Local Transportation Noida

There are many means of local transportation in Noida, including rickshaws, auto rickshaws and busses. Local transportation in noida now has a new player, "Eco Rick". Eco Rick is a battery powered on call rickshaw service launched in Noida, with a promise of transforming the face of local transportation in Noida. 


Local Transportation Noida

Ecorick battery rickshaws was started out of an entrepreneur’s desire to start something unique and challenging. The entrepreneur in this case is Mr. Manik Thapar, of whom we read a lot in the waste management sector, and like any entrepreneur he’s always on the lookout of the next big thing. Also, it’s an added advantage if that idea is made for the social good and is easy to implement to gain widespread acceptability.

Mr. Thapar came across the new concept of starting a battery operated rickshaw service in Noida when nobody else was doing this in the country i.e. commercially operating such a service on a large scale. We find radio taxis all over but not any service for rickshaws for local commuting. Why battery rickshaws? Because they are eco-friendly as they don’t cause any pollution, they are faster than normal cycle rickshaws as they run on motor power and they don’t stress out the rickshaw pullers-they can earn more because of less fatigue and waiting time.

It started with an experiment and market study of the usage patterns of public transport in the city. With the advent of the metro in Noida, a lot of people choose to commute on it and a feeder system was missing in the city and Ecorick aims to bridge this gap. Also, finding a rickshaw in far-fetched areas and negotiating with the rickshaw-pullers can be a hassle which Ecorick aims to solve. The rates are fixed, the drivers trained and a call center is established to look after each customer’s needs. Ecorick can also be called at one’s doorstep at no extra cost with the sole motive of bringing convenience to the customer.   

What’s more? The rickshaws have GPS installed on them. The passengers are insured, are given the luxury of mobile chargers, newspapers and mineral water on board. And all this at no extra cost i.e. the fares are similar to what a normal cycle rickshaw would cost to travel from A to B within Noida.

The service also caters to regular users like school children, college/office-goers and metro users who can subscribe for a monthly bill system at a discounted price. Time to time Ecorick comes up with promotional offers like discount coupons and one free ride for every 10^th ride.

The overall response has been very good both from the driver and the community side. The drivers are removed from the hassles of paddling and can earn more on an automated vehicle. They are happy to be permanently employed with an established company getting free meals, insurance, uniforms and security.

The passengers response have been mixed and dynamic. Some like the rickshaw for the style statement attached to it, some like the fast and smooth ride, some appreciate the safety aspect while other like the timeliness of the service. Mothers feel safe sending their kids on the rickshaw as they are assured that the company is responsible for the actions of the drivers. The elderly prefer not to walk a lot to search for a rickshaw when it can be easily called at their doorstep. 

In the coming future, Ecorick will see its fleet getting expanded and more people using its services. There are plans to expand into Greater Noida as well.  

Waste Management Articles

Waste Management Articles 


Here's a new article on waste management featuring Ecowise and Mr.Manik Thapar talking about waste management in India.

Manik Thapar got his hands dirty in garbage collection just after college. Despite two failed partnerships,
constant barbs and an employee strike, he rode the early days with gusto and help from family .

Manik Thapar | 28 years
Age at starting business: 23 years
Company Name: Eco Wise Waste Management Private Ltd
Seed capital: Rs 1 crore
Source of money: Family

Come to think of it, starting the business was easy. Convincing my mother—oh, that was no picnic. She loathed the idea of me returning to India from the US. Rather, she wanted me to work in Canada. But I was determined to work in waste management in India. To add a tinge of irony to the affair, it was my mother who named the company.

The Eureka moment arrived in a blizzard of complaints during an MBA in the US. Those days, the (poor) state of sanitation in India was a constant chorus of countrymen. That led to research and I espied a business opportunity. I launched a survey to gain a measure of the market and studied online about operations. I also called on a few experts.

Initially, I partnered US-based Eco Corp to sell technology to municipalities. The venture failed. Another tie-up with Canada's Stuart Energy that held a promise of $3 million to establish a processing plant met a similar fate. I was soon grappling with a dearth of capital.

I was in luck, however. My dad agreed to finance the idea, giving the first providential moment of my career. That saved me the trouble of approaching banks and financial institutions. Dad's money was also a savings buffer; I kept aside a portion for operational expenses for the first three-four months. With the money in place, I set about jumpstarting operations. The blue print: a marketing report during higher studies.

The key to execution lay in an operations system. Most of the seed capital was spent on equipment, including trucks and rickshaws, to collect and transport waste. The hiring was complete with 22 labourers. I established an office at home. With the occasional fine-tuning, the business was ready to sail.

