Pandemic Triggers an Ocean of Biz Opportunities. Embrace Change to Reap the Benefit

SUNDAY SPECIAL

Q – Saving Lives & Saving Livelihood is the focus of all now because of the ongoing pandemic. How is the Landscape of Livelihood changing?

Saving Lives & Saving Livelihood is the focus of everyone across the globe because of the ongoing Pandemic, and India is no exception to it. There is an ongoing transition happening in the Workforce because of the crisis. First, we witnessed the century’s first ‘Mass Exodus’ of migrant workers heading home. Most of them reached their homes while many are still in transit. This has resulted in a shortage of workers in the cities and they need to be replaced.

Second, these Migrant Workers are now looking for work near their homes. Third, there is a transition happening from sectors that are not doing well like hospitality to sectors that are doing well like pharmaceuticals. Fourth, around 10 million students graduate and enter the workforce every year, they are right now waiting for their degrees to enter the workforce. Fifth, People are now Working From Home. The entire workforce is in transition.

Q – What is currently the state of the plight of the migrant workers who headed back home?

A sizable score of the Migrant Workers who went back home are not likely to return to the cities where they worked immediately, and hence are looking for livelihood nearby. The government has come out with schemes and stimulus packages to help these migrant workers find work. So there is a need to do profiling of these Migrant Workers, we also call it Skill Mapping as the UP Government is doing it. And these workers for whom Skill Mapping has been done, they need to be matched with the available Jobs or Entrepreneurial opportunities and Government Schemes like MGNERGA or State-Sponsored Opportunities.

The government has also launched Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan in 6 states to provide livelihood opportunities to Migrant Workers who have reached home. Skill Mapping of these Migrant Workers who are mostly illiterate and do not have smartphones or access to the Internet, it is becoming difficult for the government to reach out to them in times of this pandemic. Besides, finding the right beneficiaries of various Government schemes and Livelihood Opportunities have been always been a problem and is getting more critical in today’s times

Q – Will the online employment platforms/websites launched by many State Governments like Delhi and Maharashtra address the issue? 

I think it’s a good initiative by the Government, as it’s becoming another Platform for the work seekers to find employment. However, I suggest it also has to look for ways to get those workers on the platform who are illiterate and do not have access to data or smartphones or the expertise enough to access these websites or Apps, as they have to take help of someone to register. Also, it will be a good idea if also Entrepreneurial opportunities are listed on these platforms and various Government Schemes providing work opportunities.

Q – Can you please elaborate on the initiatives like Skill Mapping and tie-ups the UP Government is doing with various associations?

I think the UP Government is doing a very good job in doing Skill Mapping of the Migrant Workers who have returned to the state. Skill Mapping of around 25 lakh Migrant Workers has been done and the UP Government has also signed MOU with FICCI, Laghu Udyog Bandhu, Indian Industry Association, and NADRECO for providing jobs to skilled and semi-skilled workers. I think it’s important for other states to look at this model. Besides, it will be a good idea for State Governments to partner with livelihood platforms in the private sector that can help in doing matchmaking of the workers with the livelihood opportunities whose skill mapping has been done recently.

Q – The government has launched stimulus package, is it enough or more needs to be done?

I think the Government has launched a very big stimulus package to kick-start the economy. However, the challenged Government has always faced is to ensure that this package reaches the ultimate beneficiaries. The government is using the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) facility to credit the money directly into the accounts of the Beneficiaries without any involvement of any middlemen. However, a lot needs to be done on this front.

In my view there are three broad challenges for the Government, First to identify the right beneficiaries from its data, second making these beneficiaries aware of the schemes of the Government in their language, third getting acceptance from the beneficiaries, and passing benefits of the schemes to them.  This I believe has always not been an easy task for the Government because it has to be done at scale, in many local languages, and across India seamlessly. I believe technology will be a big Enabler and the Government has to use technology & work with Startups etc. to help reach the right beneficiaries.

Q – How are MSMEs doing in this crisis as they provide employment to over 100 million people in our country?

In India, there are over 60 Million MSMEs employing around 100 million people in India. 95% of all companies in India employ less than five persons. 98% employ less than 10. The livelihood of all these Employees who are dependent on these MSMEs is at big risk because of the ongoing pandemic. The government knows this and is making all efforts to ensure the MSMEs survive and thrive. Restart Financial Capital has to reach the MSMEs, especially the smaller ones. The government is trying to find all means like there is talk of involving the co-operative banks and helping microfinance institutions finance MSMEs up to 10 Lacs. However, Government, Financial Institutions, Industry Bodies & Technology Platforms have to collaborate to find solutions to provide capital to these MSMEs fast.

Q – Every crisis comes with problems as well as opportunities simultaneously. What are the emerging opportunities in your view?

