Businessmen leverage tech to serve needy

M. Nanda Govind and Dr. A.V. Anoop

It is the worst of times that sometimes brings out the good Samaritan in your city to help those in distress. During the 2018 deluge in Kerala, the State witnessed an outpouring of generosity from all corners of the world. Even those who were on a sustenance level contributed to the welfare of those in distress.

In March 2020, India was ill-prepared for COVID-19 and the sudden lockdown that was imposed, catching many off guard. The most affected were the daily wage earners who couldn’t step out of the house for whatever odd jobs they could find. Soon, those outside the Public Distribution System were running out of stocks and money and other resources became hard to come.

It was then two Chennai-based businessmen decided to leverage technology and help those who needed help in buying essential commodities by paying their grocery bills online. Dr. A.V. Anoop and M. Nanda Govind came up with a novel way in which the underprivileged can have some of their needs for essentials taken care of.

Those in need can choose the groceries they want from a convenience store located near their house. The businessmen will pay for the groceries within the limit of Rs.800 for a four-member family and if it is larger family, they will pay another Rs.800. The businessmen have been offering this service from the early days of the lockdown. They never got to meet the beneficiaries nor did the beneficiaries get to meet them.

People who know Mr. Govind, the Chairman and Managing Director of Montieth Motors, renowned automobile contractors for the Government of Tamil Nadu, often refer the contact number of the needy to him. He calls up the people concerned and assess their need and get to know their situation. Once convinced, Mr. Govind ask the beneficiary to a go to a convenience store with a UPI mode of payment. After they are done with shopping, the beneficiary shares the phone number of the owner of the shop and the money is paid. Sometimes, when the bill exceeded Rs.800, the shopkeeper waived off the extra amount, said Mr. Govind.

Until recently, the kindness of the businessmen benefited around 400 underprivileged families across Chennai city. A former president of the State Confederation of Tamil Nadu Malayalee Associations, Mr. Govind said that Dr. Anoop, Managing Director of AVA group of companies, and the Chairman of the World Malayalee Council and a resident of Anna Nagar West in the city, was a major financial contributor to this service. Coming to know of the service, many others have also joined hands with the cause.

In addition to this service, Mr. Govind was also instrumental in helping youth who were facing ouster from their accommodation due to their inability to pay rents in some parts of the city. He got the police to intervene and settle the issue amicably. A resident of Mogaippair West, Mr. Govind said that it was not necessary to step outside the house in this age of technology to help people. “We can work with technology to solve such issues,” he said.