‘Expedour,’ Kerala’s first organised two-wheeler tour company, was founded with the tagline: "Expedition, Experience, Tours, and More." Driven by their shared passion for adventure and their homeland, cousins Anand and Joseph are redefining motorcycle tours in Kerala.
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[00:00:05] How often does a trip change your course of life? Not always. But for Kerala entrepreneur Anand George, a trip to Ladakh did wonders. Hello and welcome to Onmanorama's Startup Podcast, Startup Launcher. This is your host, Minu.
[00:00:40] During his drive through Ladakh, Anand realized his home state, its Kerala, was a hidden gem for bikers. He had lacked professional two-wheeler tour facilitators. Anand left his corporate job to start Expedour. He robbed in his cousin Joseph P. Jojo who was then working in Delhi.
[00:01:04] Today, we are joined by Anand George and Joseph P. Jojo, the dynamic cousins behind Expedour, Kerala's first organized two-wheeler tour company. It began when Joseph got a call from Anand sharing his idea. I got a call from Anand asking me, let's do it together. So, I was pretty much happy to come back to Kerala to do something on my own.
[00:01:27] Because two months in Delhi, I already realized that that's not where I belong. So, I just didn't have to think twice. I just booked my flight and came back. That's the story till I joined Expedour. Anand and Joseph P. Jojo backed their strengths. Anand's financial expertise and Joseph's background in mechanical engineering, business management, and graphic design laid the foundation for Expedour.
[00:02:00] Initially, Expedour was a two-person operation, with Anand and Joseph handling sales, finance, marketing, and content creation on their own. Their extended family and cousins supported them, funding the initial capital. Now, the duo seek bigger investments and plan to expand.
[00:02:22] And there were challenges. There were no reference models or competitors. But there lay an opportunity to create something unique. We didn't have a reference at all. That's, again, our opportunity as well. Just because we didn't have a competitor in this.
[00:02:42] At the moment, like when we planned to start Expedour, we had many reference from the north side. But there were none who operated as an organized motorcycle tool company in Kerala. Their first and toughest hurdle was obtaining a bike rental license in Kerala.
[00:03:06] Bike rental license, we had to work around like one, one and a half years just to get that license. And we struggled a lot. We used to visit Revandrom every now and then. And one and a half years back, we did visit Transport Commissioner, Transport Minister as well.
[00:03:22] We had to prove them why we badly need a bike rental section in Kerala. Because earlier, the entire idea was like, let electric vehicles, let it be just electric vehicles for the bike rentals. But we had to convey that it's not electric vehicles. Like, bike rentals are not just for Kochi. But if they rent it from Kochi, it's not just for Kochi.
[00:03:45] Like, if they rent it from Kochi, they have to travel all South India and come back. So, we had to make this point. And once we made it clear, like, all the government officials, everyone was so eager to see us getting this excited on our idea and they helped us a lot.
[00:04:05] Before launching their first ride in June 2023, Anand and Joseph personally scouted destinations to curate thrilling experiences. Their packages, ranging from 2 to 7 days, include not just biking, but also activities like kayaking, nature walks, and off-road safaris. Every trip has a personal touch.
[00:04:35] Safety is a top priority. Each tour is accompanied by a support vehicle, equipped with a mechanic, first aid kits, and a backup driver. Participants can choose from Expedor's fleet of 35 Royal Enfield bags or bring their own.
[00:04:52] As Royal Enfield's official ride partner in Kerala, Expedor attracts adventures to destinations like Tanishkodi, Kodek Canal, Kolkumalay, and many more.
[00:05:08] By 2025, they plan to expand operations to Bengaluru and Hyderabad with new bike rental branches in Munnar and Wynard. For Anand and Joseph, Expedor is more than a business. It's a way of life.
[00:05:24] We are following our passion. Me and Joseph never wanted to take another holiday or something because we are enjoying what we are doing. This was not something which was happening when we were working for a corporate company. I think once we follow the passion, it's always more happy to live. Every day morning, we wake up with much more positive attitude and then we can just keep doing this forever. Yes. Let these cousins keep riding, shaping Kerala's startup scene and boosting tourism sector.
[00:05:53] Tune in to listen more stories with On Manorama's startup launcher where innovation meets inspiration. Visit www.onmanorama.com for more stories and updates. Thank you.