Interview of Chairman and Managing Director, APML, Mr Ramesh Agarwal
February 28, 2025
Born in a small village in Haryana with limited resources, Mr Ramesh Agarwal never imagined to be an entrepreneur. With only INR 3,960 in his pocket, he started Agarwal Packers and Movers Limited (APML) in 1987. APML is now one of the largest logistics companies in India and owns registered offices in 9 countries and franchises in more than 160 countries. In this edition of Stainless Post, Supriya Sundriyal from Corporate Communications interacts with Chairman and Managing Director, APML, Mr Agarwal who elaborates on his entrepreneurship journey and the moment he realized that he wanted to be a job giver, rather than a job seeker.
We would like to know when did you start Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd? What are your target markets, and what inspired you to join this industry?
Before telling you a bit about myself, I want to go into the past. I was born into a very ordinary family in a village where the resources were limited, and I couldn’t even imagine at that time that I would become an entrepreneur. In 1979, I gave the exam for the Indian Air Force. In 1989, I joined the Indian Forces and went to Chennai for MTI training. After joining, my first posting was in Jammu & Kashmir. I spent a significant amount of time in places like Srinagar, Leh, Ladakh, Kargil, Baramulla, even facing temperatures as low as -18 degrees Celsius. I stayed there for more than six years, and during this time, I was inspired to keep working diligently and learning management. My focus from the start was clear: I wanted to become someone who gives jobs, not just someone who seeks a job.
At that time, there was a lot of shifting in the Indian Air Force, especially in 1986-87. Whenever there was a promotion, there would be a transfer as well. The shifting process was very painful because there weren’t enough resources. Sometimes you had to go to a kirana (grocery) shop, find a few cartons and move all your things. This was very difficult, but my mindset was clear: more pain equals more gain. Where there’s pain, there’s also an opportunity for gain if you do things right. This thought made me realize that entrepreneurship was the best way to go.
While I was in the Air Force, I gained some valuable lessons that were unique to my experience. I learned MBA-level discipline. Working in the Air Force, I learned about honesty, discipline, and ownership — qualities that you don’t find in any business school. These lessons were more valuable than any degree. When you get a salary of 50-60 thousand rupees and someone offers you 20 lakh rupees, you’re not afraid to take the risk. The honor I gained from the Air Force was something extraordinary.
When I left the Indian Air Force in 1986, I had saved approximately 43-44 thousand rupees. My commander advised me that my savings were life-saving, but I believed that this would multiply many times over. It was not a donation; it was a form of collaboration, and such collaboration always pays off.
After that, I went back to my native place, Hisar, Haryana. My father had shifted to Hyderabad due to his health issues, and my elder brother was also living in Hyderabad. During this time, an officer from the Air Force, who had transferred to Hyderabad, reached out to me. He had always appreciated my work ethic — I used to work for 12 hours when everyone else worked 8 hours. I was given an opportunity to start a business with his help. Initially, I didn’t have a clear idea of how to proceed, but I had confidence, and that made me take the leap.
With the help of my brother, who was studying medical science, I started working on this idea. The officer supported me, and together, we managed to pool together a small sum of 3960 rupees to begin our business. The journey began from there. I remember that during our first year, we shifted 45-46 houses, and today, with God’s grace, we have shifted over 160,000 houses. This is how the journey began and how far it has come.
You have been associated with the logistics industry for such a long time. How have you seen the evolution in the logistics industry?
Yes, of course, my association with the Indian Air Force started in 1986. The thought process began in 1986, and the company was established in September 1986. Initially, it was a partnership, and gradually, we transformed it into a limited company in 2005. Today, we have over 140 branches across the country, including places like Port Blair, Leh, Bhojanaliya, and Central India. Additionally, we have our own registered offices in 8 or 9 countries overseas, and we have franchises in more than 160 countries. So, having been part of this industry for so many years, I have witnessed several changes. When we talk about the beginning, every beginning is challenging. When I started my own business, it was a traditional mode in 1993.
I received my first contact from Samsung India Ltd, which makes TVs. At that time, their MD, Mr Park, who was from Korea, came to me and said that they were experiencing a high sales return rate of 18-20 percent, and he asked me how we could prevent damages. I researched this thoroughly, and there were two main reasons: first, the trucks we used were open. When goods were loaded onto the truck, we tied them with ropes, which we avoided. Second, the trucks had wooden bodies with nails, which could puncture cartons, leading to damage to the screens. So, I suggested a solution.
We worked on minimising wastage. I remember how, at that time, Relaxo slippers were produced, and their defective pieces were thrown away. I suggested that we take them and use them for making truck bodies. In 1994, I built the first container body for trucks in India. People thought I was crazy for making containers, but eventually, this became a revolution. Today, you see containers on almost every truck in India. The highways also expanded from two lanes to six or eight lanes, allowing us to increase the length of our trucks from 18 feet to 50 feet, making transportation much more efficient.
Another significant change came when the government introduced the national permit. Previously, trucks had limited permits for specific states. However, with the national permit, trucks could move freely across the entire country. This was a massive change because, before the permit system, we had to stop at every state border and pay a fee for the permit to be allowed to cross.
Another big change occurred when we started working with the government to improve the height of trucks. Previously, the bridges were only 14 feet high, but after we worked on increasing the height to 18 feet, it allowed us to load more material on a single truck, thus reducing congestion and improving logistics.
