Every entrepreneurial journey is more than just profit and loss—it is an epic transformation. Like the characters of our great epics, an entrepreneur too evolves through different roles—sometimes a warrior, sometimes a guide, and ultimately, a visionary who rises above self.
Let’s travel through this journey, mapping the stages of an entrepreneur with the timeless wisdom of Indian mythology—Ram, Krishna, and Mahavir. Along the way, we will see how Indian business leaders embody these models.
Stage 1: Think of Narayan Murthy when Infosys was born. He was Ram, with Sudha Murthy and his co-founders as Laxman, and a small group of loyal engineers as Hanuman. They worked day and night, writing code, making sales pitches, and running operations with limited resources but infinite belief.
When a business is born, the entrepreneur is like Ram—a central figure shouldering responsibility, walking with discipline, and holding a clear vision.
- Ram (The Entrepreneur): He starts with courage and conviction.
- Laxman (The Co-Founder): His trusted ally, sacrificing comfort to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
- Hanuman (The Loyal Employee): The one who brings faith, energy, and execution power.
At this stage, the entrepreneur is everywhere—selling, solving, motivating, firefighting. Every value is personally set, every cultural thread is handmade. This is the foundation era, where dreams are built brick by brick.
Stage 2: Consider Ratan Tata during the Tata Group’s modern era. He wasn’t running every company personally, but like Krishna, he guided his leaders, gave them confidence during crises (such as the Tata Nano setback or the Corus acquisition), and empowered them to make bold decisions. His role was to provide wisdom, direction, and belief.
As the business grows, the entrepreneur cannot remain Ram forever. From the warrior, he must evolve into Krishna, the mentor, the strategist.
Here enters the team, the Pandavas, each representing domain leaders in finance, operations, HR, and sales. They fight their own battles, sometimes facing setbacks, sometimes standing on the verge of defeat.
Krishna does not pick up the weapon himself. Instead, he whispers clarity into Arjun’s ears, reminding him of his dharma, showing him the bigger picture.
This is the scaling era, where systems, governance, and trust in leaders replace the founder’s personal struggle.
Stage 3: Look at Azim Premji of Wipro. Even after building a technology empire, he stepped back and devoted most of his time and wealth to philanthropy. His foundation focuses on education, rural development, and human welfare. He embodies the Mahavir stage—where dharma (ethics), artha (sustainable prosperity), and seva (service) converge.
The final stage of the journey is when the entrepreneur becomes like Mahavir—detached, enlightened, and focused not just on business, but on the larger good of society.
By now, the business runs on auto-mode, powered by culture and strong leadership pipelines. The entrepreneur shifts from “What more can I achieve?” to “What more can I give back?”
This is the legacy era, where the role of the entrepreneur transcends business and becomes societal.
Every entrepreneur begins as Ram—hands-on, leading from the front.
With maturity, he must transform into Krishna—the strategist and mentor.
And ultimately, the goal is to become Mahavir—a visionary devoted to society’s well-being.
Entrepreneurship, when seen through this lens, is not just about market success. It is about self-realization, evolution, and leaving behind a legacy that outlives the entrepreneur.
So the question is—Where are you today: Ram, Krishna, or Mahavir?
