A new digital platform designed to elevate the online presence of Singapore’s traditional, home-based, and micro Indian enterprises was officially launched during the Sangamam @ Tekka 2026 event at PGP Hall on April 18.
Over 100 businesses have already been onboarded, with a goal to reach 500 listings by Deepavali this year, noted the platform’s founder, Mr Kumaravelu Palanivelu, 44.
The website’s domain name was purchased 12 years ago by Mr Kumaravelu.
He drew on childhood memories of helping at his uncle’s flower shop in Dunlop Street. He eventually left a two-decade career in healthcare technology to build the platform full-time over the last two and a half years.
“We need to go directly to the ground and hold their hands in their digitisation journey,” noted Mr Kumaravelu. He pointed out that many shop owners are not resistant to technology; rather, they fear expensive, complicated software that adds workload without bringing in customers. “Traditional merchants are focused on their daily livelihood, so they don’t have the time to keep up with technology.”
According to him, many small merchants, despite offering excellent products, lack the advertising muscle of larger corporations and suffer from digital invisibility.
To counter this, Mr Kumaravelu explained that TekkaDotSG acts as a comprehensive online directory. Clarifying the platform’s scope, he noted it is open to Indian and Indian-facing businesses islandwide, not limited to just those in Little India, allowing consumers to discover services and read reviews.
Furthermore, he shared that its execution arm, TekSolutions, provides AI-powered tools to help vendors manage customer enquiries and bookings seamlessly.
The community launch of TekkaDotSG was part of a gathering featuring over 50 bazaar booths, multicultural performances, and heritage activities.
Gracing the launch event, Nominated Member of Parliament Dr Haresh Singaraju reminisced about the precinct’s deep cultural significance. Reflecting on the original market built in 1915 for working-class people, he highlighted that the space has always been a welcoming people’s market.
“Tekka is a feeling,” Dr Haresh said in his opening address, underscoring that this new platform is not a replacement for this deeply rooted, generational identity, but an extension of it.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Little India Shopowners’ & Heritage Association (LISHA) and TekkaDotSG.
LISHA Chairman Mr Regunarth Siva said that despite new shops opening, many struggle with visibility. He added that the platform will immensely benefit home-based entrepreneurs who currently rely solely on social media to reach audiences.
Business owners on the ground echoed this optimism.
Mr J.K. Saravana, Chairman of the media entity ‘Tantra Group’ and chief executive officer of Ammakase restaurant, said that customer acquisition is a perpetual challenge, praising the platform as a vital community repository that will aid in customer retention.
Without such awareness, older businesses operate at a severe disadvantage in today’s digital landscape, he added.
Mrs Vijayamalar Ramesh, 56, owner of home-based business Viji’s Homemades, highlighted the immediate practical benefits for micro-entrepreneurs.
Specialising in old-fashioned butter cakes and pineapple tarts, she noted that standing out online can be difficult.
“I have been doing this for the past 25 years as a home business,” she shared. “This platform, which brings small businesses like ours under one roof, will definitely help customers find us more easily.”
Sharing similar sentiments, Ms Kalpana Sarvaisparan, 38, founder of natural beauty products brand Kalpz Beauty Kitchen located at Tekka Place, said the directory opens up endless opportunities for physical stores in the precinct.
“It gives us a platform to be found in case someone was looking for us, or to be discovered even if they weren’t looking,” she said.
Business owners wishing to join the directory can register at www.tekka.sg.
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16 Apr 2026 18:53
