Thread by @YusufDFI

At least 30% kirana shops in Mumbai alone are on the verge of closure. More than 50,000 small sweet shops, those selling plastics, toys, bags and other small items have already vanished in parts of Karnataka deccanherald.com/business/econo…

Only 7% of the 7 crore small businesses are able to obtain finance from banks and other financial institutions, while the rest 93% traders are dependent upon informal source like family and friends to meet their financial requirements. deccanherald.com/business/econo…

A point that I’ve repeatedly raised for several years. Demo hit this section of business owners the most. They never figure in any gvt plan on supporting biz. And this sector gets tax terrored the most as well as they are small & vulnerable.

India came out relatively unscathed in 2008 because of its informal economy. That was destroyed in 2016-17. India would have been better placed to absorb the shock & recover from China virus if small biz were not hurt so badly in preceding years.

Something I’ve said repeatedly, from PM to FM to CMs, they all meet big businesses who get policy shaped to suit them. Ever seen any PM,CM go to say a Chavri Bazar in Delhi or an SP Road in Bangalore and the likes, to find out the needs & pains of small traders who employ crores?

Small businesses, traders should be the gvt’s eyes and ears on the ground. But all they get is neglect, and of course tax notices.

Can you imagine a roads outside giant companies being dug up & left unattended for months? Check the condition of infra where small traders are.The roads in my biz area dug months ago & not fixed. It collectively generates 100 Cr per day employing thousands. But neglected.

Would you find Mount Kachranunga outside big companies? These are old pics that ive tweeted in the past. But this is how it is close to my office.

This is the aukat of small traders. This is how they are “valued”.