Kalgudi convergence platform for MSMEs

Many MSMEs, though enthusiastic and eager on harnessing the benefits of technology, are not skilled enough to use the technology to meet their customer’s expectations. This is because of the scale of investment, inventory required and lack of exposure to technology. Describing their product in an easily discoverable way, positioning, pricing, quality checks, packaging, shipping, customer support, and inventory management for effective online commerce is a distant dream and a massive challenge for a majority of them.

Kalgudi helps makers pass through these hurdles with ease. Kalgudi also integrates book keeping, procurement and financial accounts, with no extra effort by the makers. This gives makers room to focus and get better at what they do. Activities in the overall supply chain are better done locally by the local talent and resources available. Kalgudi creates an ecosystem where fulfillment happens collaboratively and efficiently, while creating local employment.

In India alone, there are more 30 million SHGs and approximately 300 million globally. More than 80% of these live in rural and semi urban locations where access to technology and business ecosystem are limited.
Key challenges faced by SHGs, farmers and FPO include Digitization, Fulfillment services, Statutory and operational compliances,, Branding, visibility & marketing, Customer and market interactions, Information asymmetry and overload, Tailored services, Digital assistance, Business acumen, etc.,
Kalgudi is an online commerce convergence platform, focused on programs in the areas of Agriculture and Economic Livelihood. Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Farmers and allied stakeholders form the core of the ecosystem. The vision is to democratize commerce at the grassroots in a collaborative way by leveraging technology for productive gains, increased market access and enhanced income opportunities in rural areas for women SHGs and farmers.
Kalgudi facilitates needs discoverability through anticipated, aggregated demand & supply of services and goods and doing intelligent matchmaking to connect relevant services and goods transparently.

Our approach in empowering SHG selling online is holistic and comprehensive
Product listing - Listing involves a complex process of converting ideas or simple descriptions by the seller to a compelling product online, appropriately structured, categorized, translated, and updated. Pricing, discounting, configuration of fulfilment that includes identifying and setting up labels, quality tester, packer and shipper along with settlement process.
Facilitate marketing & promotions by making products discoverable, create campaigns that aligns with local events and consumption patterns and promote through digital channels like Facebook, twitter and similar.
Ordering - Consumers order SHG products, just like in any e-commerce site. Bulk orders and subscriptions happen innovatively; involving SHG for negotiations and customizations. Payments by any consumer will be parked in ESCROW account. Like any regular e-commerce site, consumers are notified with order status, progress, tracking and even contact the seller (SHG) if need be.

Self-Help Group is a small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socio-economic background. They come together for the purpose of solving their common problems through self-help, mutual help and promotes small savings among its members.
In general, SHG products are treasure trove of unique handmade products that include handicrafts, handwoven textiles, food products, herbal cosmetics and natural remedies in a long list of noteworthy categories. These products retain the allure with their traditional and centuries old techniques, being inherited and passed down each generation making them unique, one of a kind and preserved over centuries. Some of these products are extremely popular and widely recognized and even GI tagged. However, meagre profit, low volumes and inability to market themselves is making way for replacing these unique products with mechanization. Many crafts are now facing a slow and imminent death, if we do not take timely action in promoting and reviving these art forms and products, they would be lost forever. Paradoxically, these products have huge market everywhere in India and abroad.
Consumers across the world including rural and semi-urban dwellers, are trying to find indigenous products, order online, customized, make-to-order and get the quality products fulfilled professionally.

SHGs are primarily from rural ecosystem with basic level of education and horned livelihood skills from their elders. Many of them have access to minimal formal training and earn their livelihood by selling their products in nearby places. However, these products have markets geographically and multiple intermediaries get benefited in this process leaving merge margins to SHGs. 

Kalgudi's marketplace initiative is reducing intermediaries in supply chain and effectively handholding these SHGs to reap the benefits of ecommerce model. This effectively helps SHGs to become more customer and market oriented and customize their offerings to customers on time to time basis.