Engineering Grad’s Holiday Inspires Startup That Today Earns Him Rs 3 Lakh/Month

On a trip to Kullu Manali, Jitesh Yadav came to truly understand his love for travelling. Alongside this love came a better understanding of the need for responsible travel, owing to a sour experience with a tour guide.

“During our trip, my friends and I faced several challenges, because our tour operator was often confused about everything – the places to visit, where to eat, and even the places to stay at. We had to figure out everything on our own. Regardless, it was that man who helped me build Trrivel,” Jitesh tells The Better India.

Trrivel, a Jalandhar-based startup, was established by Jitesh, a mechanical engineer and his friend Syed Adnan Faraz in May 2017. The agency helps travelers choose their destination, stay, and plan other activities such as trekking and river rafting across India.

An unexpected opportunity

A student of Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab, Jitesh was keen on starting a business from his college days. “When I got the chance, I joined the college’s sponsorship team, and visited startup events to grow a good network,” he says.

Aware of Jitesh’s interest in travelling, college authorities told him about a property in Himachal Pradesh. He leased this property, and with his friends, began running a hostel and cafe for tourists. He adds that within days, he understood that to run a business, frequent customers were needed. For this, he began organising trips.

Jitesh discussed this plan further with Syed, his college friend, and together they established Trrivel.

As for the investment, the duo didn’t have to spend a single penny, Jitesh says. “We got students from our campus to plan their trips with us. We used the money they gave us to expand our business,” he adds.

Trrivel has also tied up with colleges in Jalandhar, Delhi, Dehradun and Chandigarh to arrange travels for students, and have also set up help desks on these campuses to aid students.

Reaching remote corners of India

The team consists of eight members. Trrivel partners with different vendors, hotels and hostels to provide stay, food and other facilities to tourists.

Syed, co-founder of the venture, says, “Our trips are mostly conducted on weekends for two or three days. According to our customers’ requirements, we can extend these. A unique aspect of our venture is that we help people plan trips in remote and less commercial places, while providing a comfortable stay and the best food.”

The cost of these trips ranges between Rs 5,500 and Rs 8,000, and the cost for trekking or river rafting is around Rs 850. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we would be earning Rs 40-45 lakh every year. But we’ve had a tough time due to the virus. In 2020, we could only earn Rs 5 lakh. We hope the situation will improve soon, and we can receive more customers,” Syed says.

While Trrivel provides services to plan trips across the country, most bookings are received for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Most customers belong to Jalandhar, Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, and Jaipur.

Trrivel can be contacted on 78888 19914.