Tamil Nadu – Dutch Uncles

Tamil Nadu Start-up and InnovaTN Mission (TANSIM) Explained

Anju Nambiar — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:35:12 +0000

Indian states are creating exclusive programmes for start-ups and budding entrepreneurs. Whether its Tamil Nadu’s Electric Vehicle Policy or Telangana’s MSME Prerna programme, Indian States want to attract investor interest and are in a bid to transform their state into the biggest start-up hub in the country.

What is the Tamil Nadu Start-up and InnovaTN Mission (TANSIM)?

The Tamil Nadu Start-up and InnovaTN Mission (TANSIM) which is branded as StartupTN is an exclusive platform for Tamil Nadu based start-ups by the state government. It is aimed at supporting start-ups by bringing together stakeholders including mentors, investors, incubators, ecosystem partners, etc., to accelerate start-up growth. StartupTN was established as a ‘Section 8’ (charitable/non-profit) company under the MSME (micro, small, and medium enterprise) department in March of this year. The sole mandate of the mission is to implement the ‘Tamil Nadu Start-up and Innovation Policy 2018-23’ by the Tamil Nadu government.

Benefits for Start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Through TANSIM, the Tamil Nadu government is providing concessions to start-ups in the state, based on recommendations by the state’s Mission Director. It provides a fillip to micro, small and medium enterprises through various support schemes and programmes. TANSIM is creating an enabling ecosystem for start-ups in the state. Registered start-ups will obtain concessions for procurements below INR 20 Lakh in value. This implies that registered start-ups will get exemptions from payment of Earnest Money Deposit. They will also be exempted from conditions of poor turnover and prior experience. Start-ups will also enjoy waivers on tender cost.

TANSEED and how it is related to TANSIM

TANSEED (Tamil Nadu Start-up Seed Grant Fund) is a seed grant under TANSIM which start-ups can apply to avail seed grant of INR 10 lakh for each start-up. Taking place in the months from July to September of this year, applications are open for start-ups and the last date to register for this second edition of TANSEED, dubbed TANSEED 2.0 is the 20th of August. 20 start-ups stand a chance to win the seed fund grant. TANSEED is an initiative that’s promoting innovation and the start-up culture among budding entrepreneurs.

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TANSIM is creating an enabling ecosystem for start-ups in the state. Registered start-ups will obtain concessions for procurements below INR 20 Lakh in value.

What’s in it for me?

TANSIM is an exclusive forum for start-ups who are already registered in Tamil Nadu. Budding and aspiring entrepreneurs who are interested to avail the benefits of this programme must be willing to register their start-up in the state of Tamil Nadu. StartupTN has its own online portal and official website where all the details and information about the mission are readily available for stakeholders wanting to know more about it.

These initiatives by the Tamil Nadu government are aimed at transforming the state into a Knowledge Capital and Innovation Hub as more start-ups continue to be added to its beneficiary pool. Through this mission, the Government of Tamil Nadu wants to be a part of each stage of the start-ups journey right from Ideation, Validation, Early Traction to the Scaling stage. By joining the mission, you will be contributing towards fostering the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the State while becoming a part of the state-wide start-up hub.

Prominent investors, accelerators and potential partners like Yes Bank, AWS Activate (Amazon Web Services program for early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurs) and Freshworks for start-ups (a start-up accelerator program by Freshworks, a unicorn enterprise tech SaaS start-up) are a part of this programme.

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Jigarthanda, the Drink from Madurai

Aakash Sharma — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 05:35:09 +0000

Food, culture, and legacy – this is the most time-tested and overwhelmingly powerful trio that has historically contributed to the making of regimes, civilisations and more recently, brands. India is one of the most diverse countries in the world. And this diversity has impacted the long-standing traditions and cultures of this land for centuries.

Taking from this vast and diversified culture, the ‘Food’ in India is also one of the best to be found anywhere worldwide. From Kashmir’s famous Dumaaloo and Rogan Josh, Bihar’s Litti Chokha, and Sikkim’s Gundruk and Sinki, to Rajasthan’s Gatte ki Sabzi, Karnataka’s Dosa, and Tamil Nadu’s Idli, the ‘great Indian food’ is a jewel of pride on every Indian’s head. This pride is felt unanimously by people across religious, social, economic and political lines.

This story is about one such revolutionary, universally loved ‘famous’ beverage that has come to be known as the de facto beverage of Madurai, enticing tourists from faraway lands of all walks of life and quenching the thirst of locals with excellent taste – the Famous Jigarthanda company.

