Mumbai, India, August 13, 2024 – Gaja Capital, a leading growth-stage private equity firm in India, has unveiled the sixth edition of the ‘Gaja Capital Business Book Prize.‘ Since its inception in 2019, this prestigious prize has been dedicated to celebrating and encouraging the contributions of Indian entrepreneurs, business owners, authors, and journalists.
With an enhanced purse of INR 20 lakhs this year, the award celebrates authors whose work significantly impacts the business landscape through insightful research and compelling narratives on entrepreneurship and leadership. In its sixth year, the prize continues its tradition of excellence by honouring those who offer innovative perspectives and practical insights into various aspects of business and leadership.
The jury for the sixth edition includes eminent figures from industry, investments, public policy, and governance: Manish Sabharwal, Vice-Chairman at TeamLease (Chairman, Jury), Imran Jafar, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Gaja Capital, Aarthi Subramanian, Group Chief Digital Officer at Tata Sons, Arindam Bhattacharya, Senior Advisor and Emeritus Partner at Boston Consulting Group, Dr. Lakshmi Venu, MD of Sundaram-Clayton (SCL), Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint MD of Apollo Hospitals, Neelkanth Mishra, Chief Economist, Head of Global Research and Board member at Axis Capital, Prithvi Haldea, Founder Chairman of Praxis Consulting, Shailesh Haribhakti, Founder and Managing Partner of Shailesh Haribhakti & Associates, and UK Sinha, Former Head of the RBI Expert Committee on MSMEs and Former Chairman of SEBI.
Gopal Jain, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Gaja Capital, said “Winston Churchill at a poignant moment in his long and illustrious public life said “Man is spirit”. An inspiring story can awaken that spirit and motivate entrepreneurs to take the path less travelled towards achieving good for society at large. We are pleased to re-affirm our commitment to India’s start-up ecosystem through another edition, of the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize. Over the past five years, the book prize has consistently recognized and valued the efforts of authors, bringing their important stories to the world’s attention. As India progresses towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, supporting young entrepreneurs and authors is essential to sustaining this growth. The Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, inspires future leaders, thereby reaffirming our commitment to fostering knowledge and celebrating contributions to India’s vibrant business landscape.”
The 2024 longlist showcases ten compelling titles that are essential reads for anyone interested in business and economics. These include (1) Breaking the Mould: Reimagining India’s Economic Future by Raghuram G. Rajan & Rohit Lamba, (2) Doctor Steel: My Life and Times with the Tatas by J.J. Irani, (3) Entrepreneurs Who Built India – Lala Shri Ram: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow by Sonu Bhasin, (4) FinTech for Billions: Simple | Human | Ubiquitous by Bhagwan Chowdhry and Anas Ahmed, (5) India in Search of Glory: Political Calculus and Economy by Ashok K. Lahiri, (6) Just Aspire: Notes on Technology, Entrepreneurship and the Future by Ajai Chowdhry, (7) Middle of Diamond India: National Renaissance through Participation and Enterprise by Shashank Mani, (8) Silver Lining: Overcoming Adversity to Build NephroPlus – Asia’s Largest Dialysis Provider by Kamal Shah, (9) Swadeshi Steam: V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and the Battle against the British Maritime Empire by A.R Venkatachalapathy, and (10) The Great Bank Robbery: NPAs, Scams and the Future of Regulation by V. Pattabhi Ram and Sabyasachee Dash.
The winning book will be judged on its narrative quality, research depth, insights, and ability to inspire and guide young entrepreneurs. The jury will reveal the shortlist in October 2024 and announce the winner in December 2024.
In its fifth edition, the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize was jointly awarded to ‘Against All Odds: The IT Story of India’ – a chronicle of the trials, triumphs, and history of the Indian IT sector over the last six decades by esteemed authors Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys, N. Dayasindhu, Co-founder and CEO of Itihaasa Research and Digital, and Krishnan Narayanan, President of IIT Madras Alumni Association, and ‘Winning Middle India: The Story of India’s New-Age Entrepreneurs’ – a detailed account of the new generation of startup founders who are catalysts for innovative products and services in India by T.N. Hari, angel investor and advisor, and Bala Srinivasa, Managing Director of Arkam Ventures.
Previous winners include journalist and author Harish Damodaran’s “Broke to Breakthrough” (2022), a detailed and perceptive account of the rise of dairy company Hatsun Agro and its founder R.G. Chandramogan; Amrit Raj’s book “Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield,” (2021) a gripping account of how a strong Indian brand became global; Mint journalist Mihir Dalal’s debut book, “Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story” (2020) and “The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation” (2019) co-authored by Girish Kuber and Vikrant Pande.
