A New LinkedIn is Here
Hey there! It’s Tuesday, and the gears of productivity are in full swing. We’re here to keep you informed, inspired, and ready to tackle whatever challenges the day brings. Let's make today another step toward something great!
“Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”
Acts of kindness create bonds of trust and understanding. Whether in business or personal life, people remember and appreciate genuine kindness, even if they don't explicitly express it.
In business, kindness can soften difficult conversations, diffuse tensions, and open doors for collaboration. It’s a way to communicate sincerity, empathy, and respect without needing elaborate gestures.
Now, let’s get started…
🎯 Top Headlines of the Day
Tupperware is gearing up to file for bankruptcy
Microsoft greenlights a $60 billion share buyback initiative
Adani Green Energy shares could surge by 30%
📊 Market Pulse
Today’s top-performing stocks are:
Today’s top-performing stocks are:
LinkedIn 2.0
Imagine walking through your city and spotting a large group of laborers shouting and waving in a desperate attempt to catch the attention of contractors. This is the reality of the physical labor chowk system in India, where daily wage workers gather, hoping to secure work for the day. Many leave empty-handed, stuck in a constant struggle to meet their basic needs like food and water.
But one man from Bihar decided to change this broken system.
Chandrashekhar Mandal, hailing from a small village in Darbhanga, knew firsthand the challenges these workers faced. Despite growing up with limited financial resources, he prioritized education and eventually landed a job in finance. Life was going well—until one day, while working in Delhi, he witnessed a group of laborers huddled together in the pouring rain, scrambling to get hired. Many of them were from Bihar, his home state.That moment stuck with him. Chandrashekhar couldn't stop thinking: why wasn’t there an online platform to help these workers find jobs more easily? It was a simple idea, but he knew it had the potential to change lives. In September 2020, he quit his job and decided to pursue Digital Labour Chowk full-time.
He had only Rs 40,000 in his account and quickly realized Delhi's living costs were eating away at his savings. Within two months, he was struggling to make ends meet. So, he made the bold decision to move back to his village in Darbhanga, where living costs were next to nothing. With just his laptop, Chandrashekhar kept pushing forward, determined to bring his vision to life.
Of course, more challenges awaited him. He applied for various government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, only to be told he needed to cover 25% of the loan himself, which he couldn’t afford. Days passed, stress piled up, and he found himself staring at the ceiling at night, questioning if quitting his job was the right choice.
But Chandrashekhar didn’t give up. His breakthrough came when he discovered an incubation challenge offering a prize of Rs 10 lakhs. He applied, got shortlisted, and soon found himself collaborating with a company in Pune to develop his idea. Over the next few months, things started looking up. By March 2023, Digital Labour Chowk had officially launched.So, what is Digital Labour Chowk?
Think of it like LinkedIn but for daily wage workers.
Employers post job openings—whether it’s for construction, cleaning, or painting—and the workers in that area get notified. The app is designed to be user-friendly, especially for workers who aren’t very tech-savvy, with symbols and easy navigation. They simply download the app, choose their skill, set their preferred wage, and apply for jobs in their area. No more standing in the rain, hoping to get noticed.
As of September 2024, Digital Labour Chowk has over 1 lakh users, with more than 3,000 job postings. Every day, around 1,000 workers are hired across Bihar, Noida, and Delhi. The startup even secured funding, including a Rs 10 lakh grant from Citi Bank and Rs 30 lakhs from investors. They’ve also attracted international attention, with a Japanese investor joining the fold in 2023.
Looking ahead, Chandrashekhar wants to improve the system further. Right now, a worker with 10 years of experience might be earning the same as someone with only 3 years of experience. He plans to change that, ensuring that experienced workers are paid fairly for their expertise. There are also plans to connect workers to government benefits like the Labour Card and various welfare schemes.
BTW, if you want to do something productive during your time off, check this out 👉
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That’s it for today, folks! We will be back again tomorrow with more valuable insights about ‘Bharat in Business.’ Till then, stay informed!
