'We drive demand rather than being driven by it'

What started in Mahim two decades ago as a Hero Honda dealership has today emerged as an enterprising transportation solution company. “From a two-wheeler to a 10-wheeler, at every stage we have a product to suit our customers' needs,” said Sundeep Kumar Bafna, Managing Director, Fort Point Automotive Pvt Ltd.

Bafna who believes that adversity can be your biggest teacher, had to start from scratch again in 2005, with the Mumbai deluge destroying stocks in the warehouses. “At that time we were dealing with a lot of companies and we were spread too thin, so we knew it was time to consolidate,” explained Bafna. In 2007, they were awarded three Maruti dealerships and within two years of operations, they entered the elite 'club 500' — selling over five hundred cars every month.

So what have they done differently? “Rather than enter the rat-race and snatch business from our competitors, we wanted to create a niche for ourselves. So we started designing our own innovative solutions catering to the Indian roads,” states Mr. Bafna.

Recalling one incident when he saw school children caged in auto rickshaws returning home, he decided to do something to secure the safety of India's future. And the concept of Omni FSV (FortPoint School Van) was born. The vans maintain highest safety standards and are a common sight across Indian roads today. In another project, 400 women drivers are being trained to cater to increasing demand of drivers. Bafna is also pushing for 'two-wheeler’ taxi in a 10km radius around specific areas to reduce the Mumbai traffic woes after Bafna narrowly made it for a flight in Thailand thanks to one of these! “I want to build an enterprise which develops out-of-box transportation solutions and is a win-win situation for all. At times we have failed, but today I am satisfied because we are creating the need in the market for our products rather than following the market demands,” he further adds.

Due to their green initiatives and unique solutions, FortPoint Automotive was awarded the Automobile
Dealer Excellence Corporate Social Responsibility Award. With enterprise, innovation and drive, FortPoint is all geared up to give Mumbai roads a much needed facelift!