Categories
MSME

MSME Sector Created 11 Crore Jobs in India, Contributes 30% to Country’s GDP, Says Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, October 30: The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is the backbone of the Indian economy and has created 11 crore jobs so far, MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. While speaking at the ‘Namaste Bharat Exhibition’, Gadkari said that the MSMEs contribute to the 30 percent to GDP. He said that as far as export is concerned, it is 48 percent and up till now, 11 crore jobs have been created by the MSME sector.

At the ‘Namaste Bharat Exhibition’, Gadkari said that presently, MSME is the most important sector for the country. “I say it is the backbone of Indian economy,” Gadkari said at the ‘Namaste Bharat Exhibition’. Gadkari was addressing the virtual inaugural ceremony of the 10-day ‘Namaste Bharat’ exhibition.

The 10-day Namaste Bharat is the first of its kind exhibition for promoting ”Made in India” products globally. “We are giving highest priority for how we can reduce our import and increase our exports. The global economy is an open platform where the quality, cost and scale of marketing of products are very important factors. Presently, MSMEs are the backbone of the country,” the MSME minister said.

About Namaste Bharat Exhibition:

Namaste Bharat is backed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and the High Commission of Singapore. It has been conceptualized and curated by Singapore’s leading events and marketing company De Ideaz. The exhibition will see over 300-plus local Indian exhibitors showcasing over 1,00,000 Made in India products.

Categories
MSME

MSMEs Are The Backbone of Economy, Can Help in Boosting Exports, Says Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai, October 29: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the economy and can help in boosting exports, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. The MSME minister said at present, the MSMEs are the backbone of the country. While addressing the virtual inaugural ceremony of the 10-day ”Namaste Bharat” exhibition, Gadkari said that the government wants to create more employment in the backward and tribal areas.

The 10-day Namaste Bharat is the first of its kind exhibition for promoting ”Made in India” products globally. It is backed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and the High Commission of Singapore.

“We are giving highest priority for how we can reduce our import and increase our exports. The global economy is an open platform where the quality, cost and scale of marketing of products are very important factors”, he said. He said the government wants to recognise, respect, support and facilitate women entrepreneurs and at the same time we want to incentivise them.

The Namaste Bharat initiative has been conceptualized and curated by Singapore’s leading events and marketing company De Ideaz. The exhibition will see over 300-plus local Indian exhibitors showcasing over 1,00,000 Made in India products.

Talking about the Khadi Gram Udyog, the MSME Minister said that through this, the government is now concentrating on village industries and areas which are socially, economically and educationally backward. “We want to focus on these areas where we need more concentration for gaining and creating employment potential and growth. And that is exactly the way of eradication of poverty, which is our mission. They need guidance, innovation and technology and that is where we need to help them,” the minister added.

Categories
Startup

COVID-19 Impact on Women-Founded Startups: Funding Drops 24% in H1 2020

Bengaluru, October 29: The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone, from businesses being shut to people being offered pink slips. It has not been a great time for women-founded and co-founded startups. According to an IANS report, funding fell 24 percent to $280 million in the first half of this year, compared to $369 million in the same period last year.

It was witnessed that finding declined across all the three stages- early, growth, and late — compared to H1 2019, said the report by MAKERS India. The report titled “State of Women in Tech Entrepreneurship in India 2020” shared that many women-led startups in order to stay afloat in the middle of the pandemic scaled down their operations or pivoted their business models

There were a few women, who infact branched out to different operations. Like women behind some apparel startups branched out to manufacturing protective face masks and PPE kits.

The positive news was that despite Covid-19, startups with at least one woman founder were able to secure 71 funding deals in H1 2020, at par with H1 2019 (70 deals) and H1 2018 (70 deals).

The study highlighted an interesting trend that between 1990 and 2010, only 26 startups had at least one woman founder. However, 75 startups added at least one woman founder by 2014 and 184 more by 2019. Female-founded and co-founded tech startups in India currently stand at 285.

 

Categories
Startup

Reopened Your Hotel or Homestay Yet? Now Is the Time As Hotel Occupancy in India Improves in September

New Delhi, October 29: If you are thinking of the right time to repoen your holiday home or hotel, this is it! Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, the hospitality segment was brought to a grinding halt by the pandemic. The sector is slowly limping back to normalcy and is seeing an improvement in demand as hotel occupancy in the country improved in the last two months. According to a report by HVS India and Anarock, the hotel occupancy improved 10-12 percent in September 2020 compared to that in August 2020.

