The Smelting Cauldron  (English, Paperback, Raman Raj)

The Smelting Cauldron succinctly captures the nuances and challenges of the business environment for Indian SMEs. The eighteen industry accounts in this book are drawn from the author’s association with this sector over the past three decades. These stories represent a broad spectrum of Indian SMEs from across the country. The author discusses threadbare the unfortunate paradox that has come to define this sector—despite there being over forty million enterprises employing over 80 per cent of India’s industrial workforce, the SME sector contributes a significantly lower 37 per cent to the GDP. What are the issues plaguing this sector? Do these stem from the realities of local politics and governance, the squeeze of the suppliers, buyers, influencers and funders? Or, is it much more complex? the book covers the entire gamut of real problems SMEs confront every day—from working capital management to recruiting and retaining talent; from taxes and legal issues to JVs and partnerships; from pricing strategies to internal and ethical conflicts; from raising capital to board management. This book is a pragmatic insight into the mindset and the thought processes that confront entrepreneurs and the ways to deal with challenges and pressures. It is a must read for all those who are a part of the SME ecosystem and want the sector to grow and prosper.