Madurai’s Jigarthanda – A Meeting of Taste and Cultures

Jigarthanda (ஜிகர்தண்டா in Tamil) is a cold beverage that is famous in the South Indian city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. It literally translates to “cool heart” in English (Jigar means heart, Thanda means cold in Hindustani). This beverage is generally prepared and served at roadside stalls as a refreshment during the Indian summer. It is effectively a cold drink made of milk, almond Pisin (gum derived from the bark of the sweet almond tree), khoya, sarsaparilla root syrup (nannari sherbet syrup) with alternatives of basundi and milk ice cream as toppings.

A drink seemingly born in the local markets of Madurai is now largely regarded as the city’s own drink, with many restaurants and bakeries now selling ‘Madurai’s’ jigarthanda counters. However, anyone familiar with Tamil can spot that the name ‘jigarthanda’ is not Tamil enough to be born in Madurai.

So, where did jigarthanda come from?

Differing Roots of this Now Truly Madurai drink

Jigarthanda is synonymous with Madurai, even though it may not have been born there. Some experts say that the influence of this cold beverage came from the North. They say that the concept for jigarthanda and the widely famous North Indian falooda are essentially the same. Just that in falooda, chefs use almond pisin, semiya, sabja seeds and rooh afza, while for jigarthanda, they use milk ice cream, milk, nannari sharbat, basundi and almond pisin.

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The drink's nomenclature, which has etymological roots in the North Indian language of Urdu, is further cited as a source for the drink's connection to the North. 'Jigar' means heart, and 'thanda' means cool, and thus jigarthanda translates to 'cool heart'.

But the one thing that is certain regarding jigarthanda is the role of a legacy brand that started from a tiny pushcart in the 1970s and today has expanded to over 200 outlets of this ‘famous’ beverage, the iconic ‘Famous Jigarthanda’ of Madurai.

The iconic ‘Famous Jigarthanda’ of Madurai

Today, Famous Jigarthanda is a household name in the city of Madurai. Started by P.S. Sheik Meeran at the Kaalavasal junction in Madurai in 1977, the business has gone full circle, from Sheik Meeran initially selling ice creams made of milk, sugar and vanilla essence on a pushcart to selling thousands of glasses of jigarthanda during the season’s peak.

When Sheik Meeran began selling the jigarthanda on his pushcart, it immediately became his most sought-after product, and people bought it overwhelmingly. Though this drink is available everywhere, Famous Jigarthanda’s became quite different from the others over the years due to the mixing of ‘basundi’ for adding more taste to the drink.

In simple terms, Jigarthanda is a cold beverage like falooda, but the taste of the two drinks is entirely different. What separates the Jigarthanda from its northern cousin is pisin. While the latter uses vermicelli and is scooped up and eaten, the Jigarthanda is stirred and drunk.

Sheik Meeran’s farming ancestors hailed from Yangon, Myanmar. Tales of the Meeran family say that Sheik Meeran’s grandfather was the one who first made up a drink comprising basundi (condensed milk), milk and edible almond gum. He coincidentally came up with a version of Jigarthanda that was hot as it lacked the ice cream.

Situated on the famous East Marret and South Masi Street intersection, the Famous Jigarthanda shop attracts hundreds of customers every day and peaks further during summer. Their customers gave them the name ‘famous’ to identify their shop – it has stayed so ever since, and Meeran’s sons have made the proper use of it.

With five simple components, P. S. Sheikh Meeran and Sons have made the jigarthanda synonymous with the town’s name. There is no recorded history of this beverage; legends situate its origins in Mughal emperor Jehangir’s reign, all with too much contestation. Yet nobody knows jigarthanda better than perhaps the locals of Madurai.

People of Madurai have adopted this drink and made it their own popular-staple drink. The city is full of jigarthanda vendors, and there are minute differences in the variants available. But the name that stands out as the best is ‘Famous Jigarthanda – Since 1977’.

Famous Jigarthanda – From Tiny Pushcart to 200 Outlets

Today, P.S. Sheikh Meeran’s four sons have expanded the business into a chain of nine shops in Madurai and 35 regions across Tamil Nadu. S. Peer Mohammed, Sheikh Meeran’s eldest son, takes care of the Anna Nagar branch, while his next son, S. Zinda Madhar, is in charge of the shop on East Marret Street. The third in line – S. Shahul Hameed – takes care of the company godown. The youngest son Amanullah takes the shop’s name and fame beyond the city limits. He is in charge of the out-station orders.

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Ten people manage the leading shop that sells not less than 1,000 glasses of jigarthanda in a day between 10.30 am and 10.30 pm, with only one holiday — on Diwali — every year.