The ‘HVS-ANAROCK Hotels & Hospitality Overview – October 2020’ showed that last month, average occupancy stood at 24-26 percent. “The hotel sector is showing early signs of recovery with occupancy improving M-o-M across most major markets driven by the gradual revival of domestic leisure travel in the country,” the report said.

According to the report, leisure destinations such as Goa and Jaipur have been witnessing a noticeable improvement in occupancy as people started travelling for a change of pace, albeit to destinations closer to their cities. It adds saying that with the growth in demand, the revenue per available room (RevPAR) also improved 12-14 percent to Rs 815-935. The average daily rate (ADR) of Indian hotels stood at Rs 3,400-3,600, 2-4 per cent higher on a month-on-month basis.

Categories
Business Case Studies Finance

71% Indians Expect Companies to Accelerate Digital Initiatives, Says Report

Bengaluru, October 29: A new report has revealed that about 71 percent of Indians expect companies to accelerate digital initiatives which means that the customer engagement is changing amid the COVID-19 crises. A report by leading Cloud software company Salesforce said that the Indian customers estimate 60 percent of their interactions with businesses take place online this year, compared to 47 percent in 2019. According to the fourth edition of Salesforce’s ‘State of the Connected Customer’ report, about 94 percent of customers said how a company acts during a crisis demonstrates its trustworthiness.

The global report is based on insights from over 15,000 consumers and business buyers across 27 countries, including 650 respondents from India. In India, 94 percent of customers said that COVID-19 has elevated their expectation of digital capabilities and 95 percent said the societal role of companies is changing.

The report adds that while a string of crises has affected all facets of life, including a fundamental shift in how customers connect with brands, factors like empathy, personalisation, convenience, and digital transformation are the keys to customer relationships. According to a report by IANS, as these same customers re-evaluate the role of business in society, the notion of stakeholder capitalism is increasingly factored into purchase decisions. Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce, said in a statement said that regardless of who they market, sell, or provide service to, businesses are navigating a landscape they couldn’t have imagined at the beginning of this year. “A massive shift to digital channels isn’t the only challenge that leaders have to grapple with”, he said.

“Connecting customers at various touchpoints — digital, human, or other — to gain a holistic understanding is the first step on the path to resiliency and growth. They also need to listen and respond to customer demands for empathy and understanding, innovative products and services, and a fundamental rethinking of the role of business in society,” Afshar said.

Categories
Startup

Nazara Technologies, Gaming Startup Backed by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Plans to Launch IPO Soon

Mumbai, October 29: Nazara Technologies, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed startup is planning to soon launch its IPO. The Mumbai-based mobile gaming company informed its shareholders about its plan to go public in a letter earlier this month.

According to an ET report, the company will soon file the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with markets regulator Sebi. The issue size is yet to be decided, however, some traders estimate the IPO price to be around Rs 950.

The report further mentions that shares of Nazara Technologies have almost doubled in the last six months in the unlisted market. The unlisted shares traded at around Rs 750-800 this week as against their April price of Rs 400-450.

Earlier this year, Nazara Technologies announced that it has completed its majority stake acquisition of Paper Boat Apps. Nazara acquired 51 percent of Paper Boat Apps, issuing shares worth Rs 43 crore as a part of its final tranche of the acquisition.

Nazara is a free-to-play kids games publisher with 20 million monthly active children playing, and over 180 million downloads on Google Play and App store. Nazara’s network comprises of World Cricket Championship, Halaplay, and Nodwin Gaming.

 

Categories
Strategy

Atmanirbhar Bharat Is About Creating Globally Competitive Enterprises, Says PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi, October 28: In a major boost to the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon exporters to create ‘globally competitive’ enterprises in India in the spirit of his flagship mission. In his message to the EEPC India, Modi said that the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is about creating globally competitive enterprises in India. The four-day virtual expo opened on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister made this announcement during the inauguration of the engineering exporters’ apex body, EEPC India’s first virtual exhibition, ‘India Subcontracting Expo 2020’ for overseas buyers. During his message, the Prime Minister conveyed that science and engineering have a major role in realising the objectives of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programme.

The Prime Minister said that India is creating the right ecosystems for local manufacturing and supply chain. Modi said that technology has become an enabler in the wake of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Digital tools have guided and helped in transforming such challenges into opportunities. The world requires skilled hands and we in India have the talent to cater to these global needs,” he said.

According to EEPC India, as many as 100 engineering exporters would be showcasing their products and technologies to major buyers from Europe, including the UK through a virtual exhibition, seeking to bag manufacturing contracts, giving a boost to the ‘Make In India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programmes.

