Business was the family’s favourite topic of conversation. Ideas were bandied around, each shredded to its finer nuances. One of them eventually became our first business venture.
When vacationing abroad, we marvelled at the luxury tourist buses. It was a stray thought that there were possibilities of operating such buses in India.
However, for the idea to germinate it took some time. We fleshed it out bit by bit, trying to get as foolproof a business idea as possible. After completing our MBA, we mulled over several business options. But our heart was always with this project.
We wanted to roll out luxury coaches that showcased our history while providing tourists with a memorable experience. It was in May 2006 that the two of us sat down to make the blueprint of this venture.
Two buses, redecorated according to Mughal and Rajput themes would take tourists on a tour of historical sites in Delhi. For enhancing the experience, we decided to include film screenings in the bus, cultural programmes at various destinations, special cuisine and staff dressed up and serving them in a style reminiscent of the period.
Our father, a successful entrepreneur himself, helped us with the technical aspects. He also invested the initial amount of Rs 5 crore.
Experts were roped in for redesigning the body of the bus and doing up the acoustics. We spent hours researching to get the period details right. The business — The Royal Time Machine — was launched in May 2007. So far, the response has been good. Charges per person are $160 for the morning round and $165 for evening trips.
The number of tours varies according to seasons but with corporates becoming loyal clientele, the 20-seater buses average 65% occupancy and a trip a day.
Our annual revenue is likely to touch Rs 7.5 crore. We are set to expand to Jaipur and Agra by the year end. It feels good to be in the driver’s seat and we know that we can easily steer our business in future.
As told to Kamya Jaiswal
