‘Sahaayi’ to help MSMEs overcome lockdown blues

KOCHI: The lockdown and its extension have affected every business. However, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are hit the worst as the non-movement of their products, for them, effectively ends any hopes to revive their businesses. To help such MSMEs, E-Unnathi, a collective formed by a small group of successful woman professionals in the state, has launched a project called Sahaayi. E-Unnathi founder member Bindu Sathyajith said the platform caters to industrialists, entrepreneurs, employees and employers who have new requirements and face new challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“The pandemic immensely affected the corporate world due to the sudden, 21-day lockdown which was imposed till April 14 and has now been extended to May 3. We are trying to connect MSMEs, small-scale industries, industrialists, employers and employees (those who lost their jobs due to Covid-19) in the post-lockdown scenario. That is what Sahaayi is,” said Bindu, adding that E-Unnathi has an elaborate implementation plan for the project.

“We will create a database of each vertical in our portal with the information provided during registration. This will be used to connect with other businesses. Post registration (via www.eunnathi.com), and after understanding the issues faced by a particular industry, our panel will help the entrepreneur overcome the problems through different means as per their need,” Bindu said. According to her, the data shared in the portal is completely safe. “We will ensure complete confidentiality.”

How does it work?
Say a soap manufacturer has stock and raw materials but his/her sales team is unable to penetrate the market due to the lockdown. “The portal will share the information of a business that requires soap to sell. Sahaayi will connect them. This is applicable to all MSMEs and small-scale industries whose business depends on various factors, including the quick return on investment that is blocked due to the lockdown,” said Bindu.

She said any organisation can register with Sahaayi. “We will ensure they are connected to the right people. Once we have a consortium, we can request the government to make exceptions in GST or give them emergency funds. A big company looking to use its corporate social responsibility fund to uplift common interest groups can also do so through the project,” she said.