ProductWatch: Nido Astro ecosystem

Q. Name of the product?
A. Astro ecosystem.

Q. What does it do?
A. It provides warehouse automation across diverse industries, including direct-to-consumer (D2C), 3-party logistics (3PL), eCommerce, courier, print and media, F&B, and the last-mile delivery industries.

Q. When was it launched?
A. September 2023 by Nido Group

Q. What kind of presence do you have among India’s print and packaging fraternity?
A. Working mainly with print houses and paper & stationery manufacturers.

Q. What are the target markets?
A. Across India, in metropolitan regions, tier-two and -three cities.

Q. How is the product relevant for Indian converters in the SME sector?
A. For the SME sector, it can streamline its finished goods warehouse operations and set the stage for growth. It helps sort items by the customer, courier partner, geography, store, etc. It is a highly essential tool for manufacturers who have an omnichannel presence. Its modularity can facilitate adaptation to requirements as the company expands its network to multiple markets or multiple sales channels.

Q. How does it differ from similar products in the market?
A. This is a unique game-changer and there is no similar product in the market currently. Astro ecosystem can work with a variety of different products, is extremely modular and scalable and can be used for a variety of applications put away, order picking, order fulfilment, sorting, order consolidation and client/store or geography-based dispatch.

Q. How does it work?
A. The Astro ecosystem comprises five distinct components - Astroinduct, Astrocart, Astrotrack, Astrocollect, and Astrotech. This introduces remarkable flexibility to warehouse owners, making it an ideal solution for operations grappling with various load types and sizes.

At its core, Astrotech is the central intelligence, seamlessly combining advanced controls and software. It excels in tracking shipments, orchestrating cart movements, and facilitating seamless communication with client enterprise resource planning (ERP)/warehouse management systems (WMS) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Astrotech has various unique features, including dynamic load balancing, end-to-end package tracking, and a customisable central dashboard.

Q. What’s the USP?
A. Astro ecosystem is a scalable solution, which allows businesses to streamline operations, minimise errors, and bolster their bottom line. Its flexibility and scalability make it a game-changer for businesses of all sizes, including smaller enterprises.

Q. How easy is it to implement and use?
A. The system is very modular and easy to deploy. It takes seven to ten days to set up the system and integrate it with the customer’s IT system. Followed by, a three- to four-day training period and the machine is fully ready to be used.

Q. What’s the price of the model?
A. The price range starts at Rs 10-lakhs and can go up to 3-crores, depending on the configuration, throughput and other factors.

Q. Your key customers?
A. Scholar Stationery, Bhakti Vedanta, Navneet Books, ITC Paper, Delhivery, Shree Maruti Courier, Bluedart, Zomato among others.