Rahul Nigam is the Managing director and founder of
Jumpin Heights, an Extreme Adventure Zone, catering to the adrenaline junkies and thrillseekers, residing in India. The startup provides the thrill of bungee jumping and big swing, under the safe guidance of ex-army officers.
In an interaction with Sujata Sangwan of BW Disrupt, Rahul Nigam, Managing director & founder, Jumpin Heights shared details about his venture.
Excerpts:
When did you start your journey as an entrepreneur in adventure sports?As an ex-Army man, I had got into business about 20 years ago, but in the field of adventure sports, I decided to start my entrepreneurial journey through setting up 'Jumpin Heights'- India’s first Extreme Adventure zone, Rishikesh, in 2008.
What triggered the idea of entering into adventure sports and focus on it for your entrepreneurial pursuits. Wasn't it an offbeat idea to start your business when you started?
With a searing desire to revolutionize the modes of extreme adventure including Bungee in terms of the way organizational safety is perceived in India, we had brought in what is evidently one of the most extreme sports set up amidst the spectacular landscape of Rishikesh, India’s highest Bungee jumping platform (83 meters).
This is not a common sport. How did you manage to evoke response from masses and link them to adventure sports in general and Bungee Jumping specifically?It was purely word of mouth. People had a great experience and they talked about it. It is only in the recent years that we have started with commercial advertising methods. But in any case, Bungy Jumping is not an activity one will do on an impulse, because they see an ad. It requires a great deal of thought. Our intention with marketing is purely for awareness around our safety standards and to let people know that they don’t need to travel far for extreme adventure sports of international standards.
What is the current Market size and opportunities?We have always maintained that it is India that is our focus, and not the international tourists. We do have a certain percentage of tourists as well, but majority of our clientele is Indians- the price positioning has been set with that Target Group in mind. Our youngest jumper was 12 years old and we stop at 40, for health reasons. We want to focus more on the young working corporates now, as we’ve seen a fantastic response from that section of the market. They have the energy, will, funds and the age to indulge in our sports.
What is your USP? How are you different from your competitors?
The following are the USP of our venture-➢ India’s Highest Bungy
➢ India’s Only Fixed-Platform Bungy from a Cantilever - Based on the Bungy model in New Zealand.
➢ India’s First, Highest and Most Extreme Giant Swing
➢ Asia’s Longest Flying Fox.
➢ Run by Ex-Army Officers
➢ Jump Staff from New Zealand, with years of Experience as Jump Masters of Bungy Jumping in New Zealand and Switzerland.
➢ Recognised by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India - Only Bungy Jumping Company in India to receive that recognition.
➢ In regards to the safety, we follow the Australian and New Zealand Standards for Safety Regulations.As there were no regulations in place in India, and have had them incorporated to form the official Indian Standards for Bungy.
Is Geographical Location (Rishikesh) of your facilities a hindrance or an added
advantage for the Bungee Jumping enthusiasts?Jumpin Heights has been cited having the most astounding bungee jumping platform, Rishikesh, just above the river Ganges, in a tryst to elevate the happening and refreshing quotient of the activity.
How has your Journey (with Jumpin Heights) been so far? Please share some of the most cherish-able moments and some most anxious moments that you have witnessed during the course of it?Every Bungy about to happen, is the best experience one can have. That fleeting moment just before the jump, watching the jumper go through a myriad of emotions, is the biggest learning experience one can have.
Do you have any expansion or diversification plans? What is your future strategy?We want enthusiasts to start identifying our brand with impeccable safety, at the initial stage. We have always held pride in being the pioneers of commercial extreme adventure in India and intend to retain the same: by bringing in the best from the world, for Indians, in the heart of beautiful India. We believe that someday, we achieve success in building India as the prime destination people travel to for affordable Extreme Adventure. Our expansion plans on the horizon include Goa.
