Despite the crucial role of micro enterprises in promoting job creation, the growth of these enterprises, is limited owing to the lack of a positive ecosystem that nurtures their development. The need of the hour therefore, is to focus on promoting inclusive and innovative solutions that stem directly from the needs of the small and micro entrepreneurs in the underserved regions.

Work 4 Progress (an initiative of Development Alternatives and “la Caixa” Banking Foundation) was born out of the need for a multi-faceted and innovative approach to creating systemic solutions that unleash entrepreneurship – not only creating enterprises in the tens of thousands but more importantly, enabling them to create 'dignified' and 'attractive' jobs. The first step in this process was to listen deeply and to have a meaningful 'dialogue' with the existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, to understand their needs and identify solutions that are then co-created 'with' them, proceeding then to prototype solutions and share learnings among a network of change-makers to eventually create impact at scale.

It is imperative to learn to 'unlearn' most of what we know. Rooted in the belief that deep listening can allow us to uncover trigger points in the ecosystem, the Work 4 Progress programme has engaged in a series of dialogues and conversations with communities and stakeholders in the regions of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. These conversations were undertaken through a variety of tools – which borrowed from participatory research methods while remaining aware of the contextual surroundings. The attempt was to uncover narratives which would allow the programme to listen to and learn from different segments of people. The intention was to create forums that were inclusive, accessible and equitable to voices of men, women and youth of these communities.

Every entrepreneur's story is important to understand the nuances and trigger points of untapped economic potential and upward social mobility. Development Alternatives has, through deep listening and interactive processes, built an understanding of the entrepreneurship landscape in hundreds of villages in Uttar Pradesh. Resources have been pooled to introduce innovative, systemic solutions in over 40 villages. One such example is the use of community radio to launch a competitive 'reality show' for entrepreneurs called 'Kaun Banega Business Leader' in which 800 participants are at different stages of co-creating business models and enterprise solutions to tap emerging opportunities in the local market. The competition allows the community to raise voices on what are the problems that they face specific to entrepreneurship in their area and consequently the support that they seek. The information is obtained from them in an interactive manner through infotainment as a medium. The aspiring entrepreneurs that apply for the competition are also made to answer a few questions during programme promotions. The competition also gives the team a chance to have a 'dialogue' with the community on the topic of entrepreneurship and gather genuine responses.

As a means to catalyse entrepreneurship built within the programme is the component of capacity building to co-create with the entrepreneurs. International Labour Organisation (ILO) certified Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) training modules have been used. One of the most important factors here has been that unlike any other training programmes, impetus has been laid on working upon the existing strength of entrepreneurs rather than only imparting new ones. On one hand, the SIYB manual described step by step the process to prepare and implement business plans. On the other hand, the SIYB Business Game enabled the potential entrepreneurs to simulate a small business. With the experience of running a small business, they were able to immediately apply the theory of learning in practice.

Co-creating solutions 'with' the community itself is the best way to design solutions that are effective and meaningful to them. This also lets them take ownership of the solutions that they create to solve their own issues and thus leave a social legacy even after a programme or project gets over.

A variety of enterprise opportunities and narratives in the rural enterprise landscape need to be unearthed. By finding solutions, we can steer the nation towards growth and development and make way for a better and more enterprising India. ■

Priyali Bhardwaj
pbhardwaj@devalt.org

Ayesha Bhatnagar
abhatnagar@devalt.org