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TAKE ME HOME: THE INSPIRING STORIES OF 20 ENTREPRENEURS FROM SMALL-TOWN INDIA WITH BIG-TIME DREAMS

Rashmi Bansal

3.87 · Rating details · 947 ratings · 54 reviews

Parakram Singh Jadeja did it in Rajkot Deepak Dadhoti did it in Belgaum Vibhor Agrawal did it in Meerut Take Me Home is the story of 20 entrepreneurs who have built remarkable enterprises, while remaining true to their roots. From small towns across India, they run giant global companies with locally trained talent. The ability to run a professional business is no longer l ...more

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Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published January 27th 2014 by Westland

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Apr 29, 2017 Anie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Very motivating and inspiring....

A nice book for young entrepreneurs. It includes the stories of different personalities from small towns around India who in spite of all odds became successful in their respective fields. Nice research work done by the author and reading the real life inspiring stories keeps you motivated.

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Dec 04, 2019 Pranshu Sharma rated it liked it · review of another edition

I so want to go back into time and gift this to my dad. Not so insightful for people looking to learn principles or struggles of entrepreneurship but it's more like a bedtime story for every SME lover. Short lovely stories from some common brands you might have heard of while growing up in India. ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Sajith Kumar rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: business

India lives in its numerous villages rather than a few cities. This statement has assumed the dimensions of an adage even though the ratio of village dwellers are rapidly falling as time goes by. Urbanisation has changed the social topography of India’s heartland with numerous small towns now scattered across the country. Usually the big cities are associated with entrepreneurship, industry and credit networks that sustain business. But talent knows no bounds and hardworking innovators thrive in India lives in its numerous villages rather than a few cities. This statement has assumed the dimensions of an adage even though the ratio of village dwellers are rapidly falling as time goes by. Urbanisation has changed the social topography of India’s heartland with numerous small towns now scattered across the country. Usually the big cities are associated with entrepreneurship, industry and credit networks that sustain business. But talent knows no bounds and hardworking innovators thrive in the hinterland as well without any exposure to the outside world. This causes no hurdles in their growth path, but a true appreciation that comes from the knowledge of how they did it helps foster the spirit of entrepreneurship in the land. This book gives the stories of twenty persons across India’s small towns who hit big in business. The list includes only one woman – Dilafroze Qazi of Kashmir – who is into the private sector technical education. The book’s title is inspired from John Denver’s immortal song, ‘Country roads, take me home’ which is amply suited to the rustic focus of the narrative. Rashmi Bansal is a non-fiction writer and herself an entrepreneur who has authored many books on entrepreneurship.

Bansal’s effort tries to mark a distinct phase of India’s growth when the wealth is created not only in the metropolitan cities, but has percolated down to nearby towns and villages. The new India consists of prosperous inhabitants of small towns and countryside. They overpowered the big metros in terms of sheer numbers, thereby becoming the customers every marketer wants to reach. With so much potential available locally, it’s no wonder that a small revolution occurred in the small towns. A new breed of entrepreneurs has emerged who are changing old equations and assumptions. The metros are characterized by people who are always busy and rushing from one place to another in a hurry. But in the countryside, time is what people have for each other, not something you chase.

This book tells the story of twenty innovative business-people, but keeps silent on the revolutionary changes that took place in the business atmosphere of India brought about by globalization. However, readers are reminded of the tectonic shifts that occurred in the mindset of society in consequence to it. In a typical example, Virani Brothers in Rajkot, who specialized in making salty chips for snacks, procures the best raw materials and technology from around the globe. They sent their managers to Israel and began cultivating potato varieties like ‘Lady Rosetta’ in Gujarat. Broiler chicken producers now use ERP software for connecting the head office to farms. When a truck is loaded for delivery, its weight can be seen in real time in all the concerned offices. The bureaucratic babus still maintained haughtiness in their deals with the industry as seen in the case of Jyoti CNC machines of Rajkot. They imported a linear motor for its new lathe from Germany which was making a debut in Europe. It had no rotating parts and was held up by the customs officials for three months because it had no ball bearings which every normal motor had and the device did not rotate!