The early days were exciting, with a stack of firsts sprouting around me. I signed the first client after I sold the idea without an appointment. My first tryst with bureaucrats was, to put it mildly, interesting because I was face-to-face with how things function in India.

There was the first opportunity to innovate, when I created an umbrella model that included collection, transportation, segregation, treatment and disposal of waste.

The heart of our business model is segregating waste into recyclable and organic materials. The first part is sold to industries such as paper mills and bottle plants that use recycled material. The organic matter is converted into compost (manure) and again sold to swathes of users. Only about 20% of clients pay for collecting waste.

There were some unwelcome firsts too. No incident was more disconcerting than being called the Great Canadian Kura King in a media report. There were stinging barbs such as a smalltime kabariwala. Collecting garbage is anathema. Everyone complains and pokes fun, but does little about it. I couldn't have had a better crash course in the hypocrisy of our society.

I was soon up against the first crisis—a strike by employees and resultant losses. It was a fledgling business, but they were demanding a hike despite earning up to Rs 15,000 a week. I retaliated by hiring daily wage labourers. The striking employees saw I wouldn't budge and came around.

The early days were packed with lessons seeded by mistakes. I was fixated on micromanagement. It was time to allow employees to do certain things their way. I was also relying on hearsay. The importance of effective communication was instilled then. Talking to people motivates them. I recognised troubles through such interactions.

Arriving at work early became a habit. That way, I was setting an example and also contributing to the business.
Those lessons continue to be handy to this day.

Still, the brickbats, strike and days when business was snailing spawned moments when I wanted to quit. An urge to look at other options took over on many occasions. But I hung in, aware that much effort and money had gone into the business. I was confident that if I stayed put, things would return to normalcy.

That's what happened. The revenues trickled in from the first month. I paid salaries with the money. A small part went into a celebratory drink with friends. I resisted the temptation to dip into a salary, though I claimed expenses from revenues.

I value my first year because it gave me biggest lessons yet. I learnt that operations are the centrepiece of any business. I drank in the value of providing a good service. That way customers embrace your company. When business grows by word of mouth, it negates the need for advertising. In my case, except for 'We help reduce your waste line' T-shirts employees wore, there was none.


To anyone looking to turn entrepreneur, I have this to say: Plan, plan and plan. Study the market. Involve yourself with every aspect of business for at least six months to gain a thorough understanding.

But no lesson is as profound as the worth of perseverance. I am a living example of that and I didn't learn it in B-school. I succeeded because I was unwilling to give up.

And my mother is a convert, now that green technology is a growing fad. I believe it has more to do with me being featured in the media.

(As told to Binoy Prabhakar)

Ecowise in India Today Magazine

The latest issue of India Today Aspire (January 2011) covers Mr. Manik Thapar andEcowise under the section wizkids showcasing 15 of India's aspiring entrepreneurs under the age of 35 years.

It's a well laid article and clearly explains what Ecowise stands for and is involved in. 

Thank you for your support and keeping us motivated!

Latest from Waste Management India

One great news for the private waste management sector in India comes from the city of Agra where Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam  has outsourced the function to a private firm on a fee basis- where the major polluters will be charged a fee to dispose their waste. This is a step to ensure that people don't get away after polluting our environment and somebody oversees the whole process to guarantee safe disposal of waste.  This also imbibes a sense of cautiousness within the community and makes them think before they dispose anything here and there as  when they know they are paying money for a particular services, they'll be more interested in knowing what happens to it.

In Pune, a new hazardous and bio-medical plant is going to be set up under PPP on a cost sharing basis-25% Central govt., 25% State govt. and rest 50% by private firm to handle about 3000kgs of waste.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has identified 3 new landfill sites at Tajola, Ambernath and Shil Phata to handle the growing waste in the upcoming years. The garbage output is expected to double from 11000 odd tonnes to 19500 tonnes in the next 25 years. 


Small cities have come up with exemplary progress which shoes that if there is a will and proper planning then any problem can be solved. Rajkot has entered into PPP to collect and efficiently dispose the waste generated in the city everyday, where earlier only 25% of the households were having their waste collected compared to the present 90% households. The waste collectors are paid about Rs.10 per household per month for the collection, segregation and disposal. The recyclables are sold off and the remaining is landfilled. Also fines and penalties are levied on people who litter.


Though this is not a new concept and every municipal council has made plans on the same lines in some way but what needs to be seen is how to successfully implement that plan. If these plans are implemented in proper manner, there will be no unpleasant sites in our cities in the first place.


To reiterate the fact, we at Ecowise follow the best practices to not only collect the waste door-to-door but also treat them by making compost to make least burden on our landfills.


So, Join our campaign towards cleaner cities.