According to a report by IANS, the virtual exposition platform sports several features like 24×7 access for buyers and sellers, virtual B2Bs, chat rooms, among other. Besides, the CXO Forum would be held with a theme-India-EU advanced opportunities for business cooperation in COVID-19 world.

Categories
Finance

India’s Economic Growth in FY21 May Be Negative or Near Zero Due to Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, Says Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, October 28: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that India’s economic growth in the current financial year may be in the negative zone or near zero amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the India Energy Forum of CERAWeek, Sitharaman, however, noted that signs of revival are visible now and India would be among the fastest growing nations in the next fiscal. She added that the festive season will further spur the economy which may lead to positive growth in the third and fourth quarters of the current financial year.

The Finance Minister said that the focus of the government is on public spending to boost economic activity. Earlier this month, she had said that another round of stimulus for the economy is not off the table.

Categories
Startup

Tour Operators Write to PM Narendra Modi Seeking Release of SIES Benefits For 2019-20, to Help Them Survive & Revive Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

New Delhi, October 28: The coronavirus pandemic affected the tour operators as businesses remained shut for several months. On Tuesday, the tour operators approached PM Narendra Modi asking for immediate relief.

According to an IANS report, their demand is asking for the release of Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) benefits for 2019-20, which could help them survive and revive their businesses in this difficult period of Covid-induced disruptions.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), a body representing more than 17,00 tour operators in a letter to the PM mentioned that the industry is not seeking any extraordinary help from the government but only SEIS funds which has not been released in this difficult period.

What are SEIS benefits?

SEIS benefits are given to the tourism industry based on its foreign exchange earnings under foreign trade policy (FTP) 1995-2000. The benefit is then used by the industry for promotions, marketing and packages to attract more foreign tourists to the country. These benefits are given annually, however, it has not been announced for 2019-20. Which means that the funds have been spent by tour operators anticipating a payment, the same had not been done so far.

Another request at increasing the SEIS scrips percentage from 7 per cent to 10 per cent for tour operators and travel agents has also been made.

Categories
Business motivation

How To Build A Kirana Store Business From Scratch

Kirana Stores are undoubtedly the lifeline and the favorite of every middle-class Indian household. No matter how much we progress as a nation and no matter how much we learn about digitization, we would always find ourselves ending up at that Kirana store just around the corner for every other thing.

What Is A Kirana Store, After All?

A Kirana store is a general department store that stocks and sells all kinds of household items, especially the ones that belong in the kitchen like groceries. Depending on the funds you have available or raised, you can decide the grandeur of your store or shop. Mentioned below are the key steps that you need to take in order to build a Kirana store of your own. 

What All Do You Need To Take Care Of To Build A Kirana Store?

Every Business Starts With A Solid Plan first and foremost, you need to conduct thorough research based on which you will prepare a great and realistic business plan. You really need to identify what is the kind of customer base you would want to target. You need to then figure out what their prices are, likes, and dislikes. By observing what is the financial status of your target customer, you can plan the pricing of the commodities/products you are planning to sell. All in all, you need to 

  • Know your customer preferences 
  • Recognize their buying potential 
  • Be aware of their financial status 
  • Check for the competitors and their winning strategy 

Choose your Location Wisely 

Be Wary of the location you chose because the well-being and growth of your business depend a lot on this factor. Either choose a location where you can capture a bigger market but keep in mind that the better the market, the tougher the competition. If you chose to serve a bigger market, make sure you have something unique to your business that could attract customers. On the other hand, you can open this store at the outskirts for the customers who drive far off to the city just to make day to day purchases.

Arrange The Funds And Prepare The Stocklist

The two most critical factors in building a successful Kirana store. Once you are done choosing the location, please set your focus on arranging funds to take care of building your store or renting it, and all other expenses that tag along such as salary of the staff, utility bills, etc. Along with this, you also need to look after the inventory management. Focus on the products that are sold immediately and the demand never goes down. Do not stock too much, neither too lease. Just try and strike that balance to earn yourself a decent profit and keep the business running.

Work On Customer Retention

Always try and maintain a good rapport with your customer especially those who are quite regular at your store. Be a keen observation of what all the customers are demanding that your inventory still lacks. Ask for their feedback and always ensure supreme quality products. Work on the look, feel, personality, offers, AND digitization of your store because it is always important to keep up with the change and the need.

A Kirana store is a business made for people and made by people. It is no rocket science to set up a Kirana store but surely requires you to treat your customers as your top priority while retaining them for years to come. If this has ignited the fire in you to start your Kirana business, our goal is achieved.