Subhasish Chakraborty and son Abhishek Chakraborty, first- and second-generation owners of the express logistics company, talk about evolving market dynamics, growth plans, and legacy
(L to R) Subhasish Chakraborty, CMD and Abhishek Chakraborty, CEO of DTDC. Image: Amit Verma
DTDC Chairman Subhasish Chakraborty, one of the pioneers in the logistics space, built the company over 35-years ago with an initial investment of Rs70,000. The company expanded its footprint with a franchise model, a first of its kind in the industry, and covers nearly 70 percent of the country’s length and breadth.
Now competition is intense but Chakraborty believes DTDC has a strong moat. “Competition is not going to slow down as the market is evolving. There will be a red ocean kind of situation where every company cuts another company,” the founder, chairman, and managing director says. “Many startups have the luxury of showing abnormal growth, selling the services below the cost, just for the sake of creating a valuation [by] burning investor money.”
With his son Abhishek Chakraborty in the driver's seat as the CEO, the company wants to focus on rapid delivery. Explaining the roadmap for growth and fundraising, the second-generation leader says, “We do believe that a company like DTDC has the right ingredients to take big steps in the future… Now, whether it is public markets or private markets, all options remain open.”
In a rare interview together, the father-son duo discusses early days of building the company, new market dynamics, business plans against an increasingly disruptive environment, the relationship between them at work, and how trust and responsibility shapes legacy. Edited excerpts of part one: