SMALL BUSINESS, BIG STRESS

Government relief measures for MSMEs have benefited only a few players. A large number may be unable to survive the pandemic

- ASHUTOSH KUMAR

The last 15 months have been a non-stop downhill slide for Ananya Bahl, who runs a small unit manufacturing mobile chargers in Delhi’s Samaypur Badli industrial area. The second-generation entrepreneur’s woes started last March after the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That meant the 27-year-old couldn’t collect his dues from pre-Covid sales. His costs spiralled after the lockdown was lifted. Now, as the second wave ebbs with the possibility of a third looming, Bahl’s business has all but been run into the ground.

“There is no demand, due to which manufacturing units have been impacted. Compared with March 2020, output has plummeted by almost 80-90 per cent,” says the second-generation entrepreneur. “Even if you set aside the generic cost of transport, specific raw materials related to my sector have seen a massive price rise on account of the import ban from China. Prices of raw materials such as charger cabinets, copper wires, and circuits have gone through the roof,” he adds.

On top of that, he is struggling to access capital under a government scheme for small businesses. Bahl says his multiple trips to a public sector bank for a collateral-free loan worth ₹30 lakh have been futile. He concedes that the fear of a third wave has stifled the prospects of recovery in the unorganised sector and made people wary of making investments.