Hello,

Driving through Ranchi today, one sees a few shops with names like “Tigga Electricals” or “Kacchap Helmets” – these are Adivasi clan names or surnames that entrepreneurs have used for their business ventures. Adivasi residents of the city note that this is a relatively recent phenomenon, and that in earlier years, Adivasi entrepreneurs were far less likely to openly embrace their community identity.

For Common Ground, Nolina Minj meets four entrepreneurs from the city, or near it, who have launched ventures that are centred on Adivasi culture. Minj sought to try and understand what drove them, and how they overcame struggles to enter fields such as food and fashion, where entrepreneurs typically rely on capital from friends and family, and decades or centuries-old links of privilege.

“Adivasi entrepreneurship is a topic that hasn’t been covered much in the news,” Minj said. “Due to the lack of generational wealth and connections, running a successful enterprise is a significant struggle for Adivasi entrepreneurs. especially those working with Adivasi cultural heritage. The twists and turns of their professional journeys make for inspiring stories.”

You can read the story here.

How Adivasis in Jharkhand are taking the leap into entrepreneurship

The community has long struggled to access capital. But a new breed of entrepreneurs is determined to run ventures centred on Adivasi culture.

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Ajay Krishnan,
Senior Editor