MAM
A third of MSMEs enhance digital presence during lockdown
NEW DELHI: Digital transformation by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has traditionally lagged behind the expected growth curve. As per Zinnov Consulting, out of the 75 Million MSMEs based in India, 16-18 million have a social media presence, an online listing or a website. Out of five million domain names registered in India, only half have a website behind them.
Ahead of International MSME Day 2020, Endurance International Group (“EIG”), the parent company of web presence brands like HostGator, Bluehost, ResellerClub, BigRock undertook a survey with Indian MSMEs to understand their adoption of digital presence in response to challenges during Covid2019.
According to the survey, approximately 30 percent of MSMEs started a business website or enabled e-commerce functionality since the lockdown started owing to the Covid2019 pandemic. More than 50 percent of MSMEs surveyed / embraced video conferencing tools and WhatsApp to keep business running during these turbulent times.
The importance of digital mediums during this crisis has had a resurgence. Preference for using digital is now approximately ~1.9X more than traditional sales interactions. MSMEs in the educational services segment recorded the highest jump in the importance of using digital mediums.
With lockdown measures in place, the MSMEs who were able to offer e-commerce functionality witnessed revenue contribution from e-commerce increasing to approximately 50 percent of their total revenues. For MSMEs in retail and educational services, increase in revenue contribution from e-commerce was 53 percent and 65 percent respectively.
The negative impact of Covid2019 on MSMEs has been intense with many having to pause or entirely shut their business. In this survey, one third of MSME respondents confirmed that they are temporarily shutting their business until normalcy resumes. This pause in business is more prominent among MSMEs in metros cities and those in the retail and manufacturing verticals. Majority of MSMEs (nearly 60 percent of those surveyed) believe that it will take up to six months for business to return to normal.
MSMEs are seeking support from the government to tide over this crisis. More than 50 percent of MSMEs expect the government to offer tax discounts or exemptions, followed by 36 percent of MSMEs asking for loans at zero interest or cheaper rates.
“Covid2019 has forced everyone to rethink daily life. In response to the lockdown, MSMEs who could embrace digital presence were able to keep some semblance of normalcy and continue to serve or engage with their customers. This crisis has made it imperative to digitally transform our places of work. We are fortunate to be able to aid businesses in their digital transformation journey through our products and services," said Endurance Group- APAC, SVP and general manager Manish Dalal, having web presence brands like HostGator, Bluehost, ResellerClub, BigRock.
According to the survey, lack of technical expertise and the perceived costs of developing a web presence continue to be the key challenges to creating web presence. Due to these challenges, very often MSMEs take assistance from web professionals to create digital presence. India is primarily a DIFM (do-it-for-me) market and web professionals will play a key role in the digital enablement of MSMEs.
EIG caters to small business owners and web professionals, those who help small businesses to come online, through brands such as HostGator, Bluehost, ResellerClub, BigRock. These brands provide the tools and resources needed to build and establish a web presence, be found online, and improve productivity through digital solutions like domains, hosting, business email and more.
Survey Methodology
To understand the digital trends among small businesses during the lockdown, EIG administered an online questionnaire to their MSME customers in the segments of retail, educational services, technology services, independent bloggers, consultant, advertising & marketing, travel and finance. Majority of these MSMEs are in the metro cities. The survey was conducted over the first 2 weeks of June 2020.
Key findings:
● Approximately 30 percent of MSME either started a website or expanded to e-commerce during the COVID-19 lockdown;
● Around 50 percent embraced video conferencing and WhatsApp for business purposes;
● Revenue contribution from e-commerce increased close to 50 percent for MSMEs during COVID-19;
● Preference for using digital is now estimated at ~1.9X more than traditional sales interactions; and
● Approximately 60 percent MSMEs believe that it will take up to 6 months for business to return to normal once COVID-19 ends.
Brands
Tata Consumer Products highlights workplace bias with no repeat campaign
Women often repeat ideas to be heard; Tata campaign spotlights bias
MUMBAI: In many offices, a familiar moment unfolds. A woman shares an idea in a meeting. The room nods politely, then moves on. A few minutes later, someone else repeats the same thought and suddenly it lands.
This International Women’s Day, Tata Consumer Products is drawing attention to that quiet but persistent workplace dynamic through TheNoRepeatCampaign, an initiative that highlights how often women must repeat themselves before their ideas are acknowledged.
Conceptualised by Schbang, the campaign centres on a mockumentary-style film featuring a corporate employee known simply as “Doobara”, which literally means “again”. The character symbolises the many women across workplaces who find themselves restating their ideas during meetings, brainstorms and presentations before they receive recognition.
The campaign is grounded in research that reflects a broader workplace pattern. According to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report, 39 percent of women say they are interrupted or spoken over in professional settings. Research by Perceptyx in 2022 adds to that picture, with 19 percent of women reporting frequent interruptions and 42 percent saying it happens at least sometimes.
Tata Consumer Products head of corporate communications and investor relations Nidhi Verma, said the campaign aims to bring a commonly experienced but rarely discussed bias into the open.
“Workplaces thrive when every voice is heard the first time it speaks. With #TheNoRepeatCampaign, we wanted to shine a light on a bias that many women experience but rarely gets called out openly. By encouraging teams to listen more consciously and acknowledge ideas fairly, we hope to create environments where contributions are valued for their merit, not the number of times they need to be repeated,” she said.
The film cleverly mirrors the very behaviour it critiques. Through deliberate repetition in the storytelling, viewers experience the subtle frustration of having a point overlooked until someone else echoes it back to the room.
The initiative also ties into Tata Consumer Products’ internal SpeakUp culture, which encourages employees to share ideas and feedback openly while emphasising the shared responsibility of listening and acknowledging contributions.
Schbang president of solutions Jitto George, said the insight behind the campaign came from everyday workplace observations.
“The insight was simple but powerful. Many women have experienced moments where their ideas gain traction only after someone else repeats them. We wanted the storytelling to reflect that reality in a way that feels relatable, slightly uncomfortable and difficult to ignore. The mockumentary format helped capture that everyday dynamic while prompting viewers to rethink how conversations unfold in their own workplaces,” he said.
Aligned with International Women’s Day 2026’s theme, “Give To Gain”, the campaign underlines a simple message. When organisations give attention, acknowledgement and visibility to women’s voices, the entire workplace benefits.
After all, when good ideas are heard the first time, they do not need a second attempt.
