Transgenders get a chance to ‘start up’ a fresh chapter in life

On Saturday, commuters at Egmore Railway Station were in for a surprise. Friendly faces in yellow t-shirts were distributing pamphlets. Hired by a city-based start-up Droptaxi, these transgender part-time employees took to the job like pros and approached every person with a smile. 

“We have hired four people in part-time positions to do promotional work in public places. In a month we plan to hire 15 more with the help of an NGO,” said Srinivasan Krish, CEO, Droptaxi. These young entrepreneurs are also doing their bit to change the general stigma attached to transgenders. “They do whatever they have to do because people do not offer employment to them. It is our bit to contribute to a healthy and inclusive workspace,” Krish remarked. 

Entrepreneurs are celebrating the inclusivity. For instance, Sakthivel Pannerselvam, Co-Founder/CEO at the6.in, a company that plans surprises, has made his transgender employee the face of the organisation. “Earlier, anyone calling the company would directly deal with me. Now, she is the face of the organisation and she is the first person that the client will contact,” said Sakthivel, who calls all his employees happiness consultants. “We spread happiness through surprises and true to the spirit of the company we hire people who otherwise struggle to get jobs,” he added.

Kolapasi was one of the first companies in the city to hire a transgender. “The idea was to be a Socially Responsible Organisations (SRO). We started with a trans-man joining the team and now we have around five employees in our outlets,” said Santhosh Muruganantham of Kolapasi. 

There are many NGOs helping people from the community get jobs. Twenty-six-year-old Jessika Melody joined an MNC soon after finishing her graduation in Business Administration. “Three years ago, I and my friends were the first transgenders to be hired in the MNC. I have seen the scenario change and more companies are being gender inclusive. But we still face a lot of resistance. Out of the 10 companies we apply in, we get a call back from one. However, it is encouraging to see young companies being more sensitive,” she said.