Book Summary: Social Entrepreneurship in India
India is a hub of social entrepreneurship and has a long history of solving social problems through entrepreneurial strategies. The book explores this phenomenon with lessons from more than 120 real-life examples of Indian social ventures. It describes how ordinary individuals can solve, and are solving, some of the most critical social problems that besiege the Indian society.
Social Entrepreneurship in India focuses on what ‘entrepreneurship’ means for social entrepreneurs, and how their efforts are different than other social change agents. Using examples, the author provides insights into the nature of entrepreneurial thinking and the methods used by social entrepreneurs to create their ventures and to make essential products and services reachable to marginalized, remote and fragmented markets and communities in a sustainable manner.
Based on the existing successful Indian social ventures and enterprises, the book provides practical insights into the models used to build these successful ventures.
Book Review: Social Entrepreneurship in India
This book, Social Entrepreneurship in India, is a must for anyone who wants an understandable yet integral look at how business can work on a local level in India. The book opens with the example of Professor Muhammad Yunus and his work as Social Entrepreneur. For many people across the world including India, they simply need some guidance and a little cash to get them into a more secure place in the economic system. This clever and compassionate man started Grameen Bank. He started giving women very small loans (we are talking $50 some more and some even less with very small interest payable over a long term), thus allowing the borrowers to reinvest in the business and provide for their family; then he has also asked them to attend classes on basic business principals and attend weekly meetings with other borrowers so that they can learn from each other! He has given these women all the tools to be successful. It is been such a success that he has taken it to other places including NYC. Mr. Yunus is changing the world. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
The author, Madhukar Shukla, provides a definition and a framework for Social Entrepreneurship, and arguing that social entrepreneurship does have a place, indeed, is necessary in today’s world. The government and private sector cannot take care of all the needs in the world, so it is inspiring to see people stepping up to make a difference by taking their ideas and working relentlessly to make them happen. Social Entrepreneurship in India by Madhukar Shukla gives several examples of people in the world working hard to change societies for the better while encouraging all of us to be changemakers. The bar is set high for one to be a social entrepreneur: they must change the existing equilibrium to a new one, and not just provide incremental solutions, very much in the spirit of Peter Thiel’s Zero to One.
Social Entrepreneurship in India by Madhukar Shukla is one of the most interesting and inspiring books. It basically gives you a good introduction about the work of Social Entrepreneurship; what it means, what it does or can do, who its heroes are, and how it can be applied effectively. What I find most interesting about this book is how the information is being presented. I really loved Madhukar Shukla’s writing style and flow of thoughts. Mainly, the book introduces a series of detailed case studies of successful social entrepreneurs.
It’s very recommended for those who are interested in this field in particular as well as those who have causes to live for or those who really want to bring about a positive change to their community or the world as a whole.
