India has a rich history of entrepreneurship, dating back to the marwari merchants, who controlled much of the country’s indigenous trading, commercial and banking activities in the 19th century. The marwari people trusted each other inherently, but conducted business with a heavy guard and serious demeanor.

Today’s Indian entrepreneurs don’t necessarily come from a long line of businessmen, nor do they view clients from a cautious and homogeneous standpoint. Although their drive and self-sufficiency may stem from an instinct to survive scarce economic resources and to escape a discriminatory caste system, their entrepreneurial spirit also comes from a strong education (many have earned their masters degrees) and a disinterest in working for big name corporations, especially when they can envision working for themselves.