Image by Rost9 on Shutterstock What does this mean to you as an entrepreneur? Globally speaking, there is a clear disruption underway. Some of the obvious dimensions of this disruption include travel restrictions, social quarantines/distancing, closures of cities and lockdowns. Loosely translated, sectors like hospitality and travel/tourism are the ones to take the first blow.… Continue reading Amidst The Pandemic — How Can Entrepreneurs Stay Rational In Such Irrational Times?
I am wandering near Azadpur area, North-East Delhi. The stinging odours of summer had been replaced with soft, refreshing smells of wet mud and fresh growth all around me. As dark clouds gather overhead, the cooler breeze sets the heart starts craving for pakodas (deep fried lentil fritters), I spot a man selling these… Continue reading People of Bharat: Bikram Lal, Delhi
I enter a narrow gully (lane) which runs adjacent to a graveyard and I spot Rajinder’s house in the distance. It’s a small house, with wild bushes growing in the backyard. White-washed and clean, it looks welcoming as I step into a corridor which connects to the living room. A child of about six,… Continue reading People of Bharat: Rajindernath, Hyderabad
This chapter undertakes a multi-level analysis of incubation in India with an objective to assess the landscape of incubation, the role and impact of incubators on startups, and understand challenges faced both by incubators and incubatees. Secondary data from 284 incubators across India and four largest incubator support schemes, survey of 22 incubation centres funded… Continue reading Incubation in India – A Multilevel Analysis
Raksha is standing in the balcony of one of the homes where she works as a house help. She agreed to the interview after her employer gave her permission. When I greet her she acknowledges me with a nervous nod. She is a petite, dark-skinned woman in her early thirties (although she looks younger)… Continue reading People of Bharat: Raksha, Ranchi
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
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