An online maveshi mandi for all your qurbani needs.

Byline: Mutaher Khan

Do you dread the pre-Eidul Azha period when there is cow dung at every step and drives to mandi are long and boring? Yeah, I guess I am one of the only ones; which bring me to the Qurbani App, a local startup from Islamabad that wants to change the landscape of livestock industry.

The startup is currently offerings three services: a marketplace where individual buyers and sellers can discover and market their cattle; Bara service that lets you keep your livestock at their farms; and Sadqa/Aqiqa animals and sacrifice at the convenience of your doorstep. The app also displays official stock from Qurbani's partner farms.

How does it work? Download the app, register with your number and get going! You can choose between the services, such as Bara or Sadqa/Aqiqa, filter through the livestock category etc.

You can directly connect with the seller through an in-app chat portal or call, negotiate the price and close the deal. It's pretty much like OLX, with the role of Qurbani App limited to only discovery while logistics and payments are handled by the parties involved. And the absence of latter means the inability to monetise on sales done through the portal. So what really is the problem there?

'The amounts involved in this industry are quite bulky, which can be only catered by bank cards at the moment. However, given their low penetration especially in this segment, it wasn't much useful to integrate with them. As for mobile wallets, their transaction limits are quite small but we are in talks with one of them to see if something could potentially be worked out,' says co-founder Sibghatullah Baig.

But what's unique about Qurbani App? Within the Sadqa/Aqiqa space for example, Saylani and Alamgir Welfare have been offering home services for over a decade now and have made well-known brands out of it and have competitive rates and timings as well in comparison.

So is the startup even bringing anything new to the table?

'The welfare organisations have fixed rates and give you an invoice and that's pretty much it. Our process offers more choice and hands on experience: a customer service agent inquires about your demands and affordability, and then shows you some pictures to pick from. Once the sacrifice and distribution is completed, video proof of both is sent with invoice. And now we are working to do all of this straight from the app and let the customer choose over there,' says co-founder Sibghatullah Baig. As for the...