“Rallying’ to drive change
Revathi Roy, CEO, HeyDeedee
Revathi Roy is an ‘Exponential Entrepreneur’ who has raised three businesses and three sons. A rally driver by passion, she turned her passion to drive her mission of driving change for women. The name Revathi means a ‘new beginning’ and she is synonymous with a beginning in the field of ‘All-Female Hyperlocal Delivery Start-ups’.
Revathi Roy is an ‘Exponential Entrepreneur’ who has raised three businesses and three sons. A rally driver by passion, she turned her passion to drive her mission of driving change for women. The name Revathi means a ‘new beginning’ and she is synonymous with a beginning in the field of ‘All Female Hyperlocal Delivery Start-ups’.
Her first venture Forsche Cabs (Driven by women, for women) was born out of her intent to create a fleet of women taxi drivers, a first of its kind. To understand the industry and make a living, she first began by driving a cab at the Mumbai airport for 6 months.
Revathi believes ‘I have an idea! No! the idea has me!’. An agile learner, Revathi pivoted her business plans with time. That is how the idea of ‘Hey Deedee’ happened to her – as a culmination of her decade-long rich experience with driving and women, in India.
Despite difficulties at every stage of the entrepreneur journey, she has always steered the wheel of life at her own will.
A recipient of many awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2007 – 08), Femina Women Jury Award for Social Impact (2017), NITI Aayog’s Women Transforming India Award (2017), Women Excellence Award by Lala Lajpatrai Institute of Management (2014), Women Icons Award (2017), Winner of Worthiness (WOW) Women’s Award for Change by Bliss Equity, The Uncha Maza Zoka Ramabai Ranade Puraskar 2013 among others. She has also featured on the cover of Forbes India’s first Power Women Trailblazers Issue. Fortune India has named Revathi in the list of the Most Powerful Women 2019 in Business.An authorized biography has been published on her called “Who is Revathi Roy?” written by Dr Swati Lodha and published by Publishing Infinity. The book is now being made into a Hindi film to be directed by Robbie Grewal and produced by John Abraham and the Bohra Brothers.
Today, she is empowering women riders and drivers across 5 states in the country. Through Hey Deedee, her vision is to add many more women riders and drivers Pan India by 2022.