Ashmita Badoni is a content writer and contributes to various media websites. She specialises in writing content about reading habits, higher education, early childhood education and event planning. Along with this, she is also a student of Folklore and Cultural Studies.
India is the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world following the US and China. The Indian Prime Minister is a big supporter of entrepreneurship and initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna, Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro & Small Enterprises etc; Narendra Modi has also been a consistent champion for creating more startups and unicorns in the country.
Many young Indians wish to embark upon the path to entrepreneurship; given the supportive ecosystem and encouraging community culture. However, at the starting point, the entrepreneurs’ mind is full of questions. Thankfully, books offer a bridge to navigate the uncertainty. In fact, more than ever before, young Indians are fortunate to have several published works penned by legends of entrepreneurship, who have taken the time to share their stories and inspire gen-next. If you want to pick up the baton on entrepreneurship, here’s a list of five books by successful Indian entrepreneurs that you must read –
Dream with your eyes open by Ronnie Screwvala
The title might confuse you a bit- is it a self-help book? Not really but entrepreneurship has a lot to do with the right mindset. Ronnie Screwvala is a first generation Indian entrepreneur, known for setting up UTV, Unilazer and Upgrad. His book focuses on the ‘once an entrepreneur always an entrepreneur’ philosophy.
It teaches you what an entrepreneurial journey looks like, what are the ups and downs of his different businesses, how some of them failed and then succeeded. He says. “When you dream it, dream with wide eyes open.”.
What not to do in an entrepreneurship by Sanjeev Chitre
What not to do in entrepreneurship is a book by Silicon Valley businessman Sanjeev Chitre. His own success in building a company in the mid-90s from naught to over $450 million in 5 years, is possibly the bullforce behind this book. He writes his personal story with disarming candor and honesty; the questions, doubts and leaps of faith that he had to take and how it was extremely important to oversimplify his proposition, in order to connect with people and find funding.
The Ambuja Story by Narotam Sekhsaria
The book provides a window into the lively mind and a resilient life of Ambuja Cement’s Narotam Sekhsaria, an industrialist who built a corporation from scratch. The author not only narrates his journey but also talks about how the pharma industry inspired him to use relationship marketing in the cement business.
Rahul Bajaj-An extraordinary life by Gita Piramal
Entrepreneurs have to manage several relationships beyond their immediate business circles. This biography credits Bajaj with a fearless pragmatism and for always calling a spade a spade, earning the respect of all political parties in the country. Read this to know more about the journey of the man who built the world’s most valuable two-wheeler company. His approach to risks and succession planning offers several insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Untold Story of Qimat Rai Gupta by Anil Rai Gupta
For anyone planning to start a B2C business, this is a hidden gem. The story of starting the Havells and making it to the top five electrical appliance brands in the world, indeed offers a lot to learn from.
The book covers family evolution, changing strategies with time and how he focused on giving good returns in the long run rather than bothering about how much money he alone would make.
To read a book about such stalwarts is to spend time with them, their ideas and their journey- a priceless induction into the world of entrepreneurship.