The Marwaris From Jagat Seth to the Birlas

Thomas A Timberg

Penguin Books India

216 pages, Rs. 499

The Marwaris, a tiny business community from the deserts of Rajasthan, spread out to every corner of India in the nineteenth century, and by the time of the First World War controlled much of the country’s inland trade. Today, Marwari businessmen account for a quarter of the Indian names on Forbes magazine’s global list of billionaires. What makes Marwaris so successful? Is it their indomitable enterprise, or their incredible appetite for risk? Timberg shows how the Marwaris rely on a centuries-old system for conserving and growing capital that has stood them in good stead, alongside a strong sense of business ethics which has earned them respect.