Entrepreneurship among Tribal Communities in South Gujarat Region: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Socio-Economic Change

Abstract

Historically grounded in agriculture, tribal communities are now shifting into small entrepreneurial
ventures. The South Gujarat’s rural economies have also shown tremendous potential of transformation.
The main driver behind this socioeconomic change is tribal entrepreneurship. Despite many challenges,
these enterprises are thriving to survive. The current study attempts to do reflective thematic analysis by
using an inductive approach of in-depth examination of lived experiences of 14 tribal entrepreneurs in three
districts of South Gujarat. The data analysis was conducted using Nvivo software, which facilitates in-depth
examination of qualitative data and Microsoft Excel. The findings of the paper indicates that the sharp shift
towards micro, small and medium manufacturing and service enterprise has positively impacted the lives of
entrepreneurs and their family. There is immense economic and social upliftment can be seen in rural
economy due to this enterprise. Further, low education level and absence of systematic knowledge of
business administration constraints towards to holistic development and scalability of these enterprise, a
handholding support to existing entrepreneurs should be incorporated by the Government agencies with
various Non-profit organization instead of creating new entrepreneurs. Because survival and long-lasting
impact is important than having number of enterprises. As tribal entrepreneurship evolves, it is expected that
it can play a crucial role in driving sustainable economic growth and livelihood opportunities of rural
populations. This transformation highlights the likelihood of becoming a key contributor to reduce the
economic disparities withing the south Gujarat region and can empower the tribal community.