The author makes a prescient assessment of Kerala as ‘the land of coconuts, lagoons, spice villages, rest and rejuvenation and not a place which you would associate with work’ (p.57). This is god's own country from where god's own children go to other countries in search of work. This sorry state of affairs came about due to excessive politicisation of the society and a foolhardy bias to outdated notions of socialism and by corollary, a visceral hatred of private entrepreneurs. It is here that C V Jacob established ‘Synthite’ to export oleoresins extracted from natural spices. He was a civil engineering contractor who happened to find spices in liquid form – as oleoresins – at an expo in Japan in 1970. He transplanted the technology to Kerala where raw materials like cardamom and pepper are freely available. Synthite steadily grew to become the world's largest oleoresin manufacturer.

One important fact this book conveys to aspiring entrepreneurs is the importance of keeping abreast of new developments in the field. This is achievable by attending the trade fairs organized in the country and abroad. Such an early adoption of new technology confers on them a great advantage in the fierce competition of the markets. The industrialists should also think about innovative measures that are helpful in bringing down the cost of production. As an example, Jagjit Singh of Punjab found an ingenious way to maximize the collection of honey. He transported the boxes containing bees to various places depending on the local season for specific crops. These boxes were then rotated through mustard fields in Rajasthan, sunflower farms in Punjab and kikar and acacia flowers in Kashmir.

Of the twenty people mentioned in the book, Dilafroze Qazi is the only woman, but she hails from Kashmir. Being a state firmly controlled by corrupt politicians and Islamic militants in the past, her success deserves an extra load of laurels. The militants virtually ruled the Valley in the 1990s when businesses had had to pay them protection money. When in dire need, they would kidnap people and extort ransom. The police often stood by as mute spectators while militants rampaged on non-complying establishments. Qazi’s specialization was in providing technical education to Kashmiri girls, but the ulema often obstructed the smooth functioning of colleges as the concept of female education ran counter to the tenets of Islamic laws. This book provides a hint of what a prospective employer looks for in the candidates who have applied for a job there. Most pragmatic of them assess 'how capable is he, how sincere is he and how much does he need the job’.

Bansal has made a neat job of her goal, but monotony sets in after a few chapters. All of them are written in the same repeating pattern. Moreover, some of the examples are not worthy to be listed here. There is no uniform formula for business success, but anything can be made rewarding if you persevere enough – that’s the moral this book conveys. The advice of a successful entrepreneur was never to work on verbal assurance but to get it in writing. We know that it is not always practical, but the man made his career on this principle!

The book is divided into three sections: a) people who never left for greener pastures, but their vision and ambition expanded far beyond their native towns b) return of the native, who returned from fine institutions or foreign lands with the dream of making a difference and c) the people who brought in change in the ways of society. This book reproduces snippets of Hindi conversations in the interviews in transliterated form in English characters along with its English meaning in brackets immediately after the Hindi lines. This becomes tedious and quite difficult for people who are not familiar with Hindi. Each chapter contains a section on the protagonist’s advice to young entrepreneurs.

The book is highly recommended.
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May 18, 2014 Anil Swarup rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another remarkable compilation of success stories of those that made it almost from no-where. A few common traits that run through all these achievers centre around grit, passion, perseverance and honesty of purpose. All of them had a dream but they had their feet firmly on the ground. What is also noteworthy is the role played by various government agencies and the banks in acting as enablers. Credit goes to the author for compiling and narrating these tales in a manner that makes them fascinat ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Mallika Hatimuria rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Lovely & really inspiring!

Anyone & everyone with an iota of entrepreneurial dreams should read this. No fancy packaging, the book is 'Straight from the heart' by these 20 entrepreneurs. Its about their dreams, struggles & the journey that they have undergone.

Must read. Really appreciating Rashmi Bansal for such an idea of exploring these unique personalities and bringing all of them together in the form of a book. ...more

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Dec 29, 2016 Urvish Patoliya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Book has really good stories of entrepreneurs, specially for those who are interested in entrepreneurship.
Good learning all the way from all prospectives.
One get to learn the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial life, and to get success and let business grow one must stick to it till long.

Book all over to be good but it takes time to read. it's not one day or two day reading like other novel. you must give time to the book to understand. ...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Senthil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I just travelled with the entrepreneurs.

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Mar 11, 2019 Rishabh Anand rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rashmi Bansal beautifully explains the inspirational story of Rohith Bhat.Great book to read.

