Role of Business Schools In Changing Scenario – 1

Business Schools have started realizing that apart from developing skills they have to impart the art of creating happiness. It has been rightly said that – Your “profession is not what brings home your pay cheque. Profession is what you are put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling”. This was true yesterday and it will be true tomorrow.  It is also true in the present world of recession and depression.

The fact is that in the high speed race of running after materlistic world, the people are highly restless and have no time to think about their passion of what they are meant for except the passion for their pay check. Present time of recession is of challenge and  opportunity. It is a challenge because we have to survive and move forward. It is an opportunity because we can do what we are meant to do and pursue our passion. At this junction we also need to realize that pursuing ones passion does not mean not to earn or make profit and forget about the pay cheque. This only means how to combine both.

A success story of development of Lizzat Papad industry may be given here as an example of development of enterprise through women, It is indeed a big business today, with an annual turn over of nearly $ 100 m and a flourishing exports account to boost. The Lijjat trade began when seven Gujrati house wives decided to exploit the only skill they knew – cooking. Mrs. Popat is the only survivor of a group of semi – literate Gujrati house wives who founded Lijjat papads 50 years ago. She celebrated the Lijjat golden jubilee on 15th march 2009 with 45000 other women who are the part of the ‘women only Co – operative’. It is difficult to believe that what started as a desperate move to supplement the family income 50 years ago has come so far.Mrs Popad says “I feel I am living in a dream world. When we started our business it was not meant to become so big.” The “Seven Sisters”, as they are fondly remembered, started production with just Rupees 80/- borrowed from Mr. Parekh a social worker with entrepreneurial brain. He advised that to achieve success never accept donation. This advice was honored in letter and spirit. Soon the entrepreneurship expanded. In a few years they had branches all over Mumbai and in subsequent years all over India. Foreign dignitaries visited their factories. The women received one award after another. Exports flourished. They were on a roll – from poppadoms they branched out into soaps, chutneys and pickles etc.

What is their secret of success? After all there were other poppadom makers all across the country.
Mumbai based business man and entrepreneur Sushil Jwarijka explains: “Lijjat papads are a perfect example of how a sustainable business can be built, providing large scale employment to rural women, who are illiterate but skilled.”And when such skills are given an organizational structure on a cooperative basis a long term model assures success”

Jyoti Naik, who runs Lijjat’s office in Mumbai suburb, joined the cooperative 40 years ago. She says it is the women’s sense of financial independence that has made a small enterprise into a big business.

Whatever the reasons of success, Mrs Popat says: “We were semi literate which restricted our chances of getting jobs. But we realized our papad making enterprise could be used to earn small amounts of money to help our husbands reduce their financial responsibilities.”

Continued . . .