E-waste is a threat that has been challenging the world for quite some time now. In 2020 alone, the world generated a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste, with India standing as the third biggest contributor. The country’s share, as per a recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board is that India generated 1,014,961 tonnes of e-waste in 2020. Sending e-waste to dump yards wastes an opportunity to recycle valuable materials inside them. Why is reuse/recycling important? The part of the whole is as useful as the whole; especially when it comes to electronics.
For instance, in the service sector, the availability of electronic spare parts is always a challenge. As humans, we cannot predict which spares will fail, and despite all planning, we could still fall short and end up buying a new appliance. Usually, this requirement for a new appliance can be avoided if the part could be acquired from a trustworthy reseller who is adept t recycling and reusing. This could not only save money but also save the environment a great deal. This is where Venkatesh Rao K got his idea to bring e-scrap resellers under one roof and provide a virtual marketplace that can provide electronic spare parts that are refurbished, from trustworthy sellers. He named this virtual marketplace Xfurbish, launched it in January 2020, and has not looked back since.
“We are into purpose-driven business. Across the globe, there is huge e-waste generated. When disposed of, these electronic devices contain many toxic components capable of destroying the environment by leaking into the soil and poisoning the water. This can affect plant and animal habitat and will cause severe effects when consumed by human life. Xfurbish identifies that possibly one of the best ways to give a product a “Second Life” is through refurbishment because it helps you to buy an equally new product and also contributes to our planet,” says Venkatesh Rao K, Founder, Xfurbish.com.
Venkatesh started his career in 2006 from a reputed company. Three years later, he found his calling and started his venture with his partners, Sureworks from a humble one-room office. Today, Sureworks Group of companies have 315 resources and 27 offices across India. He started by taking care of the engineering department at Sureworks, gradually moving on to don the hats of Technical Director, Business Director and, at present, heading the Strategic & Planning Division as Director, responsible for the expansion of our business model and growth. It was Sureworks that helped build eMazel Tech Pvt Ltd, under which Venkatesh launched xfurbish.com.
Today Xfurbish is the largest refurbished online marketplace in India for IT refurbished products like servers, storage, networking, laptops, desktops, printers and peripherals. Following strict diligence in seller enrolment, Xfurbish does not compromise on the quality of service. A testament to this is that despite being new to the business, the company enjoys 500+ sellers, 3000 happy customers (40% repetitive), and has more than 1,50,000 products listed on the xfurbish.com site.
“We work as a team, with each performing in various roles, driven by a set of business processes and values, making a more efficient, streamlined organization overall. After extensive research, we found out that there was no market information about the resellers of IT products. The sector is highly scattered, and resellers are only dealing with a fixed customer base, not reaching out to market at large. We also observed that neither there exists proper education nor information about the refurbished IT products for the public at large. The buyers are forced to buy only new units, even if they can’t afford it. Given a chance, they would happily go in for refurbished equipment, if they are convinced about the quality. Xfurbish focuses on customer-centric imperatives that provide various categories of products, enhanced customer support, adaptability, security & compliance,” he adds. Venkatesh and his team are now working towards an online service portfolio of engineers in the service field so that anyone can book any technical resource for one-time service in the IT sector via online. It could be any service related to desktop, notebook, installation, Linux resource, CCI resources or skills that require a skilled IT technician.
Launched simultaneously in India and UAE, trustworthiness and reliability are two important aspects that they stress on. Therefore, Xfurbish ensures that with every purchase, the seller offers a warranty period. Moreover, the huge price difference between brand new and the refurbished IT equipment is an added bonus! Having just entered the market last year, Xfurbish, under the guidance of Venkatesh, has already proved its mettle as a trusted brand among customers and suppliers. The company has grown its network over a year and looks forward to increasing its bandwidth in revenue and services in 2021. The company expects a 300% growth in revenue and is working towards establishing its presence in Nigeria in February, soon to be followed in the USA, other African Countries, Europe and Asian countries.