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Feb 05, 2021 Gayathri Venkatesan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Home
Author: Rashmi Bansal

@rashmibansalofficial #takemehome #rashmibansal

Book Review:

Yes! If you have an entrepreneurial mindset then this pick is for you!
The story of 20 entrepreneurs who have built companies speaks for itself. It’s not just about the success but the path to success that comes when you follow something with full dedication. The right mindset and the right attitude is something that drives you to ultimate success.

This remarkable journey is of those leaders who belong to small tow ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 Ripudaman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good read, about obstacles of unknown entrepreneurs who started just by an Idea and not equipped with college degrees, strong backgrounds or any-kind of support. However they managed to flourish by staying in the game and believing on their soul of idea.

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Jun 06, 2017 ranjan singh rated it it was ok · review of another edition

New type

Simply super not read such type of book in Hindi. Narrative and story telling was gud but may be a bit of more technical for common man like me

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Feb 16, 2018 Ronald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another inspiring tales of brave Entrepreneurs. I really enjoyed the book. It motivates me to do my own thing. This is my third book of Rashmi Bansal. I am planning to read her other books as well.

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Jan 09, 2019 Pavan Teja rated it liked it · review of another edition

A unison of different perspectives. Do read this.

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Aug 08, 2019 Sudeep Gupta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The books takes you with the journey these entrepreneurs went through in their quest to find success. Gives a good perspective, what it takes to make it happen

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Feb 12, 2020 Neha Kaushal added it · review of another edition

Beautifully written... awe aspiring tales of the entrepreneurs who took the time in their stride and emerged victorious

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Apr 10, 2020 Dhaval rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good book for whom who are doing MBA.

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Jun 08, 2020 Syed Khurram rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Enjoyed every story, every page of the book..
Each story is inspiring and bit emotional..

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Jul 07, 2020 Husaina rated it really liked it

For fans of inspiring business stories

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Sep 02, 2020 Tapan Soni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good read

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Mar 17, 2017 Sanketh KG rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent book. But I think more emphasis should have been given on their journey and less on the number of stories. After reading a few stories, I felt that they were all monotonous. A detailed version might have avoided that.
Overall, a wonderful book.

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Nov 25, 2017 Rrrrrron rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: renew-to

20 puff pieces that could have been written by a FT/Forbes bot - mindless fawning bios without any insight.

Like a cheap version of FT/Forbes glowing bios of executives and entrepreneurs. The protagonists have no flaws except that they are too intelligent, too kind or too committed. These glaring flaws are all evident in the first headline story. They made chips (the ones you ate). It was not a new market. There are existing competitors. Apparently, in this market, everyone treated each other po ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Tony marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Great

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Mar 12, 2014 Vismay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

More than the simple lucid style in which she writes, it is that quality of careful and laborious handpicking of the stories of the men and women, each of whom have a different mindset, a different background, a different guiding principle, a unique vision yet a common drive and passion for working for your mater, that sets Rashmi Bansal’s books apart.
Every person has a story. So it becomes all the more difficult to pick out 20 something stories which might cater to (inspire) a wide spectrum of
More than the simple lucid style in which she writes, it is that quality of careful and laborious handpicking of the stories of the men and women, each of whom have a different mindset, a different background, a different guiding principle, a unique vision yet a common drive and passion for working for your mater, that sets Rashmi Bansal’s books apart.
Every person has a story. So it becomes all the more difficult to pick out 20 something stories which might cater to (inspire) a wide spectrum of Indian Public. A hero, whose lifestyle or hobby, occupation or quirk is similar to that of ours, strikes a chord. We are inspired by those characters that started out the same. Only after that connect, a person feels that he too can be like her, he too can achieve what she has. Hence, it becomes all the more important for the author to identify all the motley bunch of mavericks who might be a subset of the larger population. And I think, right from ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’ to ‘Take Me Home’, Rashmi Bansal has achieved that.
Not once had she offered her prejudice, not once has she superimposed her opinion on the stories. Rashmi Bansal chose to become that channel, that copper wire that connected the reader to the pioneer with her inner current and personal magnetism.
From the guy behind Balaji Wafers to the Bee expert, from a guy who wishes to create another Amul to the one who drives the National Defense – you might definitely find a success story that you wish to emulate, more so, as each one of them started out from their backyard, their hometowns - leading to its prosperity and that of its people. While you see a shabby shed, they see a sprawling industrial unit, why you see the metal scrap, they see the bridge, while you see a slow-paced, frozen in time, underdeveloped place with no internet connectivity and kachcha roads, they see a highly furnished complex with world-class facilities and cheap labor. And that’s why they truly are the visionaries.
While every story has a take home lesson, the ones which have left a lasting impact on my mind are that of Deepak Dadhoti and Dilafrose Qazi. One inspired me to excel in my field, other, to battle against all the odds.
I had always felt after reading one of Rashmi’s books – what she would come after this? The guys from the I.I.M.s did it, they guys who aren’t from the I.I.M.s did it, the guys who wished to excel in the social sector did it, the gals did it, and now these guys and gals did it from their hometowns, what would she come up with after this?
We have to wait for it sometime; she would definitely come up with something good!
...more

