From pandemic setbacks to business growth

KUALA LUMPUR: Losing her job during the Covid-19 pandemic prompted Abiramee Rangasamy to start making ice cream from home. Today, her business has doubled its annual sales.

Rather than seek another job, Abiramee turned to entrepreneurship, building a small home-based venture into Lotus Cofy House Sdn Bhd, the company behind Jumboo Ice Cream, which produces kulfi, a traditional Indian frozen dessert.

However, growing the business brought its own challenges, particularly its reliance on imported kulfi, inconsistent supplies and rising costs.

In 2024, she decided to move production to Malaysia, a step that required investment in machinery.

With a matching grant from SME Corp Malaysia's Indian Business Accelerator Programme, Abiramee bought three food-processing machines and began producing kulfi locally.

The investment increased production capacity and helped the company double its annual sales last year.

Abiramee now hopes to expand Jumboo Ice Cream's presence in major supermarket chains before taking the brand overseas.

While the pandemic inspired her to start a business, it threatened the one Shreetaran Vijayan had already established.

A fitness enthusiast, Shreetaran opened V Sport Fitness in Bukit Katil, Melaka, in 2018. Two years later, movement restrictions forced gyms nationwide to close, leaving him struggling with operating costs, member retention and uncertainty over when fitness centres could reopen.

[[nid:1576542]]

A customer introduced him to National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) Nasional's financing programme for Indian entrepreneurs.

Shreetaran subsequently secured financing under the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI) in 2021 and again in 2024.

The funds helped him sustain operations, buy gym equipment and expand the business.

Today, V Sport Fitness operates three branches and employs 10 people.

For Muakilan Ragunathan of Penang, the motivation to start a business came from his family.

After completing his studies, he decided to revive his father's automotive parts business.

He started by selling used car parts from home, relying on his personal savings.

Maintaining sufficient stock proved difficult, as the business needed working capital to purchase inventory, manage logistics and meet customer demand.

In 2011, Muakilan obtained financing through Tekun Nasional's SPUMI scheme, using the funds to increase his stock and support business operations.

Today, Velan Trading Autopartz operates from its own premises in Kepala Batas, employs 11 people and exports automotive components to Afghanistan, Pakistan and countries in the Middle East.

[[nid:1576541]]

What began as a home-based venture has since reached customers thousands of kilometres away.

The three entrepreneurs took different routes to grow their businesses, but each faced a common challenge: securing the resources needed to move to the next stage.

Abiramee needed machinery to bring production home, Shreetaran required capital to sustain and expand his gyms, while Muakilan needed working capital to increase inventory and meet demand.

Their businesses received support through SME Corp Malaysia and Tekun Nasional, agencies under the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry.

Under minister Steven Sim, the ministry allocated a record RM223 million this year through the Malaysian Indian Entrepreneur Development Programme through five agencies, its highest-ever allocation to support the community.

To date, more than RM150 million in financing and assistance has been disbursed, benefiting over 6,000 Indian entrepreneurs.

Eligible entrepreneurs can explore financing opportunities through Tekun Nasional's SPUMI, SME Bank's Vanigham and Bank Rakyat's BRIEF-i.