I completely agree that this crisis has forced us to relook at the ways we do business, and has opened up interesting opportunities. Work from home (WFH) – now a popular term is one such opportunity. A lot of BPOs, KPOs, and Corporates were forced to make their employees work from home because of the lockdown. This has now made many realize the benefits of working from home and many are not keen to go back to office for some time. Companies like Facebook, Twitter have asked their Workforce to work from home till mid of next year. Many of the BPOs and KPOs in India are also not coming to the office soon.

So when you are working from home, where you work from becomes no more relevant. To my mind, this opens up huge opportunities for everyone. We are now seeing the emergence of Distributed Global Workforce. This means you may be living in Tier 2 & 3 cities, you are now equally eligible to work for opportunities which were till now available only in big cities or Metros. I know a lot of oversea corporates who are now looking for talent from India to work remotely for them. I feel till now we were the Back-office (ITeS) of the world, we now are going to possibly become the Front office of the world too. Besides, certain segments like women, persons with disabilities who could not participate in the workforce because of social & infrastructure restrictions; work from home is an opportunity for them to enter the workforce. In my view Freelancers, Part-Timers, Gig Economy workers are the big emerging opportunities. Global Distributed Workforce is the next big opportunity in my view.

Q – In this crisis lot of money has been donated to PM Care Fund? What’s the role of Philanthropy and Multilateral Institutions in this crisis?

I think philanthropy organizations across India have done a phenomenal job in the last few months since the outbreak of the ongoing crisis. They had provided food and shelter to migrant workers heading back home, providing medical support on an ongoing basis, etc. I know of so many CSRs, Fund Raising Platforms & Impact Funds who have done tremendous jobs and still working overtime to give their best, which is really overwhelming. There is so much work being done which I feel needs to be shared with the world, we need to share their success stories so as to inspire many to join these people in their own way and contribute. I think there is also a need for these philanthropy organizations to help the vulnerable segments to find ‘Sustainable Livelihood’ for their security and dignity. One observation I have while working with these philanthropy organizations is that they should look at adopting technology wherever possible to help them scale up their operations which will in turn provide support to much larger sections of the society.

Q – Youths of the country are staring at a bleak future. UGC is saying that it will not provide degrees without Exams. What’s happening?

I am sure both Central and State Governments will find a solution to the problem of conducting Exams and providing degrees soon. Campus Placement is one of the highly awaited events in the calendar of many colleges. Given the instructions issued by the Governments due to the ongoing pandemic, most of the colleges are closed and activities including Campus Placements have come to a virtual halt temporarily. Every year around 10 million students in India graduate and enter into the Workforce but they are now facing a bleak future. This crisis presents an opportunity for all the universities and colleges across India to have a relook at the existing ways of doing Campus Placement and reimagine the whole process by asking the following questions: First, Why Campus Placements cannot be done digitally where students are at home, corporates do not travel and colleges manage with all the stakeholders? Secondly, why Campus Placement cannot be done for both Graduate and Post Graduate students?

Thirdly, Why Campus Placement be done regularly until every student find work? Fourthly, Why Campus Placement cannot be done in Colleges where it has never been done? Especially in Tier 2 & 3 cities? Fifthly, Why Campus Placement be done for existing students and provide them apprenticeship, internships, Startup, Part-Time and freelancer opportunities? We have to ask ourselves the above questions and reimagine replacing the Present outdated Campus Placement System with “Ab Har Student Banega Aatmanirbhar” campaign by involving the Academia, Students, Industry, and Government bodies.

Q – What’s the Future of Work in this fast-changing environment and how should we handle it?

I think it’s very difficult to crystal gaze into the future with so much uncertainty. However, I can share with you a few trends with my recent experience and talking to relevant stakeholders. First, the Government will play a very vital role in helping vulnerable segments in providing livelihood. Skill mapping of the labour force and matchmaking with the employment/ entrepreneurial opportunities and relevant government schemes will gather momentum. Second, as I mentioned earlier we will see the emergence of Distributed Global Workforce. Third, Remote Hiring will be the New Normal. Fourth, because of the ongoing uncertainty, Corporates will focus on hiring Freelancers, Part-Timers, etc. Fifth, GiG Economy Platforms providing work opportunities in every sphere will gather momentum. Helping Save Livelihood is the next biggest challenge for all of us. I firmly believe ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’.

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About Munish Chawla:

Munish Chawla is the Co-Founder of Startup Jeevitam, a Tech-Enabled Livelihood Platform. Munish leads Jeevitam’s strategic engagement with National and State Governments of India, Industry Associations, Corporates & Philanthropy Partners on a wide range of Initiatives involving Livelihood Opportunities to the Vulnerable Segments of the society. Munish is based in New Delhi. An industry veteran of over 28 years, Munish actively participates in public policy forums in India and is a Member of CII National Committee on Startups & Entrepreneurship. Munish is also a Former Banker with over 20 Years of banking experience.