This SIIC IIT Kanpur startup innovates mobile-operated automatic panipuri machines, offering monthly subscription of Rs 300 to local vendors - clients across 22 cities.

Harish Neotia is an entrepreneur who is the founder of E-panipurii Kartz, a tech-based startup that is revolutionizing Indian street food and eliminating issues of manpower, safety and hygiene in the field.

E-panipurii Kartz builds and offers automatic panipuri dispensing machines that leverage the Internet of Things to ensure a touchless operation throughout.

The startup has been incubated by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT Kanpur. It is also backed by the Startup Odisha initiative of the Odisha Government and the Department of Science and Technology.

E-panipurii Kartz’s founder Harish Neotia dropped out of Patna University and started a career in the mobile handsets and accessories industry. In 2012, he launched two brands that sold accessories. 

Later, Harish shut down operations owing to certain issues.

After some time, he thought about doing something innovative in the food industry. 

As someone who pays great attention to market research, Harish set out to survey more than 200 street panipuri vendors in Patna. He found that the field needed urgent automation to keep running smoothly.

He decided to talk and consult with Jyoti Prakash Sahoo, an IT industry and IoT expert.

Since the concept of entrepreneurship and running a business wasn’t alien to him, Harish decided to launch his startup E-panipurii Kartz in October 2019.

The idea was to enable street vendors to offer panipuri to their customers safely and hygienically with the assistance of smart technology that eliminates the need for them to dip their hands in the flavoured water.

The functioning of the E-panipurii Kartz Automatic Dispensing machine

• The startup’s automatic panipuri machines are IoT-enabled and integrated with a mobile application.
• Anyone using the machine has to simply press a ‘Start’ button on the machine and the application.
• The golgappa has to be taken just below a flavour’s nozzle and can be filled immediately in a touchless way. The vendor can adjust the filling amount on the mobile application.
• The automatic machine offers customers three varieties: fills, gups and shots. There are 14 flavours and 22 spices.
• Not just this, but the vendor can also select the nozzle he wants to function on the application and the ones he wants to lock.
• Additionally, there is a cleaning option that can be activated on the application. Once set, it will clean the machines' taps and nozzles completely.
• The mobile application can also be used to check the total panipuri sales, receive online orders, generate bills and receive digital payments.

E-panipurii Kartz offers its buyers raw materials like flavours, chutneys and spices along with the machine. The spices are in a paste form and are easily mixed in water. All of them are lab-tested and approved by FSSAI.

In an interview with Startup Pedia, Harish Neotia says, “Our objective is to completely change the face of Indian street food and the way it is consumed. As a country, we love our spicy, tasty street food but remain concerned about health-related issues that accompany it. After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was mass awareness about the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. E-panipurii Kartz wants to give vendors and customers a smart, tech-based way to sell and consume street food hygienically and comfortably. There is a growing market for automation in the food industry, and we are confident about our product which has already received tremendous positive response and feedback.”

Currently, the price of the Automatic Dispensing Machine starts at Rupees 10,000 to Rupees 25,000.

The startup does not charge a franchise and royalty cost.

In the next six months, Harish Neotia and his team will launch the Automatic Stuffing Machine, which will fill panipuris with stuffing in a touchless manner without using hands.

It will employ one-of-its-kind e-nose technology and application that will use sensors to identify and block stale and rotten food, especially potatoes. This technology will work on three levels - identifying smell, pH levels and temperature of the food.

E-panipurii Kartz is on an expansion spree currently and is eyeing bigger markets. Next, the startup wants to target multiplexes, malls, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

To view E-panipurii Kartz machines and buy from the business, click here.