Myles high in drivearaderie

The way Indians commute has undergone a sea change over the decades. Online taxi aggregators and taxi services have made it easier to commute to work without fighting your way through traffic. Another concept that is gaining traction is the option of self drive car rental services. Sakshi Vij — founder and CEO of Myles has gone the extra mile to create a mark in the self drive car rental segment.      

Having joined CIPL,  in 2007 as a part of its marketing team, Sakshi quickly rose through the ranks to become an executive director. She then founded Myles as a self drive mobility service in 2013. Talking about the concept, the Delhi girl explains, “According to an online car survey in 2014 that interviewed 10,000 respondents around the globe, it was observed that 59 per cent Indians were open to the idea of an alternative mode of ownership. The average usage of a car in a year is less than 150 days. Over 200 days a year a personal car sits in your garage depreciating in value and appreciating in cost owing to the maintenance and parking requirements. With this understanding, our company was born.”

Being at the helm of affairs keeps Sakshi on her toes, but that does not prevent her from having passions outside of her work. Travelling is on top of her list, “I am a traveller at heart. It helps me unwind, explore and grow on a personal level. From solo trips to huge family vacations, I like travelling as often as possible. I love the city life of London just as much as I am mesmerised by the natural beauty of the Himalayas. I visited Kashmir recently and it was the most beautiful trips I took within India. Photography is a passion that helps me express myself through my travels. I am also hugely addicted to Netflix, so I follow most of the popular TV series. I dabble with food, nature, architectural as well as portrait photography. I feel that taking a break from work is important to keep the mind fresh. I use a lot of my travels to think about innovations that may work for us. It also helps me explore various concepts that work for different segments of people around the world.”

Along with travel and photography spending time with family is also very important. Sakshi is extremely close to her family and friends. She opines, “A good support system helps me remain more focused on work as well as have the right doze of honest criticism and encouragement at all times.”

Sakshi likes to believe that being a woman doing business does not make a difference and states, “This is especially true because we work in modern work places, trying to create new age businesses. My knowledge and passion should define my business sense. What is different is that as women we are today entering industries that were not traditionally considered women dominated. I feel that every entrepreneur has a unique style of functioning. It’s what makes the journey more personal.” Meanwhile, she has miles to go before she sleeps.