Supply chain blocks, lack of labour push MSMEs in Chennai to the brink

The second of a five-part series focuses on how the lockdown has compounded the woes of already-struggling firms

S Ashokan, proprietor of Srivari Alloys, in the Ambattur Industrial Estate in Chennai, is running his factory with only around 15 per cent of his workforce, even though he is allowed to function with 33 per cent.
 
Almost 80 per cent of its workers are from other districts and another 10 per cent are migrant labourers, and a majority of them are not able to get back to work either due to the lockdown or due to fear of the growing number of Covid-19 positive cases in Chennai. Srivari Alloys, manufactures aluminium alloys, high pressure die castings and precision