They regularly supply for weddings and other functions in Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Chennai and Bangalore. Famous Jigarthanda has its head office in East Marret Street Madurai. It operates branch offices in Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Tuticorin, Virudhanagar, Hosur, Dindugal, Vellore, Theni, Sivakasi, Tiruchy, Pudhukottai, Erode, Perambalur, Idukki, Namakkal, Thirumangalam and Bangalore. This legacy brand runs around 200 outlets.

Famous Jigarthanda sells two types of jigarthanda: the Ordinary and Special. The main ingredients that go into jigarthanda are milk, almond pisin, basundi, ice cubes and sherbet. The unique variety has more khoya than the ordinary one. The legacy brand makers prepare their own sherbet.

The drink that Famous Jigarthanda serves to its customers has condensed and chilled cow’s milk, nannari sherbet syrup, almond pisin, sugar syrup, cream, milk ice cream and basundi. This varies as per the customers’ orders. It is generally served in glass tumblers and is a body coolant, true to its name. It is perhaps this cooling nature of the drink that made Madurai embrace it as its own.

In 1988, Meeran diversified his products and began selling Jigarthanda at night. He saw the drink was broadly available in the area, so, at Rs 3, he kept the price per glass lower than other vendors. He also infused more basundi for a better taste in the drink. This simple yet innovative idea worked, and Meeran set up his first shop on the busy street of East Marret in 1993.

Fast forward to 2021, and the brand today has 200 franchises across Tamil Nadu with a daily footfall of around 300-500 customers per shop. At its main store in Madurai, 1,000 glasses of Jigarthanda are served every day. The current prices of the brand’s titular products are incredibly affordable, explaining the brand’s mass appeal and widespread success.

Starting with the Jigarthanda Ice Cream Small from Rs.15/- and Jigarthanda Cone Ice at Rs.20/-, the company prices its Jigarthanda Basundi at Rs.80/- and Jigarthanda Basundi Parsal at Rs.85/-. The Famous Jigarthanda Special is priced at Rs.60/-.

The sales of thousands of these products rope in profits for the brand. More importantly, it keeps the legacy of Sheik Meeran’s indigenously created beverage alive by serving it chilled to customers from all walks of life.

What makes Famous Jigarthanda so popular?

Jigarthanda is to food enthusiasts what the city’s famous Meenakshi temple is to devotees. Tourists from across the world, including celebrities and movie stars, have come to taste this chilled drink.

In the Famous Jigarthanda factory, chefs boil 100 litres of cow’s milk in multiple batches till it reduces to 40 litres and refrigerate it to make khoya. While most jigarthanda makers use kadal paasi, also known as china grass (or agar agar), this family run business (brand) use what the father-founder Sheik Meeran started to make the products stand out from the competition- the self-made khoya.

They soak the natural body-coolant badam pisin (almond resin) overnight, grind it and add it to the main drink in a particular measure. Home-made vanilla ice cream is another essential ingredient. The sweet nannari (sarsaparilla) syrup is made by boiling the roots and mixing it with sugar and basundi (sweetened thickened milk). All these are combined to make the thick shake that spells magic in the mouth.

Coming of Age with New Era Technology and Online Shift

As the company has turned itself into a legacy brand with deep roots in the South Indian region, it has not failed to realise the new era of technology driven changes and new models to expand its business. With a well-maintained website serving as its easy to access portfolio and information hub for lakhs of potential customers, it also gives online ordering services to its customers.

From letting people order desserts online to promising fast delivery of these sweets at their doorstep, the company has tapped into the large market of individual customers and the bulk ordering and large-scale event segment. It regularly supplies for weddings and other functions all over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. The door delivery service offered by Famous Jigarthanda is also available for events and bulk orders, with the threshold order quantity set at 100 plus items for local delivery and 300 plus for out-state delivery.

Famous Jigarthanda has become a renowned franchisor with years in the making, and it now has franchises all over Tamil Nadu, Bangalore and Kerala. The brand’s conduct in the market made its franchise expansion possible. As a franchisor, it provides the undertaking parties with a clear picture of the competition and helps them differentiate as entrepreneurs in the market.

This legacy brand’s entrepreneurial feels, greater confidence and a constant demand for its product have boosted its stature in the market and food ecosystem of South Indian circles. More recently, the company has been involved in exporting its food and beverage items. It now undertakes export orders of Jigarthanda to countries like Malaysia, Dubai and Singapore.

Though the next generation of Sheik Meeran’s family has moved out of the business and has gone into academics, the family hopes they will lend their professional knowledge to expand the business further. Undoubtedly, the famous Jigarthanda is the signature drink of Madurai, and the Famous Jigarthanda shop is a not-to-be-missed destination for visiting tourists. In its making of the legacy brand, this once local beverage company has set new highs for other small businesses and local entrepreneurs to strive for more and succeed even in the age of the tech-based business ecosystem.

