As Honorable Prime Minister stressed on the importance of India increasing its self-reliance for things in May and people have started taking a conscious step to make India self-reliant by preferring Indian brands over foreign. There are many startups too that are contributing to the initiative by supporting and encouraging local businesses and brands. Here are few examples of Indian Brands that are challenging foreign brands and helping India become AatmNirbhar by supporting local businesses-
· Gympik- The fitness industry is one of the most hit businesses and might take a lot of time to become profitable again post lockdown. Gympik,is helping gyms to get back to the business through their initiatives. The brand has integrated virtual training in its club management software, increasing the demand for fitness centers’ by 35-45%. It also launched e-book- Gym Owner’s Playbook To Survive The COVID-19 Challenge to support mid-size gyms and fitness clubs in India. It has upgraded its software- Traqade by Gympik and app Traqade Connect to provide members contacless training.
· 750ad Healthcare- Post Covid-outbreak, the ongoing conflict of chemists and e-pharmacies has worsened. As people unwilling to go out of their homes to buy medicines due to Covid-19, are relying on e-pharmacies due to which local chemists and pharmacies are suffering. 750ad healthcare, an Indian healthcare startup is a revolutionary platform that amalgamates various aspects of healthcare on one single platform. Being in a healthcare industry the brand understands the loss the offline and local chemists are going through. It is all set up to support local chemists by providing them an online platform to deliver online medical equipment/medicines to their customers and compete with the e-pharmacies.
· Illumnus- A Pune based startup is helping Indian educational institute by providing them a platform to continue imparting knowledge to the students. It is the world’s first Collaborative Learning Management System (C-LMS) that brings together all 4 stakeholders (students, teachers, parents and administration). The brand has also introduced new features like online exams, Smart Attendance, Institute Library post lockdown. Educational institutes do not have teachers and administration who are technology-friendly nor do all parents are comfortable using education apps available in the market, Illumnus’s app is as easy to use as Whatsapp so that a 12-year old student or 60-year old teacher or parent can access it.
· TAA Music Label- Lockdown has caused a great deal to artists. Aanchal Shrivastava, an independent artist herself understands the hardships afced by artists in India. She along with Tarun Jolly, Founder, IBOX STUDIOS launched TAA Music Label to provide a platform to the extremely talented, energetic, upcoming musicians and artists who deserve an opportunity, purely based on their phenomenal talent in order to make it big in the music industry. TAA Music Label will work towards making dreams of artists come true by providing a fair opportunity to those who deserve it.
· Gem Selections- Gem Selections, a unit of Khanna Gems Pvt Ltd provides gemstones to more than 300 Indian jewelers and dealers. As the lockdown has affected gems and jewellery business, the brand is trying to provide constant support to their dealers to ensure their business keep running. The brand is also helping Indian customers by providing them an option to buy gemstones on EMI during tough times. It is the only company selling gemstones on EMI in India.
