If you’re looking for a guide on how India’s top-tier business grads take on the entrepreneurial world, Rashmi Bansal’s book is the literary equivalent of a Bollywood Govinda move - cue the expressive, wide-eyed OUIMAA! The book delivers a high-energy, IIMA-centered celebration that leaves you thinking these grads are India’s answer to Hollywood’s swashbuckling heroes, each poised to save the day. Think Innovators by William Davis but remix it to feature an all-IIMA cast with entrepreneurial dreams and achievements firmly set in the Indian landscape.
Unlike Innovators, which gathers stories from a diverse array of American business icons, this book unapologetically sings the praises of the IIMA pedigree. Each protagonist here is an IIMA alum with a story to tell, from tech and education to finance and more. The author invites you on these journeys, narrating each story in an easygoing, almost breezy manner—though the tales sometimes wrap up quicker than a Bollywood song sequence.
Could it have been a serious compilation of case studies, a crash course for aspiring entrepreneurs? Maybe! But what you get instead is a collection of snack-sized stories designed to spark just a bit of entrepreneurial spirit - perfect if you’re just getting started or need a boost of inspiration.
The underlying message seems clear: IIMA grads are born leaders, a bit like Hollywood’s superhuman Presidents who fight off aliens and foil hijackers. The book leaves you with the impression that these Indian grads are the ones carrying the entrepreneurial torch across the country.
But not everything is Bollywood-smooth. Take Shantanu Prakash’s story—one of the book’s standout moments. He delivers a nugget of wisdom: “The trick is to identify the DNA in a person, where he or she wants to do something different and wants to be differently incentivized.” Now that’s the entrepreneurial grit we came here for!
And yet, for all the book’s pep, you might feel a little let down when it comes to real-world, practical resources. After reaching out to one of the entrepreneurs featured in the book with hopes for some advice or startup tips, my email sat as unanswered as a Bollywood cliffhanger—no reply, over a month and counting!
So, if you’re looking for a Bollywood-style book full of inspiring, if sometimes glossy, tales of India’s entrepreneurial spirit, then dive in! Just don’t expect all the lights and cameras to translate into real-life action.
