Shop, selling accessories, or repairing the car, but we rarely see a notion where one company does everything under one roof. Whereas, Mquik has positioned itself in the market as the country's leading one stop shop for all the customers' automobile requirements. Mquik is a fully compliant organization with all systems and processes in place. The equipments we have in our facilities is either on par with dealership setups or, in some cases, exceeds their standard. We render high quality servers and have access to a wide range of spare parts from companies of repute like Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota,Mercedes Benz, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover and BMW to name a few. All of these contribute to a comprehensive car care experience, adding to the unique proposition of Mquik and helping it stand tall amongst the others in the market.

Tell us about Mquik's unique service concept as well as your expansion plans in the future?
We are leveraging cutting edge technology to take our company to the next level. We are a 100% paperless organization and have our in house management system, workshop management software(WMS). As afore mentioned, having faith in vehicle repair workshops is a challenge for all consumers. Thus at Mquik, we strive to create a transparent environment wherein our entire infrastructure is designed in such a way that the customers can have full visibility from all corners, so they feel safe and secure in our shop. We Strongly believe that Training and development provides both the individual and organizations as a whole with benefits that make the cost and time a worth while investment. We have Designed A robust training and development program in association with different Components, Consumables & Equipment

Manufacturers to ensure that employees have a consistent experience and back ground knowledge. We are Planning to Launch Skill Development, Up gradation & Certification programs for Our Existing Employees as well as For those who are willing to explore opportunities in the Car Care Industry. We Have Inhouse & Fully Equipped Training Facility at Mquik. Further, we are keenly looking to expand this concept across the nation and employ technology for the same, which plays a crucial role when we talk about scale and expansion.

Moreover, the transition of conventional fuel to alternative fuel vehicles is a growing topic of interest and relevance. So, when we put ourselves in that scenario, we feel utterly comfortable since we are not simply reliant on the typical vehicle maintenance domain, rather we are working in all directions tire service related facilities, body shop, accessory retail, value addition facilities, and many more, which definitely has a good fore say in the future.

Based on your strong professional experience, what advice would you give to the upcoming entrepreneurs in the industry?
I always believe that failure is part of the success story and for every adversity, there is an opportunity. Consistency, commitment, innovation, teamwork, and quality play a vital role and are the core pillars of this organization. Since things are evolving at a rapid pace, technology is going to play a very vital role in the coming days. I always believe that you have to adapt to the evolving technology and be aligned with the pace. And the most important thing in the service industry is transparency. If you are transparent enough with your team, vendors, customers, as well as your vision & mission, things will fall into place.

Mehul Desai, Founder, Mquik
With around 25 years of industry experience, Mehul has served thousands of consumers in and around Gujarat as well as other states of India. He regularly attends numerous national and inter national automobile exhibitions and conventions to stay in touch with the latest trends and technology. He is the chairman of the Automobile Committee of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI) as well as the Surat International Auto Expo. He also serves as the president of the Surat Car Workshop Association and the National General Secretary of All India Automobile Workshop Association (AIAWA).