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Highlights of Tamil Nadu’s Direct Selling Guidelines

Shalmoli Sarkar — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 10:35:04 +0000

Tamil Nadu, a place with diverse manufacturing has brought out several guidelines and compliance for effective running of Direct Selling businesses in India. Below are the guidelines of Tamil Nadu’s for Direct Selling companies as per Tamil Nadu Direct Selling Guidelines dated 2018:

The Direct Selling company is mandated to provide information to the consumer upon purchasing which shall contain the name of purchaser and seller, delivery date of goods or services, procedures for returning the goods and warranty of the goods and exchange or replacement of defective goods.

Any business owner who wishes to sell either by offline or by an e-commerce platform / marketplace , the Direct Selling company owner must take written consent from respective Direct Selling Entity in order to undertake or solicit such sale or offer.

No company under the disguise of direct selling business will promote a pyramid scheme i.e. recruiting members via promise of payments or services for enrolling others into the scheme, rather than supplying investments or sale of products.

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Direct selling is a relatively new business model in India that has generated self- employment opportunities for 5 million people out of which 60 percent are women as per a report from KPMG.

It is mandatory for the businesses to have a complaint number for tracing and tracking the complaint and keep records of time taken for redressal of complaints received over phone, email, website, post and walk-in.
Direct selling businesses should provide prospective consumers with accurate and complete explanations and demonstrations of goods and services, prices, credit terms, terms of payments, return policies, terms of guarantee and after sales service.
The companies shall maintain a proper book of records mentioning the details of the products, price, tax and quantity.
There will be no unfair recruitment practices by display of misleading sales information or potential earnings of direct selling.
There will be prior permission taken to visit the customer’s premises for selling directly and it is mandatory for direct sellers to carry identity cards.
The direct selling businesses shall maintain a proper and updated website containing relevant information of entity, management , product information, product quality certificate , complete income plan, terms of contract with direct seller and complaint redressal mechanism for direct seller and consumers. It is compulsory for the sellers to create a space in the website for registering consumer complaints and should ensure complaints are attended within 45 days of registering complaints.

What is in it for the startups?

The businesses that will operate under direct selling model must adhere to the direct selling guidelines set by Tamil Nadu government. The direct selling sector in India has been in the limelight for several reasons due to several lawsuits that have been registered in the past. Direct selling is a novel business model in India that has generated self- employment opportunities to 5 million people out of which 60 percent are women as per a report from KPMG. But there exists a lack of clarity on the legislations governing the industry, due to which often direct selling companies are mistaken to be fraud involved in pyramid or Ponzi schemes and eventually have been harassed in the past from police and local state government. Such incidents tend to hinder the growth of the industry eroding customer trust and confidence.

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Indira Nooyi: The Woman Who Changed the Horizons of Woman Entrepreneurship

Smruthi Krishnan — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:35:04 +0000

Born on 28 October 1955 in Madras, India. Indira Nooyi is an Indian-American business executive and former chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo. Nooyi completed her schooling at Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in T. Nagar. Later she went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from Madras Christian College of the University of Madras in 1974 and subsequently a Post Graduate Programme Diploma from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1976. A couple of years later she got into Yale School of Management and moved to the USA where she earned a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management in 1980.

How Indira Nooyi Began her Career

An inspiration for thousands of women across the globe, Nooyi began her career at Johnson & Johnson followed by textile firm Mettur Beardsell. She also did a summer internship with Booz Allen Hamilton while she was at Yale. In 1980, she joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and then worked at Motorola as Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and planning.

Nooyi and PepsiCo

Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and 2006, she replaced Steven Reinemund as the CEO, becoming the fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s 44-year history. Before that, she served as President and Chief Financial Officer, beginning in 2001 and was also a part of PepsiCo’s Board of Directors. Nooyi directed the company’s global strategy for almost over 10 years and led its restructuring including the 1997 divestiture of Tricon, now known as Yum! Brands. This allowed the company to increase the pace of its share buyback strategy, thereby giving it more leverage to pursue future acquisitions without shareholder backlash. Nooyi also took the lead in the acquisition of Tropicana in 1998 and the merger with Quaker Oats Company which also brought Gatorade in 2001. Both these acquisitions led to positive results.