The most significant change came with the introduction of GST. Before GST, it felt like we were crossing borders between different countries whenever we moved goods from one state to another. There were lengthy checks and audits, but after GST, India became unified, and we no longer had to deal with these issues.
The latest change is the adoption of CNG and electric vehicles. We recently placed an order for 101 electric vehicles. Some questioned why we were opting for electric vehicles, especially in complex areas where pollution-free vehicles are needed. The aim is to replace conventional vehicles with electric ones in apartments and complexes within the next two years. This is a part of the evolution that’s happening.
Overall, logistics was always a necessity, and with the government’s support and the latest developments, logistics is now seen as one of the most important industries in the country.
How has the evolution been in the logistics industry in terms of using stainless steel? And in your opinion, is stainless steel a better material?
When we were making truck bodies, our initial thought was to use steel, whether it was from Jindal, Tata, or any other company. Later on, some of our bodies started being made from aluminum, which was lighter. These were used to transport goods like bread, eggs, and milk. I came across Jindal Stainless Limited and had a conversation with one of their officials. They asked me why I was using these materials, and I had never really thought about it before.
After some calculations and discussions, they pointed out that if I used stainless steel for our truck bodies, the weight of the truck would reduce by about 14 quintals, making it stronger, more durable, and increasing its lifespan. They focused on three things, and after consulting with my team, we decided to move forward with it.
I realized that if I made this change, my truck, which generally makes 30 rounds across the country, would save around 14 quintals in weight per trip. This could translate into a yield of ₹7,000 per trip, or ₹2,10,000 annually. Even after a 20% discount, the return would still be ₹1,45,000. So, the cost would be recovered in just one year.
When we switched to stainless steel, we conducted successful tests, and some others even made their own stainless steel bodies. After seeing their results, I realized the benefits. Initially, I thought stainless steel bodies would be more expensive. But over the course of a year, the cost difference would offset itself, and when the scrap from the stainless steel body is sold, it fetches around ₹60 per kilo compared to ₹30 for iron scrap. This adds another benefit.
At the end of the day, there were concerns about welding and durability. To address this, I approached Jindal’s officials, and they assured me that we could use the same welding technology for stainless steel as we used for steel. Today, we’re successfully using stainless steel in our fleet, and I believe the industry will eventually adopt this change. The truck lifespan is longer, there’s no rust, and leakage is prevented. So, switching to stainless steel is beneficial in the long run.
When did your collaboration with Jindal Stainless begin, and what, in your opinion, sets Jindal Stainless apart from others?
Actually, I was born in Nalwa village, and I fondly and respectfully refer to OP Jindal ji as Bauji. He was a true visionary and a man of action. He was always focused on his work and had a unique connection with his machines. For example, if a bearing malfunctioned in a machine, he knew immediately, without even looking at it, and would instruct the team to fix it.
This inspired me a lot because I learned from him that it’s not just about giving jobs but also about being a creator, about being the one who does, not just the one who assigns. That lesson stayed with me. I remember, while in college, Ratan Jindal ji and I were classmates, and I often heard stories about Jindal Stainless. Their corporate journey began in 1989, and by the early ’90s, they had established themselves as leaders in the stainless steel industry. My business also grew parallelly, and I often felt connected to the Jindal family.
My relationship with the Jindal family is personal and professional. Bauji, or OP Jindal ji, taught me a lot, especially his belief in focused action and results. I learned from him that work should always lead to results, and that focus on the outcome is crucial. This is what sets Jindal Stainless apart—they focus not only on quality but also on results. Their dedication and visionary approach to the stainless steel industry have been an inspiration for many, including myself.
For those who want to leave their career and start something new, what message would you give them?
Whenever you decide to start a business, the first thing that should be clear in your mind is, What am I going to do? There is always an initial problem when starting anything—a starting problem. For instance, it could be a lack of funds, or it could be that you don’t have the required skills, discipline, honesty, etc. If you have these problems, don’t start a business. Instead, you should find something else to do, or continue in a job. Life will go on. You have to analyse the starting problem and figure out if you want to move ahead or not.
When someone starts a business, they may sometimes think it’s only for their own benefit, but soon, they realize that it’s not just about them. It becomes about how their work impacts others, their employees, the community, and even the nation. The business will rise because of the collective good. We initially thought about this while building Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd. After a certain point, we asked ourselves: What can we do for the drivers, our backbone, who drive our trucks? So, we launched the concept of Nidra Daan (Sleep Donation).
On September 6, 2012, we opened our first sleep donation center between Gurgaon and Ajmer in Dudu, Jaipur. The idea was simple: drivers often drive for 350-400 km and need rest. If they don’t rest, they risk accidents. In 2012, 1,38,000 people died in road accidents in India, and about 26,700 of those deaths were due to sleep deprivation. So, we set up a place where drivers could rest for 4 hours, offering beds, fans, restrooms, and washing facilities. This initiative saved around 18-20 lives every month, which was impactful.
Later, when the Prime Minister invited me in 2022, he was so impressed with the idea that he asked me to share it during the logistics policy discussion. I suggested that if 900-1,000 sleep centers were set up across India, they could save 25,000-26,000 lives annually. By February 2024, the government started opening these centers. The point I’m trying to make is that when your focus is not only on your own growth but on the collective growth—be it your employees or the society around you—your business will become successful. My message to people wanting to start something new is to keep the greater good in mind.
