Name of the beneficiary	Parth Mehta
Project/Programme Name	PGDM-BE 2014-2016
Name of the enterprise floated	9834 The Fruit Truck
Initial Investment	25 lakhs
Employment Generated	250
Present Turnover	8 to 10 Cr
Awards Rec’d	Best beverage in Ahmedabad by Zomato and Swiggy for the last threeBest healthy café by Zomato

Mr. Parth Mehta
Founder
9834 The Fruit Truck
PGDM, 2016

Parth always had an entrepreneurial streak in him. He loved to take responsibilities and lead major tasks with complete involvement and engagement. In college, he was always appreciated for shouldering tough tasks of organizing mega events and shows. Somewhere, subconsciously, Parth also endorsed his competencies of harnessing resources, dealing with people, not crumbling under pressure and thinking out-of-the-box. And, so for Parth, entrepreneurship was never a choice, that was the only path he had always envisioned for himself. Immediately after college, Parth initiated two businesses, one after the other, but unfortunately, both his ventures could not take off. After some introspection, he realized he had disregarded critical problems and needed more knowledge and exposure to bridge the gaps.

His search for appropriate platforms led him to EDII’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Business Entrepreneurship. As Parth says, “EDII opened me to a whole new world of viable entrepreneurial opportunities. I learnt to look at a business from an entirely different perspective. This exposure gave me the confidence to launch and lead business with a new mindset.” After an opportunity mapping, Parth settled on a business in food and beverages. Parth began work on his business model and crystallised his plans well within the duration of the course. Back then, Food trucks were unheard of; Parth planned India’s first Food Truck, panning out healthy and exotic preparations. So, in 2016, Parth launched India’s first fruit truck, with an investment of Rs. 25 lakh, which he borrowed from his father. His signature drink – the jamun shots, quickly gained popularity. In addition, 9834 The Fruit Truck became a much sort after handout serving exotic fruit platters, cold-pressed and blended juices, vegan smoothies, fresh fruit shakes and fruit desserts.

The journey though was not easy for Parth. The business still went through many ups and downs. While his competitors offering similar products at lower prices was a big hurdle, storing fruits and vegetables was also a concern. Parth tried to position himself on the basis of the top quality that he emphasized on, to differentiate himself from his competitors. He also addressed the problem of storing fruits well, and today his storage facility is the biggest strength of his business. Several businesses in this domain simply perished because of their inability to manage storage well. Parth’s focus on operational efficiency and a unique product offering became the primary factors in the consolidation of his business. Today from 1 outlet Parth has expanded to 29 outlets trucks in eight cities. He is a popular name with the young generation. Reflecting on his journey, Parth says, “I’m grateful to EDII for making me understand the road that connects a business idea and a concrete business plan. My confidence got strengthened with knowledge and business insights.”