Usman Ahmed looks up from his sewing machine and greets me with a smile. He has been expecting me. He offers me a stool and instructs one of his ‘boys’ to fetch a glass of water for me. I sit down and take a look around this tailoring shop owned by Usman. Located in… Continue reading People of Bharat: Usman, Ludhiana
Abstract: This short case illustrates the issues in managing people in start-ups, especially while building and growing teams. Rohan, the protagonist, is a young, passionate entrepreneur whose start-up has a proven concept and is pushing towards growth. Rohan, along with his co-founders, Shantul and Niraj, is trying to set rules and procedures within the team… Continue reading Rohan@BlueOcean Tech: Setting rules and processes in an early-stage startup
A few blocks from where I live is a residential colony of low-rise apartments. Its occupants are middle class families. Under the staircase of one such apartment a man is seen ironing clothes at a table. I approach him for my scheduled interview in ‘siesta hours’ of the afternoon, assuming, that like most people,… Continue reading People of Bharat: Govind Kumar, Lucknow
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on health and economy. India’s migrant workers have been at the worst end of it. On watching the news about mass migrations, I couldn’t help but wonder and worry as to what would have happened to the respondents of the People of Bharat blog. Last year… Continue reading People of Bharat: Maheshwara tāta, Hyderabad
Light is seen tracing its way through the holes in the tarpaulin; the statues within are sun-kissed. I find myself in Domadugu, a village in the outskirts of Telangana. The kaccha home runs wide and is supported by a matrix of wooden logs. Inside, sculpted statues of the deity Ganesh are filed along a… Continue reading People of Bharat: Sushma, Hyderabad
Among the lesser known lanes of Ranchi stands a small stationary store surrounded by other shops selling a plethora of things. I am drawn to the only shop that has a woman running it, amidst all others. I walk up to her shop and greet Nupur Soni — a slender woman with a soft… Continue reading People of Bharat: Nupur, Ranchi
Bustling with commotion and cries of vendors, the street of Bijoygarh comes alive in the wee hours of the Kolkata mornings. Sauntering down the street, I see a crowd beginning to circle around a spread of fresh fruits. On reaching closer I catch a glimpse of a man in his early 40s, engaged in… Continue reading People of Bharat: Ramkrishna Mondal, Kolkata
As I walk along the road in Annaram, Telangana on a hot, blistering afternoon, I almost stumble upon a stone. “Madam sambhalke…” I hear a low voice murmuring close by. I take a moment to notice what was blocking my path; there are three sets of paving bricks stacked together. On one of them… Continue reading People of Bharat: Murli, Hyderabad
This report will aim to help catalyze the civic tech sector in India. Specifically, we will: Provide a definition of civic tech in India by identifying emerging subsectors. Explore promising revenue models for startups in each subsector. Conclude with clear, actionable takeaways for investors, government leaders, philanthropic leaders and civic tech entrepreneurs. The… Continue reading Catalyzing civic tech in India
On a regular Delhi afternoon, I step inside the stifling post office of Malka Ganj branch; post and parcels, the maniacal typing, and stacks of stamped envelopes transport me back in time. Manas Tiwari is easy to spot; he is busy shuffling through a stack of papers on his desk. Greeting him, I sit… Continue reading People of Bharat: Manas, Delhi
It’s nearly dusk as I enter the small shop with a sign ‘Roy Copier’. The shop is about 6 by 4 feet on a narrow street in Kolkata. It’s dim, with dark blue walls — paint peeling off in too many places. It has an old, sticky-looking desktop, a basic photocopier and a lamination… Continue reading People of Bharat: Girish Roy, Kolkata
I hover inside the dilapidated house. The aroma of flavourful curries intermingled, with lingering whiff of cow dung escaping from the cakes left to dry on the rooftop, welcomes me. Seema comes out of the kitchen to greet me with an enthusiastic smile; her hands are soiled in dough. ‘Aap baitho, main bas do… Continue reading People of Bharat: Seema, Ludhiana