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May 18, 2018 Akanksha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

collection of real stories of very interesting and unpopular entrepreneurs

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Jun 12, 2015 Nitin Vadher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

have read all the books written by Rashmi Bansal, she provides the most inspiring stories; their journey from rags to riches always keeps me thinking. The ways she narrates this stories keeps the readers hooked up until you complete the last chapter. Also the simple and easy language makes readers to easily understand the content of the book.
Rashmi Bansal’s book describes different sets of entrepreneur, ones it’s about IIM graduates, then it was about woman entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, D ...more

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Jul 26, 2014 Srinivas Addanki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I must congratulate Rashmi Bansal on bringing out yet another inspiring book. This book contains stories of 20 people who, instead of following the crowd took a different route, cut a different path for themselves and made their own place in history. The inspiring examples provided by the author in the book proves that you do not need to be a graduate or a PG from a world renowned institute to make it big. All you need is a vision, a mission and the determination and the zeal to convert your dre ...more

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Apr 08, 2014 Chaitanya Deepak rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I looked up for this book right after it was launched but couldn't find it and wasn't in my mind until recently, when I came across it on an online store. This is my first book of this kind on entrepreneurship. The author has put up great effort and ground work to bring forward 20 inspirational stories of successful entrepreneurs from India.The author has done a great job,She picked up stories which will really move you and evoke your thinking. In fact I was astonished to learn about these peopl ...more

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Mar 31, 2014 Inderpal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Just as great and inspiring as any other Rashmi Bansal book. I bought it in those initial days when it came out and had been reading it slowly ever since, a chapter a time, taking little bites, especially in the morning and before going to bed. and in the classrooms at the last bench ;) :P Man, the stories are so interesting, they never cease to amaze me. The best thing about the book, in my opinion, is perhaps the fact that all the ventures were based in small towns, started with crappy budgets ...more

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May 22, 2020 Saurabh Pandey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book is a compilation of succus stories of the businessmen who despite facing numerous obstacles created their own fortune and marked their presence in this world. One thing which makes this book unique is the narration which comes directly from the people who have lived the story which they are reciting which makes it more interesting and thoughtful. This book teaches us about the multiple traits which must be present in the person who wants to achieve something different and fruitful in t ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Shrikanth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Story of Robosoft

A big IT building standing in a quite place like Udupi always created questions in my mind. How come a non IT city manages to get business and talent. This is the story of Robosoft - the company which has created its own niche and which has persevered in the face of adversities. Short and to the point writing. Not a lot has been given out about the actual journey though.

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About Rashmi Bansal

Rashmi Bansal

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Rashmi Bansal is a writer, entrepreneur and youth expert.She is the author of two bestselling books on entrepreneurship. ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’ features the stories of 25 MBAs who left lucrative jobs to follow the rough road of entrepreneurship. The book created a new record in Indian publishing by selling over 300,000 copies and has been translated into 8 languages.

Rashmi’s second book, ‘Con ...more

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“With stones of faith you can build bridges across oceans of doubt, and seas of despair. ‘Success’ is an island in your mind. You can and you will get there.” — 1 likes

“I have seen the world…. Now take me home.” — 1 likes

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TAKE ME HOME: THE INSPIRING STORIES OF 20 ENTREPRENEURS FROM SMALL-TOWN INDIA WITH BIG-TIME DREAMS

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TAKE ME HOME: THE INSPIRING STORIES OF 20 ENTREPRENEURS FROM SMALL-TOWN INDIA WITH BIG-TIME DREAMS

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