MUMBAI: Days after stepping down as Impact Group CEO, Sanjay Kaul has launched a new start-up, Last Mile Channel Enhancement (LMCE) – a tech-enabled b2b aggregator for brands keen to foray into the rural market. As the name suggests, LMCE aims to solve the last mile challenges for brands.
The company has been built on three core fundamentals - where to play, how to play and digital disruption across the value chain. The other LMCE founding members include: principal advisor & board member Sankalp Potbhare, key advisor strategy & growth Sanjay Panigrahi, director Pradeep Kaul and COO Nikhil Kaul.
LMCE has also developed an in-house mobile application, Xpand, to serve its clients better. The self-learning app analyses, predicts and recommends to brands, distributors and local kirana stores based on the data collected from 2.5 lakh rural stores. It will help key stakeholders in the rural ecosystem plan their annual sales, marketing and distribution strategy. The user interface has been purposefully designed keeping the rural audiences in mind.
Sanjay Kaul has been instrumental in driving growth for brands across rural India for the last 25 years and envisions LMCE to be a major disruptor in this space thereby creating India’s largest platform for sales, distribution and market development.
Sankalp Potbhare was associated with The Kraft Heinz Co South as chief commercial officer Asia south Asia and formerly as MD The Kraft Heinz Co South - Asia. With over 16 years of industry experience across brands such as – Pepsico & RB, he has a strong understanding of markets such as India, China and southeast Asia.
Sanjay Panigrahi has over three decades of experience in creating and building brands such as Pidilite, Amul, Srei- Sahaj, in the rural segment.
With over 25 years of rich experience in sales and distribution strategy development across multiple brands, Pradeep Kaul has been associated with Perfetti Van Melle, Ferrero, Dabur and Cargill India in the past.
Nikhil Kaul has been at Impact Communications for over five years and has been driving its last mile vertical. He developed a strong GTM strategy for brands such as - Reckitt, Apollo Tyres, Tata Tiscon, Signify, and DS Group, and will be driving the operations at LMCE. He has over 20 years of experience.
LMCE founder & CEO Sanjay Kaul says, “We have a huge opportunity at hand and tech, data, and prioritization remain the core offerings of LMCE. We are also glad that some of our key clients have shown their trust in our new venture and have been a part of the LMCE since the beginning. Our offerings will not be limited to sales & distribution but will also drive value and volume growth for our clients.”
Nikhil Kaul adds, “Rural has bigger potential than anyone’s imagination in
the boardroom. While it has been an engine driver for the country’s economic growth for years, I still believe that together we have only been able to scratch the tip of the iceberg. There is a huge untapped potential in the region, which is exponentially growing every year. With LMCE we endeavour to take companies to one million stores in the rural landscape by the end of 2022. We are in this to win the rural, not to flirt with it."
