At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, located in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, on Tuesday. Among the deceased were two individuals from Pune — Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote. Additionally, over 260 more tourists from the city remain stranded in the region and have appealed to the Maharashtra government to facilitate their safe return home. Amid the crisis, Pune-based startup udChalo has stepped up to help those stuck in the valley.
In a conversation with The Free Press Journal, Shivam Arren, CEO, udChalo, said the company has a network of 100+ physical offices nationwide, each staffed by ex-servicemen. "In Jammu & Kashmir, we have offices in Srinagar, Bandipora, Kupwara, Kargil, Leh and Udhampur. They are staffed by a strong team of veterans who understand the region very well. Hence, we would be able to provide assistance because they all have their own vehicle and connect with the local military and police. They have already begun assistance by arranging temporary accommodation for the stranded tourists, rebooking or rerouting air tickets at no extra cost and providing real-time local guidance and emergency contacts," he said. "We are currently assisting a group of civilian tourists from Mumbai—coordinating their onward travel, securing safe lodging and facilitating any emergency requirements," he stated.
Arren said udChalo has previously provided assistance in the 2019 Pulwama attack and the North-East floods in 2017. "During the Pulwama attack, udChalo was the first in the industry to waive all cancellation and rescheduling fees, recognising the urgency and emotional impact on serving personnel and their families. We also provided free reprieve tickets to immediate family members," he added. During the 2017 floods, the start-up set up special relief camps for stranded passengers and coordinated emergency travel logistics, stated the CEO. Beyond this, Arren said the startup has always been supporting their customer segment, which is the military families — be it by organising chartered aircrafts during COVID, or assisting ferrying of fallen soldiers' mortal remains. "We also run a programme called udChalo Shradhanjali — to offer free tickets for the next of kin of the fallen soldiers," he further said.
When asked to explain what udChalo does exactly, Arren said it is India’s first multi-service platform built exclusively for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). "Our mission is to build unique, convenient and cost-effective platforms for our soldiers to access consumer products and services. We provide air-ticket booking (with defence fares across all major airlines), real-estate solutions (housing loans, rental assistance), financial services (insurance, ITR filing, mutual funds), and consumer goods (electronics, household items), among others," he concluded.
