Reviewed by: Prof. Raj Kumar Mittal, Member UGC and All India Co-Convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
A well researched book which celebrates the achievements of famous and intriguing entrepreneurs who have inspired generations with talent, hard work and success stories. I am sure the book will appeal to young and inquisitive minds to embrace the path of entrepreneurship and script their success stories in the dynamic world which offers immense opportunities to the youth today. The book has covered the journey of 25 successful entrepreneurs. For better understanding and space constraints, the review shall be completed in three parts. The first part has covered five entrepreneurs and their contribution to the world of business and society.
- Amancio Ortega Goana: founder of popular fashion chains Zara, Pull&Bear, and Oysho is Spanish entrepreneur born in 1936. His father was railway worker and mother a housemaid. To support family did initial job in textile industry as an employee and learned the art of making clothes. Never received higher education and left school at age of fourteen. He realised that to earn good money, one should give customers what they really want. Uniqueness of Zara is to produce clothes what customers really want, at low cost with express delivery. Brand is popular even without much publicity. He always keeps a low profile and avoids publicity. Ortega achieved success through sheer self-confidence and hard work. He created unshakeable trust with his customers which led him to incomparable success.
- Andrew Carnegie: He was a Scottish- American steel tycoon and one of the wealthiest businessmen of the 19th century.Due to family financial constraints initially he worked in cotton factories but then focused on reading, theater and music. He joined the telegraph office as messenger boy, then as assistant in the Pennsylvania Railroad understanding the importance of iron and steel. He was the first person to introduce sleeping cars in US railways. He established the Carnegie Steel Company and became the biggest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails and coke in the world. Later sold the company to J.P.Morgan. Carnegie did a lot of charitable work, especially supporting public library buildings. He established the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Institute of Technology. He is also the writer of Triumphant Democracy and The Gospel of Wealth.
- Arianna Huffington: She is an author, philanthropist and television personality born in 1950 at Athens Greece. She is the owner of online news magazine , The Huffington Post. She graduated in economics from Girton College, Cambridge, U.K.She worked as a columnist, critic and a television host. She is author of The Female Woman in 1973, After Reason in 1978, Maria Callas, Picasso: Creator and Destroyer and was associated with Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail and The Spectator. She shifted to New York and got involved in political issues. She launched The Huffington Post, covering topics related to politics, sports and business. She is considered one of the most influential media women.
- Bill Gates: He founded one of the world’s most significant software businesses, Microsoft. He is an American business tycoon , investor, author,humanitarian and wealthiest man in the world. He was born in 1955 at Seattle, Washington, USA. At the age of 13, he wrote the first software on a school computer. At age of 17 he formed a test called Traf -O-Data. From the school days itself he was engrossed in computers. His first job was at MITS in 1975 and in that year he also founded Microsoft and applied BASIC programming language. In 1981 they introduced MS-DOS , Windows in 1985 and Microsoft Office in 1989. He also authored books entitled The Road Ahead and Business@ the Speed of Thought. At the age of 37, he became the world’s richest man. He founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to carry out philanthropic activities .
- Elon Musk: South African entrepreneur born in 1971 founded ingenious Tesla Motors. From his childhood days he developed interest in computer programming and sold self made video game Blastar. In 1989 he shifted to Canada and performed odd jobs like shoveling dirt in a boiling room. He obtained dual degree in Physics and Economics and doctorate in Design and Aerospace Engineering. He is an avid reader of books and has decided to save humanity as his life’s mission. He first explored Internet businesses and created IT companies Zip2 and X.com. X.com. later became part of PayPal. He subsequently shifted to space engineering and energy businesses. Musk founded SpaceX and is still inspired by the idea of reducing space transportation costs to enable people to colonize Mars. SpaceX receives contracts from NASA. MUSK designed the first electric sports car called Tesla Roadster.He also founded SolarCity Corporation which provides solar power systems for homes, businesses and governments. He is also involved in development of rail systems in U.S.A. Elon Musk today is considered one of the most powerful and influential people in the world.
All these five world leaders have few commonalities viz. started earning at an early stage, started doing small small activities which build confidence to take risk in innovative ideas they cultivated and the larger objective of life to serve humanity. All the five business tycoons had ordinary backgrounds, are first generation entrepreneurs, and have gone through the hardships of life but by their sheer determination, hard work and missionary zeal excelled in their chosen areas and are contributing to the welfare of society. I am sure their success stories will inspire the youth our country to follow the entrepreneurial journey and contribute towards making Bharat a Vikshit Bharat, a great Bharat and a prosperous Bharat by 2047, when we shall be completing our 100 years of independence.
