Dalit Inc. ready to show business can beat caste

Getting the prime minister for a Dalit gathering is not difficult in our society. But for Dalit entrepreneurs,taking a photograph with Tata and Godrej over lunch and tea is an aspiration and proof that they have arrived, said Chandrabhan Prasad,mentor,Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI),an organisation that was born as SC,ST Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2003.

In a display of its capitalist credentials,DICCI plans to parade at the fair about half a dozen Dalit entrepreneurs who have turned multinationals. The Dalit community has so many leaders. But we need business leaders now, said Milind Kamble,who along with four or five friends conceived the SC,ST Chamber of Commerce and Industry nearly 10 years ago.

As Dalits,we need a DICCI more than a FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to develop leadership. Tata and Godrej are idols for our youth, he said.

Kamble,the son of a school teacher from Latur in Maharashtra,is now managing director of Fortune Construction,a Rs 101-crore company.

What entrepreneurs desperately need is an umbrella to push their corporate agenda,Kamble said. According to him,economic reforms and globalisation actually spurred Dalit entrepreneurship in India.

It (globalisation) triggered outsourcing of ancillaries, he said.

It was not easy for Kamble and his friends to organise and build muscle at DICCI. In the initial years,many did not want to disclose their caste,fearing it would impact their business. But over the last couple of years,it has become easy to talk to them and convince them.

The affirmative action agenda of the government as well as industrys realisation to engage with us has helped, Kamble said.

The Tata Group has booked a large space to display 40-odd products at the trade fair. The Tatas want all Dalit entrepreneurs to know what they can supply to the Tata Group, said Chandrabhan Prasad,who has been funded by the University of Pennsylvanias Center for the Advanced Study of India to prepare a list of Dalit entrepreneurs in the country.

Almost 40 per cent of Tata Motors parts are outsourced to small players. Nanos silencer is produced by a Dalit entrepreneur. So are two-three parts of the Tata Indigo, he pointed out.

Kamble said his organisation is keen to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Indian government and industry. The government is more inclusive today. The new procurement policy that requires 4 per cent sourcing from Dalit small and medium enterprises is its first concrete affirmative action. And we cannot afford to hate capitalists anymore, he said.

Multinationals run by Dalits
Jangal Exports,Ludhiana

A T-shirt exporter with showrooms in London and Dubai. Turnover Rs 70 crore. Owner Malkiat Chands parents were agriculturists.

Gujarat Pickers,Ahmedabad

Has a sugar mill in Africa. Turnover Rs 380 crore. Owned by Rati Bhai Makwana.

Kamani Tubes,Mumbai

Has a copper unit in the Gulf. Turnover Rs 500 crore. Owner Kalpana Saroj once worked for Rs 2 a day in a hosiery unit in Mumbai.

Das Offshore Engineers Ltd,Mumbai

Has an oil exploration business in Gulf. Owner Ashok Khades father was a cobbler.

Indo Sakura,Bangalore

A software firm with operations in Japan. Turnover $2.5 million. Owner Atul Paswans father was a schoolteacher.