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Small scale industry plays a prominent role in the economy of any
country, more so in the case of a developing country.
When the market is thrown open to foreign players,
the small scale industry is exposed to competition from major
international giants. Hence, it becomes very difficult for the government to protect
the small scale industry. Should we, therefore, conclude that in the
liberalized economy, there is very little scope
for small scale industry? Perhaps not! Customer driven strategy and
motivated employees can help small businesses to face any crisis.
It was widely perceived that Indian businesses would get adversely
affected by liberalization, following the advent of foreign firms. And
this is true to some extent. But soon after liberalization, the success
of SMGULP (Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad), a cooperative
managed exclusively by women entrepreneurs, has proved this wrong. It now has
an annual turnover of nearly Rs. 500 cr, which is several times higher
than the turnover prior to liberalization. Half the revenue is earned from
exports.
The key reason of SMGULP's success is the dedication of the
workers towards the organization. All the workers of SMGULP are referred
as co-owners. None is boss or subordinate here; everyone is equal. And
the most interesting part is that they do not consider any job as inferior
or superior. Everyone is free to choose the job they like, starting from
rolling the papad to packaging. Equal importance has given to all stages
of papad making. The sisters (workers) work in a family environment,
which is also stress-free. For better work execution, they have adopted a
supervisor concept, who checks the quality and weight of the papads. There is no permanent supervisor. Everyone
gets a chance to act as the supervisor by rotation, which gives them equal
opportunity. These small, but important things, make each worker highly
motivated and help the organization to increase its output, without
compromising on quality. |
