Must-Read Books Suggestions From Aspiring Indian Entrepreneurs

A few weeks ago, I asked my connections to suggest some books to read. But, there is one condition, only suggest that books who are written by Indian Entrepreneurs.

You may ask, Why did I put this condition?

Firstly, let me give you an idea about my past read books. I have read books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Hard thing about hard things, Zero to One, The Art of Start 2.0, Think Grow Rich and so on.

These all are amazing books and loved by millions of peoples if you are confused about selecting books to read, pick any book from this list and start reading and thank me later.

But, my point is that there is no doubt how much you can learn from these books written by these foreign writers. They have written their experience according to their culture and built million dollar companies. But, none of them experienced Indian’s situation and shared about that.

If we have to build our business in India and have to solve Indian problems then we should read about their experiences and how they had solved the problems they had faced in their time. This will give us more clarity to understand the Indian Ecosystem. These words are said by a YouTuber named FMF.

If you are a regular reader and haven’t read any books written by Indian Entrepreneur. Then, you definitely will be amazed after reading these books.

Let’s explore some mind-blowing book:

Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal: Story about 20 enterprising individuals without an MBA, who started their own ventures. They were driven by the desire to prove themselves. To lead interesting, passionate, meaningful lives. Their stories say one thing loud and clear. You don’t need a fancy degree or a rich daddy to dream big and make it happen. It’s all in your head, your heart, your hands.

Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal: Story of 25 such IIM Ahmadabad graduates who chose the rough road of entrepreneurship. they are diverse in age, in outlook and the industries they made a mark in. But they have one thing in common: they believed in the power of their dreams. This book seeks to inspire young graduates to look beyond placements and salaries. To believe in their dreams.

Making India Awesome by Chetan Bhagat: In this book author analyses and provides inspired solutions to the country’s most intractable problems-poverty, unemployment, corruption, violence against women, communal violence, religious fundamentalism, illiteracy and more. Using simple language and concepts, this book will enable you to understand the most complex of problems facing the nation today and give practical solutions on how you can do your part to solve them.

A Better India A Better World by N R Narayan Murthy: By this book, the author shows us that a society working for the greatest welfare of the greatest number samasta jananam sukhino bhavantu must focus on two simple things: values and good leadership? Drawing on the remarkable Infosys story and the lessons learned from the two decades of post-reform India, author down the ground rules that must be followed if future generations are to inherit a truly progressive nation.

What Shall We Do With All This Money by Jayesh A Parekh: This book offers you some important insights on the money. It gives you a brief glimpse of the life journeys of these successful individuals, as well as their past and present financial status. It also sheds light on the perspective of each one on wealth, and how it can be used to make one’s life more fulfilling. Especially, since none of us are taking it along with us.

The High-Performance Entrepreneur by Subroto Bagchi: In this book, author, co-founder and chief operating officer of MindTree Consulting, draws upon his own highly successful experience to offer guidance from the idea stage to the IPO level. This includes how to decide when one is ready to launch an enterprise, selecting a team, defining the values and objectives of the company and writing the business plan to choose the right investors, managing adversity and building the brand.

Dream with your Eyes Open: An Entrepreneurial Journey by Ronnie Screwvala: In this book, the author shares his vast experiences and the myriad lessons learned from more than two decades of building some successful (and some not-so-successful) businesses, bringing clarity to a quickly changing business landscape and making an impassioned case for the role of entrepreneurship in India’s future. If you’ve ever had an impact, disruptive product or business idea, been curious about owning your own business, or have already taken the first steps on your entrepreneurial journey, this is the book for you. If you’ve been running your own company for the last seven-odd years, and scale, brand, and value-creation are some of the crossroads for you now, keep reading.

Scale Smart by Anirudh Narayan: This book is an actionable guide to start and scale a start-up in India in the digital age. With hundreds of examples, live case studies and marketing breakdowns, it gives a start-up the road map to get their first 1,000 customers in India. It was created after interviewing 25 plus founders (Ex: Founders of Bharat Matrimony, Slide share, Practo, Fusion Charts, Fresh works, Free charge, Byju, InMobi, Chumbak) and lots of others.

Innovation Ecosystem in India by Rama Iyer: This book is about the different initiatives India has undertaken to promote and inculcate a culture of innovation in the country. The book talks about what the Central Government, State Government, research institutions, and schools/colleges have done. This detailed read will be an eye-opener for the uninitiated and a re-affirmation for those who had some idea but did not know the details. This book aims to paint a complete picture for you to gaze and cherish while sipping your hot coffee.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma: This book is about a revealing story that offers the readers a simple yet profound way to live life. The plot of this story revolves around Julian Mantle, a lawyer who has made his fortune and name in the profession. A sudden heart-attack creates havoc in the successful lawyer’s life. Jolted by the sudden onset of the illness, his practice comes to a standstill. He ponders over material success being worth it all, renounces all of it and leaves for India. A visit to India about a spiritual awakening that opens up new vistas and Julian begins to view life in a different perspective. He decides to live his life once again but in a way that is much more fulfilling and meaningful than before.

Jugaad Innovation by Navi Radjou: In this book, authors challenge the very way a traditional organization thinks and acts. Leading companies such as Facebook, Future Group, GE, Google, and YES BANK, among others, are already practicing jugaad to generate original ideas and pioneer growth. In the midst of rising global competition and swelling R&D budgets, Jugaad Innovation presents ways to innovate, be flexible, and do more with less. Peppered with examples of innovative entrepreneurs in emerging markets such as Africa, India, China, and Brazil, Jugaad Innovation illuminates paths to engender breakthrough growth in a complex and resource-scarce world.

And stay tuned for more will update in the future if I got to know about any amazing book.

Thank you for reading.