“Erratic power supply is the main hindrance to entrepreneurs of Manipur who deal with electronic items as this profession entirely depends on regular power supply. With people hardly get four-six hours of power supply a day, how can we work and promote our business in such a condition? Power failure often dampens the business growth of our electronics centre as we cannot work without electricity. Because of the frequent power-cuts, we sometimes fail to deliver the repaired electronic items to our customers in time. As a result of this, customers often blame on us. If government takes up some measures to improve power supply in Manipur, it will be a boon to electronic professionals. We are dreaming to expand our business by recruiting more employees. However, it seems that our dream will not be materialised if the present power condition continues. We are afraid that it will be a burden for us to pay the salary of the employees during the time when we do not work due to power failures. Upgradation of Sur Electronics to the status of an electronics training centre is also one of our dreams.”
Oinam Sur Singh, Proprietor of Sur Electronics, in an interaction with Manipur Times, expressed his concern over the frequent power-cuts which affect a lot to entrepreneurs.
Sur Electronics is a joint venture of two educated and unemployed brothers –Oinam Sur Singh, 31 years, and Oinam Mocha Singh, 35 years. Both of them are singles and they are the eldest and second sons of Oinam Suresh Singh of Wangkhei Pukhrambam Leirak in Imphal East district. They are running their electronics centre at Wangkhei, just opposite to Wangkhei Model High School.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
After passing Matriculation, Sur studied two years course on general electronics at Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Takyel. He also did a training course on electronics from a private institute, Celine, located at Keishamthong. MANITRON staff Lourembam Rajen Singh gave him full training on electronics repairing at the centre.
Later, Sur set up Sur Electronics with a dedicated patronage from Rajen. He helped a lot with financial assistance towards his effort to establish Sur Electronics. Before setting up Sur Electronics, he was working at Rajen’s Electronics centre as an electronics mechanic for four years.
Oinam Sur’s brother Mocha, after passing Matriculation from Singjamei Boys’ School did not continue his studies. His main area of expertise is electrical fitting. At first, he earned his living by making electrical wooden switch boxes. He got the knowledge of electrical fitting from his local elders who were experts in the field. He accompanied them wherever they went for electrical fitting works. They shared some money to Mocha for helping them.
‘MY BROTHER IS MY TEACHER’
Mocha has also worked as an electrical mechanic at National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), located at Leimatak for two years on contract basis. When his contract engagement was terminated, he became jobless. Finding no other alternative job, he decided to join his younger brother’s electronics centre. The two brothers united and invested their best effort to promote Sur Electronics which has been one of the popular electronics centres in Manipur.
“Basically, I did not have the knowledge of electronics repairing items as my main expertise is only in the field of electrical fitting. I learned both the theory and practical knowledge of electronics from my brother. He taught me a lot. My younger brother Sur is my teacher in this profession”, he told Manipur Times.
GOOD EARNING, DECENT LIVING
Sur Electronics is presently providing both servicing and sales services to the costumers. Items like TV, radio, car tapes, speakers, DVDs, invertors, stabilisers and many others are repaired in this centre. Repairing rates range from Rs150 to Rs250. For the installation of music system in a four wheeler vehicle, they charge Rs250 to Rs500. For the convenience of costumers, spare electronic parts are also made available at the centre.
Nowadays an electrical mechanic can also earn Rs15000 to Rs20000 for a complete electrical fitting of a house. The rate of electrical fitting is fixed according to the number of Points. The electrical fitting from a switch box to a bulb makes a Point.
Sur Electronics has been the main source of family income for the two brothers. With the income of their father, an NGO worker by profession, they were brought up. Since their father is now old and weak, the family is maintained with the income earned from the electronics centre. The joint effort, unity and co-ordination between the duo account for bringing development in their electronics business which now can earn a good turnover of Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 a month.
AN IDEA ON SINCERITY
“Sur Electronics always tries to maintain integrity, sincerity and quality control while providing its services to the costumers. We never manage to earn money by deceiving or cheating our customers. Money earned through cheating does not last long. A customer may not realise that he has been deceived, but we must know that there is God, the creator of all who sees everything but waits. Someday, we will get the punishment for the wrong-doings. For jobs like servicing of electronic items, there are many rooms to earn more money by cheating a costumer. But such wrong acts should not be committed by any professional. I hate it and I like to enjoy my life with the income earned by the sweat of my own brow,” Sur said.
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Must be an old story,he is talking about power cut.