As Delhi’s streets get meaner, startup launches an emergency response service

“If there’s something strange
in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?”

Well, Ghostbusters aren’t around in India, and calling 911 won’t work either. Try calling this Delhi-based startup called One Touch Response. Its app, offers 911-style emergency response services to people in distress across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Delhi has gained the reputation of being the most unsafe Indian city for women and is the crime capital of the country. According to the statistics revealed by Delhi Police, the total number of Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes registered in the city rose from 80,184 in 2013, to 155,654 in 2014. The total number of registered heinous crimes, that includes murder, robbery, gang robberies (dubbed dacoity), rape, and kidnapping, rose to 10,266 in 2014, as compared to 4,159 in 2013. Rampant road rage and crimes against women are also on the rise in the city.

Amidst such turmoil, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The One Touch Response app claims to be the safest bet out there. After receiving a distress alert through app or phone call, OTR sends a First Response Team to provide the necessary assistance. This service can be availed for a monthly fee of INR 250 (close to US$4).

10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 eyes, and 1 nose…safety counts

OTR provides instantaneous support to all its subscribers in distress. It provides them counsel and undertakes all the necessary coordination; be it contacting family/friends, police, fire services, repair services, or medical services. It even assists with simple emergencies such as forging a duplicate key or procuring a cab.

“The strategically placed First Response Teams (FRTs) are automatically dispatched to reach the distressed person, within minutes. They are trained to administer first aid and CPR during road accidents or any medical emergencies, manage minor altercations. They are armed with pepper spray for when things get out of hand. They can deal with small fire incidents and safely accompany a person to his/her destination, in case he/she feels unsafe,” says Arvind Khanna, founder of One Touch Response.

“We even offer a number of soft services such as getting an electrician, plumber, and late night delivery of medication. We take care of any situation that can potentially build up into a critical emergency. However, we must not be confused with a convenience service,” adds Khanna.

OTR’s Safe Call service monitors the safety of a subscriber while he/she is travelling. When going on a trip, a user can register his or her travel plan and vehicle/taxi details to its Command & Control Centre. It would be in touch with them regularly to ensure their safety and would alert the authorities and family in case of an emergency. A distressed subscriber in Delhi NCR would have a FRT sent to him/her immediately. The FRT services are currently limited to Delhi NCR region only.

Bootstrapped and ready to go

So far, OTR has garnered over 10,000 customers. The company aims to have 350,000 subscribers by 2016. It has 180 FRTs in Delhi NCR and the on-call service is available in over 1,000 Indian cities and towns. It aims to introduce FRTs in six more cities by 2016.