Porter (company)
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Logistics |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Vikas Choudhary, Uttam Digga, Pranav Goel |
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, India |
Area served | India, UAE, Turkey |
| Revenue | ₹4,306 crore |
| Website | https://porter.in/ |
SmartShift Logistics Solutions Pvt. Ltd., doing business as Porter, is an Indian on-demand intra-city logistics company headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. As of 2026, Porter operates in 35 cities across India and has international operations in the United Arab Emirates[1] and Turkey.
History
Porter was founded in 2014[2][3] by Pranav Goel, Uttam Digga, and Vikas Choudhary. It started as an intra-city goods transport platform and has since expanded its service categories and geographic footprint.
It received its first seed investment of about $500,000 (INR 3 crore) from Kae Capital in April 2015. The following month, in June 2015, Porter received INR 35 crore ($5.5 million) in Series A financing from Sequoia Capital and Kae Capital along with angel investors such as Rajeev Chitrabhanu, Anupam Mittal, and Sandeep Tandon.[4]
In 2018, The Mahindra Group invested Rs 65 crore into Porter.[5] The company achieved Unicorn status in May 2024, after raising $200 million during the Series F round.[6][7][8][9]
Operations
Taking a page from Uber's ride hailing model,[10] Porter operates on an aggregator model. It connects individuals and businesses who need to transport goods with drivers of commercial vehicles,[11] such as mini trucks, tempos, and two-wheelers. The company also offers intercity couriers,[12] packers and movers, and enterprise logistics services.[13]
It also offers packing and relocation services for households under the Porter Packers and Movers brand. Following a revenue-sharing model, they charge up to 30% of the billed amount depending on location, with the remainder going to driver partners.[14]
Between FY20 and FY24, Porter's operating income rose tenfold, from INR 274 crore to INR 2,733.7 crore.
During FY25, the operating income for Porter stood at INR 4,306.2 crore, representing a 58% rise compared to the previous financial year. The company recorded profits during FY25 after recording losses in FY24, with the net consolidated profit rising to INR 55.2 crore from a loss of INR 95.7 crore during FY24. The EBITDA margin rose to 1.94%, whereas previously, it was -2.93%.[15]
Awards and Recognitions
Porter founders Pranav Goel and Uttam Digga received the Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 award in the start-up category.[16][17][18][19]
Controversies
In February 2026, the company’s delivery executives, along with drivers from Uber, Rapido, and Ola, went on strike.[20][21][22] The nationwide strike, which was referred to as an “All India Breakdown,"[23] began on Feb 7, 2026. The drivers went offline for 6 hours and had several demands, including a government-notified base fare and a ban on private vehicles being used for commercial rides.
In November 2025, Porter announced that they will be laying off workers to "rationalise costs".[24] While initially the number of laid off employees was not communicated, it was reported later that 300-350 workers were affected by the same.[25][26][27]
References
- ↑ "Porter to invest Rs 50 cr to expand business in UAE". The Times of India. May 22, 2023 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
- ↑ "Porter - 2026 Company Profile & Team - Tracxn".
- ↑ "Porter — Funding, Revenue & Investors (2026) | Inc42". Datalabs.
- ↑ "Startup News: Porter raises Rs 35 crore from Sequoia, Kae, others". Business Standard. 24 June 2015.
- ↑ "Porter turned India's delivery chaos into a billion-dollar business—can it keep winning?". Mint. 22 September 2025.
- ↑ https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/porter-raises-another-110-million-in-extended-round-at-1-2-billion-valuation-13531552.html
- ↑ https://www.moneycontrol.com/technology/porter-quietly-turns-unicorn-closes-internal-round-at-1-billion-valuation-article-12723292.html
- ↑ "Porter becomes India's second unicorn of 2025 with $200 million fundraise". The Times of India. May 8, 2025 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
- ↑ Majumdar, Debanjana (April 8, 2026). "Porter's long road to profitability: How discipline, not disruption, built a logistics unicorn". Fortune India.
- ↑ Sadashiv, Priyamvada C,Sakshi (September 22, 2025). "Porter turned India's delivery chaos into a billion-dollar business—can it keep winning? | Company Business News". mint.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "How Zepto, Zomato, Urban Company and Porter are powering India's convenience economy". www.storyboard18.com.
- ↑ "Porter launches pan-India intercity courier service". Financial Express. July 19, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ↑ "How Porter turned empty miles into a billion-dollar business". September 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Porter's 10-Year Grind: From Intracity To An INR 2.8K Cr Pan-India Logistics Business". Inc42. 6 June 2025.
- ↑ "Porter Turns Profitable In FY25, Revenue Crosses INR 4,000 Cr Mark". Inc42. 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "'Porter' founders Pranav Goel and Uttam Digga awarded EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 in the Start-up Category". The Economic Times. March 6, 2026 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
- ↑ "Porter founders Pranav Goel, Uttam Digga win EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 in start-up category | Company Business News". mint. March 7, 2026.
- ↑ "EY honors Porter co-founders for transforming urban logistics". 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Kumar, Ashutosh (February 26, 2026). "Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal bags EY Entrepreneur of The Year Award 2025". Fortune India.
- ↑ "Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato strike today: Unable to book services? Check when it will ease and what the unions are demanding". The Economic Times. 7 February 2026.
- ↑ "Why Ola, Uber and Rapido drivers are going on a 6-hour strike today". India Today. 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
- ↑ https://www.news18.com/business/ola-uber-rapido-drivers-on-a-6-hour-strike-today-heres-why-ws-el-9885773.html
- ↑ "Uber, Ola, Rapido services likely to be hit on this date as drivers announce 'nationwide strike'". www.india.com.
- ↑ "Logistics startup Porter lays off 300-350 employees". The Economic Times. November 5, 2025 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
- ↑ "Porter announces layoffs ahead of planned public listing, around 300-350 workers affected". Zee Business.
- ↑ "Logistics firm Porter lays off 350 workers". November 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Porter Lays Off Over 300 Employees Ahead Of Public Listing, Calls It A 'One-Time Restructuring'". ABP Live. November 5, 2025.