Nooyi’s Performance with a Purpose was a successful move that created long-term growth along with a positive externality effect on the environment and people. Reclassifying PepsiCo’s products into three categories: “fun for you” (such as potato chips and regular soda), “better for you” (diet or low-fat versions of snacks and sodas), and “good for you” (items such as oatmeal), this initiative was backed up with ample funding. Moving corporate spending away from junk foods into healthier alternatives, Nooyi aimed to develop the healthiness of even the “fun” offerings. She also focused on environmental concerns and sustainability, redesigning packaging to reduce waste, conserving water, switching to renewable energy sources and recycling and encouraged better work culture to reduce retention rates. On August 6, 2018, Nooyi stepped down as CEO and continued to serve as the chairman of the company until early 2019.

Nooyi’s Achievements and what you can learn from her

Nooyi made it to the Wall Street Journal‘s list of 50 women to watch in 2007 and 2008 and also Time‘s 100 Most Influential People in The World in 2007 and 2008. Forbes also named her the #3 most powerful women in 2008 and #13 in 2014. Fortune ranked her the #1 in the list of Most Powerful Women in Business in 2009 and 2010. In Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women List of 2015, Nooyi ranked 2nd. Forbes ranked her at the 3rd spot among the “World’s Powerful Moms” list. In 2017, she was ranked the 2nd most powerful woman once more on the Forbes list of the 19 Most Powerful Women in Business. She was named one of America’s best leaders by U.S. News & World Report. She was also elected to the fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and named CEO of the year (2009) by the Global Supply Chain Leaders Group. In 2013, Nooyi was one of the “25 Greatest Global Living Legends” named by NDTV. In the same year, she was awarded by the President of India Pranab Mukherji at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. She has also authored her book The Calloway Way: Results & Integrity and currently serves on the boards of Amazon and the International Cricket Council.

She Married Raj K. Nooyi in 1981 and has two daughters with him. Indira Nooyi is an inspiration for millions of aspiring women entrepreneurs around the world and is the perfect example of how hard work and determination result in success. The sky’s the limit, aim for higher and work harder, never give up because success comes to those who try.

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How Can Small Businesses Benefit from Tamil Nadu’s New (MSME) Policy 2021?

Smruthi Krishnan — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:35:04 +0000

To improve and develop the MSME ecosystem in Tamil Nadu and boost investments in the SME sector, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced a new MSME policy recently. MSMEs form the crux of the Indian industrial market with millions of small and medium enterprises thriving across states.

Why are MSMEs important?

MSMEs form the foundational base and accelerate growth in developing countries. The MSME sector has expanded post reclassification, which is why new policies are needed to set the tone for the newly expanded sector to boost the sector by attracting more investments and providing incentives for development in backward districts.

In a labour-intensive country like India, MSMEs are important as they constitute over 90% of total enterprises and generate the highest rates of employment growth. The sector has shown innovativeness and adaptability to survive even in the recent economic downturn and recession which shows growth potential. The sector also helps in the socio-economic development of the country.

About the New Industrial Policy

The main aim of the Policy is to strengthen the Ease of Doing Business through District Industries Centres.
The government aims to attract Rs 10 lakh crore investments in four years and induce employment for 20 lakh people by 2025 in the state.
They plan to achieve an annual growth rate of 15% in the manufacturing sector and to increase the contribution of the manufacturing sector to 30% of Gross State Value Added by 2030.
The project will also focus on industrial units, sunrise sectors, R&D projects, industrial park developers, logistics and FDI investments and let investors choose their structured incentive package for higher flexibility.
It also encourages higher participation of women, differently-abled and transgenders in the workforce.
Several concessions including land at 50% discounted price, will be provided to the entrepreneurs starting ventures in the 22 industrially backward districts.
The MSMEs capital subsidy will be increased to Rs 1.5 crore from the present Rs 50 lakh.
‘Under the Business Facilitation Act, exemptions will be given for various state approvals for 3 years to New MSMEs and Start-ups based on self-certification.
They also plan to increase access to affordable finance through schemes like the Unemployed Youth Employment Generation Programme, New Entrepreneurs cum Enterprise Development Scheme and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises.
They will also facilitate scaling up of MSMEs via listings and incentives and access to access to National and Global Markets through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.

What is in it for you as an MSME entrepreneur?

The policy will facilitate national and international investments in the sector and help in scaling and diversification of MSMEs. It will also expand employment, infrastructure support and balanced industrialisation. As an MSME entrepreneur, Tamil Nadu through their policy provides the best market for you to set foot in or invest in, especially if you are just starting. There is immense scope for innovation and you will be provided with several incentives which will help in substantial expansion and diversification. The policy also aims to increase easier access to national and global markets; to improve competitiveness and productivity. If you are an existing MSME entrepreneur or are planning to start a small-scale business, research more into the New Industrial Policy, you will find something that helps your business thrive and grow.

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