Undertakings...
Centre for Entrepreneurship DevelopmentCentre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) a whollay autonomous body set up in the year 1997, by Association of lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad supported by central and State Government with an aim to transform women into able entrepreneurs and help them to contribute their share to the development of the state.
CED was inaugurated on 13th December 2003 by his Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, The President of India. CED aims at initiating training and research on problems on development that must be solved for realizing planned objectives. CED conducts seminars on topics oriented towards Industrial Establishments.
CED is associated with State Level Entrepreneurship Development Organizations, NGO's Volutary Organizations, Educational Institutions, Financial Institutions, Business Association & EDI, Ahmedabad.
Act as a liasion between Government and Entrepreneurs by providing necessary information and helps women entreprenuers by providing necessary consultancy.
CED conducts EDP, REDP, PMRY, WEDP, EAC's TOT's Agri Clinic and Agri Business Development programmes, NGO's and Banker Interface not only to overcome their professional problems, but also to contribure to their personality development. CED provides follow up services after the training programmes.
Aleap Credit Guarantee Association (ACGA)
Aleap Credit Guarantee Association (ACGA) Yet another landmark in the success story of ALEAP is the ALEAP Credit Guarantee Association(ACGA). ACGA is a company incorporated under section 25 of Companies Act, 1956 for the purpose of implementation of Mutual Credit Guarantee scheme. ALEAP Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme was formally launched by Hon'ble Minister for Major Industries, Govt. of A.P.
ALEAP has the recognition of being the First Industry Association to implement the MCGS in India . As a pilot project, ACGA has entered into a tripartite agreement with Andhra Bank and CGTSI for implementation of MCGS in the state of Andhra Pradesh wherein member SSI units can avail collateral free bank finance. Under the agreement with CGTSI, members of the Association will be provided financial assistance from Andhra Bank without collateral security.
VIPANI
Thousands of women have shown their grit and determination in conceiving business ideas and bringing them to bear fruit despite challenges in selling their idea, raising capital and gaining market acceptance for their products and services. Despite claims of strong support for MSME sector by banks and Government organizations in India, India is still not the best place to do business for all the hurdles an entrepreneur faces in starting a business.
Current economic downturn is threatening the very existence of MSME businesses in India. An industry body estimates that there are roughly 5 lakh MSME businesses which might be forced to close in 2009 alone. It is not only those businesses which are export driven but also those which depend on domestic opportunities.
Even during the best of economic cycles, MSMEs face common challenges of market reach, branding and scale. MSMEs do not have the marketing budgets and muscle to compete against established brands across India. Gaining retailer and consumer acceptance for lesser known brands is a huge challenge and brand building calls for huge investments. Poor branding and smaller market penetration constrain growth and scalability of the business.
Vipani is born out of the intention to help MSMEs under ALEAP increase their market penetration and scale their businesses. Vipani is conceived to be a marketing and retail platform. ALEAP entrepreneurs can leverage this platform to increase their market reach.
Vipani will market FMCG products and other services through multiple channels. Customers will be offered the convenience to place orders through Vipani’s e-commerce site and over the phone. Vipani also plans to open retail outlets inside MNCs and other large Indian companies. Vipani has been commitment space for an outlet from a large business, even before its official launch. At a later stage, Vipani plans to open large warehouse outlets which cater to the higher-end of the consumer pyramid.
Vipani will launch its services in Hyderabad and expand across Andhra Pradesh state. In 2010, Vipani plans to scale operations across India.
Vipani’s business model is based on the tenets of lean, low cost operations, low profit margins, customer service excellence and bigger margins to MSME manufacturers. Vipani will enroll individual and institutional customers into annual, paid membership programs, offer them home/office delivery at no extra cost and sell products cheaper than they can find at other retailers. Customers will also be offered cash rewards based on their annual spend to promote loyalty and increase satisfaction.
Vipani will differentiate itself from other Indian retailers by placing customer satisfaction ahead of profits and delivering value which will be hard for established, large retailers to match. ALEAP entrepreneurs’ will retain higher margins on their products compared to selling through other retail partners. Products will be marketed under respective MSME manufacturers’ brands or under Vipani-owned brands based on market opportunities and competitive scenarios.
Vipani will target high net-worth, professional, net-savvy consumers and institutions (restaurants, companies, offices) in the initial phase. For Vipani to be a one-stop shop for all FMCG products these consumers use, Vipani will have to stock leading brands across categories in addition to ALEAP products.
Vipani envisions to be a successful retailer with a significant difference. Vipani is a platform for MSMEs to penetrate markets, scale up their businesses and retain higher margins. Vipani aspires to be known as a retailer with a great customer service and a one-stop shop for all their needs.
