VRL Group

VRL Logistics Limited (formerly Vijayanand Roadlines Ltd.),^[6] commonly known as the VRL Group, is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Hubballi, Karnataka, India with operations in around 23 states and 4 union territories in the country. Business operations of VRL Group include road transportation, logistics, publishing, etc.

VRL Logistics Limited

Company type	Transportation and Logistics[1]
Traded as	BSE: 539118 NSE: VRLLOG
Founded	1976; 48 years ago (1976) in Gadag, Karnataka, India[2]
Founder	Vijay Sankeshwar[2]
Headquarters	Hubballi, Karnataka, India[3]
Area served	India[4]
Key people	Vijay Sankeshwar, Anand Sankeshwar Chairman & Managing Director
Revenue	₹2,909 crore (US$350 million) (2024)[5]
Operating income	₹120 crore (US$14 million) (2024)
Net income	₹89 crore (US$11 million) (2024)
Total assets	₹2,214 crore (US$270 million) (2024)
Total equity	₹946 crore (US$110 million) (2024)
Owner	Vijay Sankeshwar[2]
Website	www.vrlgroup.in

VRL Group is one of the largest logistics and transport companies in India (incl.4360 vehicles,^[4] comprising 419 tourist buses and 3941 transport goods vehicles). The Limca Book of Records, states it is the single largest fleet owner of commercial vehicles in the country's private sector.^[7]

VRL's Vijayavani^[8] is credited with having the largest newspaper circulation in Karnataka.

History

VRL Group was founded by Vijay Sankeshwar in 1976 at Gadag, Karnataka, India. His family had a publication house, which later became a part of the VRL Group.^{[citation needed]}

Headquarters and offices

VRL is headquartered in Hubballi, Karnataka and has 931 branches, 40 hubs and transport yards across the country. The headquarters has an effluent treatment plant (capacity:175 thousand liters), a rainwater harvesting plant, a petrol bunk (allotted by Indian Oil Corporation), and a garage service complex, where VRL’s trucks pass through once in every two weeks.^{[citation needed]}

Services

VRL Courier Services near Pampa Mahakavi road, Chamrajpet, Bengaluru.^[9]

Cargo and Courier

A subsidiary of VRL Group, VRL General Cargo started its business service with transportation between Hubballi and Gadag, and later spread across to Bengaluru and Belagavi. It has extended into courier services and express cargo, which are now operative in 23 states, handling over 216 million pieces of cargo/year,^[10] being one of the largest networks in the country. Its courier services are in operation for parcels ranging from small to large size.^{[citation needed]}

Travel

VRL's public tour business is operated by its division Vijayanand Travels. With more than 80 branches and operated by 1000+ agents, it is the largest in tour business services in Karnataka and Maharashtra. It owns 1,550 buses (incl. 742 Volvo buses of 9400 XL and 9400PX multi-axle models),^[11] covering six states, moving across 350 routes in the country.^{[citation needed]}

Aviation logistics

VRL Logistics Ltd. in 2008, started working in Indian Air Chartering Industry, operating under the Indian Air Operator permit (for passenger charter). In the first phase of its business, it owned a Beechcraft Premier I, an aircraft, manufactured by Hawker Beechcraft Inc, United States, while in 2013 it purchased another. It offers Jet aircraft charters to sectors like corporate, leisure and tourism, special missions, event management, advertisement agencies and for flights (VIP category).^{[citation needed]}

Media

VRL Group's flagship entity, Vijayavani was started on 1 April 2011, which is now the largest circulated newspaper^[12] in Karnataka. VRL Group's subsidiary company VRL Media Ltd., prints Vijayavani and is published in 9 cities of the state.^[13] Vijayavani’s lead editor of its editorial division is Chennegowder and Subhash hoogar. Karnataka's second largest circulated newspaper^{[citation needed]} Vijaya Karnataka, was started by Vijay Sankeshwar (of VRL Group) in October 2000, and was sold to the Times group on 16 June 2006.^[14]

In April 2017, VRL Media Ltd. started Dighvijaya News 24x7, a Kannada television news channel.^[15]

In popular culture

Vijayanand, a 2022 Indian Kannada-language biographical film directed by Rishika Sharma, produced by Dr. Anand Sankeshwar, talks about the history of VRL group.

See also

• Courier in India
• Indian Postal Service
• Blue Dart Express, a courier service in India
• DTDC, a courier service in India
• Ekart, a courier service in India

References

1. "Our mission, our vision". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
2. "Currently the Largest Fleet Owner in India". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
3. "Contact us". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
4. "General Parcel & VRL Priority". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
5. "VRL Logistics Annual Trends" (PDF).
6. "VRL Logistics Limited: Private Company Information". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
7. Vaidya, Pramodkumar (17 July 2013). "Hubli's Transport Tsar: Rise Vijay Sankeshwar's VRL Logistics into a nearly Rs 1,000 crore company". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018.
8. "ವಿಜಯವಾಣಿ · ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಧ್ವನಿ". ವಿಜಯವಾಣಿ. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
9. "V.R.L. Couriers Pvt. Ltd. Chamrajpet, Bangalore". sulekha.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018.
10. "Project on Logistics management in VRL Logistics". ISSUU.com. 19 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
11. IANS (15 January 2016). "VRL Logistics buys 51 Volvo buses". Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017 – via Business Standard.
12. exchange4media.com (16 October 2014). "ABC verdict- Vijayavani is the leading Kannada daily". Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
13. "VRL Media Ltd – Vijayavani Advertisement (ವಿಜಯವಾಣಿ)". Vijayavaniadvt.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
14. business-standard.com (16 June 2006). "Times group buys Vijaya Times, two Kannada dailies". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2006. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
15. exchange4media.com (17 April 2017). "VRL Media launches Kannada news channel, Dighvijay". Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• Official website of VRL Group