Longlist of 'Gaja Capital Business Book Prize' 2022 unveiled

New Delhi: Author Gita Piramal's "Rahul Bajaj: An Extraordinary Life", Mircea Raianu's "Tata - The Global Corporation That Built Indian Capitalism" and Narotam Sekhsaria's "The Ambuja Story" are among the 10 longlisted books for the fourth 'Gaja Capital Business Book Prize'.

The longlist, announced on Wednesday, comprises books on "entrepreneurship, Indian family businesses, India's digital tech revolution, important events in the Indian business landscape, economics and stories of personal success and failure covering the entire gamut of Indian business from independence to more recent, contemporary stories", informed the organisers.

Other titles that made the cut include "Broke to Breakthrough: The Rise of India's Largest Private Dairy Company" by Harish Damodaran, "Disrupt and Conquer: How TTK Prestige Became a Billion Dollar Company" by TT Jagannathan and Sandhya Mendonca, and "Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico" by Harsh Mariwala and Ram Charan.

"I'm confident the jury will curate an excellent reading list that should be on the bookshelves and desks of entrepreneurs, business owners and anyone interested in India's growth potential. I am especially hopeful that these interesting stories encourage young entrepreneurs to read and learn from the experience of others," said Gopal Jain, co-founder and managing partner of Gaja Capital in a statement.

"As for writers, journalists, and entrepreneurs, this will continue to serve as a platform to share their stories and create a body of knowledge that others can leverage and build upon," he added.

"The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential" by Naushad Forbes, "Xiaomi: How a Startup Disrupted the Market and Created a Cult Following" by Jayadevan PK, "Indomitable: A Working Woman's Notes on Work, Life and Leadership" by Arundhati Bhattacharya, and "Maverick Effect: The Inside Story of India's IT Revolution" by Harish Mehta are also in the contention for the coveted award.

The jury for the prize this year comprise stalwarts from the worlds of industry, investments, academia, public policy, and governance. They will announce the shortlist in November 2022, and the winner in January 2023.

Instituted in 2019 to encourage Indian entrepreneurs, writers, and journalists to tell their stories for the world, the award offers a prize money of Rs 15 lakh -- making it the "biggest book prize" in the country to honour authors transforming the business ecosystem with their creativity.

Amrit Raj's book "Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield," a gripping account of how a strong Indian brand became global, was the winner of 2021 'Gaja Capital Business Book Prize'.