How Defreshbox is disrupting the way people buy groceries in Barak Valley?

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
— Mahatma Gandhi

When Covid forced us all to stay inside our homes, people ran mad. While most people rushed to their nearby grocery stores, there remained a segment of people who hit the keyboards. Worldwide 'Google' searches for food delivery and local food reached all-time highs in April. The younger generation of Silchar was waiting for a Rescuer. That included Nivedita Dey, the co-founder of DeFreshBox.  

But Silchar had its own challenges in the area of grocery delivery, which includes no mainstream service provider for grocery. It was a nightmare for people who were used to having their purchases delivered to their doorstep. Metro cities have service providers like BigBasket and Dunzo, but with the strict lockdown pressure piling up, even those delivery giants quickly became overwhelmed. In such a crisis, what could Silchar expect? Not much, of course.

Nivedita had a hard time grasping the pathetic situation of Silchar. The prices of daily necessities were skyrocketing, and the availability was decreasing. And the desperation for groceries and other necessities was increasing.

Not being able to go outside, Nivedita once bought some necessities from an online delivery provider. "I placed the order at night and didn't get any response. The next day when I didn't receive anything till noon, I had to approach them. At around 5 in the evening, they delivered my order. After experiencing such horrible service, I talked to my family, especially my sister-in-law and DeFreshBox came into the picture." Nivedita said to Explore Valley.

Nivedita's experience with the local grocery delivery service led to the foundation of a very efficient and trustworthy delivery service, DeFreshBox.  

Nivedita had never anticipated that she would ever indulge in the idea of providing groceries to people at their doorsteps. But, there she was with her sister-in-law, brainstorming and making contacts, gathering suppliers and building an in-house app. She worked round the clock with her business partner, Moumita Bhattacharjee, to make DeFreshBox possible.

"Moumita Bhattacharjee, my sister-in-law and business partner, came here all the way from London to give shape to my ideas. She handled the process design and the quality process. The indigenous app and website that we have, none of it would have been possible without Moumita." Nivedita gushes about her sister-in-law.

Co-founder Moumita Bhattacharjee is a Silcharian who has been living in the UK and has more than 15 years of corporate experience, mainly with HR management. Currently, Moumita is managing the technical aspects along with customer support. And she is doing it all from London, which has immensely helped DeFreshBox be active almost round the clock.  

They officially launched their venture in April 2021. And here is what she has to say about it: "I have had both good and bad experiences with the delivery services. Unfortunately, the bad experience was here, in Silchar. So, I wanted to be sure that I have the resource and everything sorted before I step into the business. It took a lot of time, considering DeFreshBox is an in-house app. I want to do more than business. The focus is to prioritise quality over quantity so that the aged people of our locality get used to the idea of online grocery shopping. Because ultimately, they are at greater risk as compared to us (youngsters)."

"We also brought in necessary protocols to ensure quality services and the safety of our employees and customers. And are trustable because DeFreshBox is a pure family business, you can say. So we never compromise on quality,"  Nivedita further adds.

It is worth knowing that DeFreshBox is yet to receive any negative feedback from their customer. They provide free delivery. It is commendable that they stick to their promise and deliver at the door of their customers. One can live on the fourth floor and have a sack full of rice delivered to your doorstep.

And recently, the DeFreshBox is collaborating with the Surya Supreme Industries to support local startups and entrepreneurs. With their determination and excellent team, Nivedita and Mouminta are proving to us that: DeFreshBox is not just a service but a way of living.