The book Rokda-How Baniyas do business by Nikhil Inamdar covers the stories of five Marwari entrepreneurs:
- Neeraj Gupta – Meru Cabs
- Radheshyam Goenka & Radheshyam Agarwal – Emami
- Rohit Bansal -Snapdeal.com
- R K Somany – Hindware
- V.K. Bansal – Bansal Classes
Each entrepreneur operates in a different sector and hence the book makes for an interesting read.
However, there is nothing in common in each story which one can point to and say “This is the Baniya Way of doing business”
I found the story of V K Bansal of Bansal Classes very inspiring.He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and doctors at AIIMS,New Delhi told him he will not survive beyond the age of 40.
He took to teaching as a way of supporting his family and his dedication and intensity to his craft resulted in not only his eponymous classes flourish but also established Kota as India’s Coaching Center Capital.
The story also offers plenty of insights into the cut-throat world of coaching.
One line about this industry is memorable “This is a business which earns first and then spends”
Being a Mumbaikar, I also liked reading about Neeraj Gupta and his struggle to get Meru Cabs going.Underworld threats (Dawood demanded 2 Crores from him) , political hooliganism, strikes , misconduct by drivers etc were some of the challenges he had to face to make his business a success.
The Book is a light and a breezy read.What irritated me was the author’s tendency in going overboard in praising the entrepreneurs and not asking any tough questions.
Do buy this book if interested in Indian entrepreneurs.
