Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras teachers have written a book to help grassroots entrepreneurs enhance the success and sustainability of their businesses.

The objective of the initiative was to pioneer a social concept that would improve the creditworthiness of micro, marginal women entrepreneurs through training and development. The programme had several unique features — it was conducted in Tamil, with experienced faculty members, successful entrepreneurs as mentors, and a credit facilitation process as well.

Professors Thillai Rajan, G. Arun Kumar and Saji Mathew came up with an edited collection of articles written by faculty members and mentors to reach out to more grassroots entrepreneurs across Tamil Nadu. The book titled Thoduvanam Thedi (Tamil for In Search of the Horizon) and is published by Vaanavil publications.

The faculty members had interacted with the participants of a pioneering programme in 2016 to train micro and grassroots entrepreneurs as part of the institute’s socially-relevant projects. It was implemented in partnership with Hand in Hand India, a non-profit organisation, and around 400 entrepreneurs in and around Kanchipuram district near Chennai benefited.

Releasing the book at a function at IIT Madras Research Park on December 3, actor-politician Kamal Haasan said: “Thoduvanam Thedi, with its easy to understand narrative, will inspire first-generation entrepreneurs raring to reach greater heights to realise their dreams. This publication will also help business students and the common man to understand the nuances of running a business.”

Thoduvanam Thedi makes a unique attempt at concisely presenting in a book format relevant business concepts applicable to this segment of the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs into any form of trade, irrespective of their educational background and size of enterprise, can benefit from the business basics addressed in this book.  Potential entrepreneurs and business students will also find the contents useful for a clearer understanding of the concepts.

A. Thillai Rajan of IIT Madras said the objective of the book was to synthesise and consolidate the lectures of the entrepreneurship development programme in print form so that it is easily accessible to the large number of entrepreneurs who could not participate in the programme because of locational or other constraints. “We believe that by publishing the contents in a book form, we will leave behind a legacy for the entrepreneur community.”