Posting after a long gap...
Recently i wrote an article that was published in the Telugu daily Eenadu. Attaching the original article. A brief translation of the same is given below.
Traditional Community-Driven Businesses in India: Reviving a Legacy
As a professor, I once asked graduating students about their dream careers. Names like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook rolled out instantly — not one Indian company was mentioned. It struck me how little today’s youth know of India’s rich legacy of community-driven businesses that shaped our economy for millennia.
Long before modern corporations, Indians were global traders. They sailed to Rome, Greece, and China, backed by powerful trade guilds — some with private armies. As Sanjeev Sanyal notes, “India was a vast economic network long before colonialism, and its people were global traders with an eye on the future.” This spirit of enterprise is the foundation of India’s business culture.
Under British India, despite colonial constraints, resilient Indian entrepreneurs rose. Jamsetji Tata and the Tata Group became symbols of industrial vision, while the Parsee community powered many pioneering firms. The famed shipbuilding industry of South India, for instance, created vital trade routes and industrial know-how.
After independence, family-run businesses like the Birla Group and Reliance Industries redefined India’s corporate landscape. Rooted in trust, intergenerational wealth, and community ties, they helped build a self-reliant economy. Even today, traditional sectors — Coorg coffee plantations, Rajasthan carpets, Surat diamonds — thrive as symbols of craftsmanship, continuity, and collaboration.
India now has over 6 crore MSMEs, many profitable and innovative, yet seldom seen in campus placements. These enterprises are the backbone of our economy, generating jobs and nurturing local talent. Universities must bridge this gap — invite these businesses to campuses, showcase their success stories, and offer students exposure beyond multinational giants.
Reviving pride in these business traditions is crucial. Today’s startup-driven youth often overlook the power of trust-based, community-rooted models that sustained India for centuries. Innovation isn’t always about starting from scratch — it can mean reimagining time-tested models that built lasting wealth and resilience.
If academia can teach students about these legacies, it can spark informed pride and inspire them to build on our heritage. By looking inward and learning from India’s own business traditions, young entrepreneurs can blend modern innovation with the timeless values that once made India a global trading powerhouse.
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