Rescuers on a roll

Tops Grup gears up to expand its emergency rescue facility to the skies.

Rahul Nanda, chairman and managing director of the Rs 235-crore Tops Grup that includes the country's second-largest security service, has set his company's sight set firmly on saving lives.

Topsline, the group's emergency response service is set to expand to Bangalore later this year, after having completed its coverage of Mumbai two months ago. Nanda also announced the launch of the country's first ever air rescue service called Tops Air Rescue later this month.

Topsline, was unveiled as the country's first emergency response service in September 2004. And, according to Ravindra Kasbekar, chief operating officer, 14 months down the line, an average of 7,500 subscribers are added every month. With over 2,50,000 annual subscribers and a 95 per cent renewal rate, Kasbekar is optimistic about the potential of scaleability.

"Unfortunately, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so it's only as more and more people use our services that credibility will spread".

Topsline emphasises that their competitive advantage over other public rescue services is that a call to 1252 can address a range of life-threatening situations.

"Even if you're in a nightclub and being harassed, call us and our combat officer and a licensed armed officer will there in nine minutes to protect you", claims Nanda.

That's the advertised response time, but Kasbekar proudly adds that their average response time has been clocked at six-and-a-half minutes, with 98 per cent accuracy.

"Where else will you get specialised rescue service in nine minutes, for the price of your daily cup of tea?" asks Nanda

But for all the optimism, the GPS monitoring control centre at the Topsline is oddly understaffed. With three call takers and three dispatchers, more than half the workstations are unoccupied.

"Unfortunately," admits Kasbekar, "we are grossly underutilised; which is great if one were to assume no one needs us, but that's not true."

Kasbekar conservatively estimates their rescue capacity at 720 calls per day. Currently they receive anywhere between five and eight calls a day.

With 125 staff on standby at all times, motivation and therefore retention must presumably be an issue. "That's true," says Kasbekar, "and so we make sure we keep them busy all the time. We even send them on dummy calls," he says with a smile.

Teething troubles notwithstanding, Nanda is all set to take Topsline to Bangalore. But setting up infrastructure is a highly capital intensive exercise (Mumbai cost them Rs 18 crore), so some might suggest Nanda hold off for a bit. But Nanda is undeterred, and projects annual revenue for Topsline will be in the range of Rs 80-100 crore by 2007. "But if not," he adds with a shrug, "who cares, we'll be saving lives."

And lives won't be saved just on the ground. Starting next month, Nanda's international air rescue service will be airborne.

"We've recruited trained medical staff, purchased vaccumised equipment, and entered into leasing agreements with aviation companies like Deccan Aviation," explains Nanda.

An airlift can cost you between Rs 3-7 lakh, but Nanda hopes the service will turn profitable in under two years. "The capital investment was only Rs 20 lakh," he explains.

"These value-added services all add great value to the market's perception of the brand. And that is going to be critical going forward, when we seek strategic investment and issue an IPO in 2007," says Nanda.

"But anyway," he continues, "If International SOS can be a $1 billion rescue services company, there's no reason why our rescue services shouldn't make big money."