Gram India: Scaling Up a Social Enterprise

Abstract

This case focuses on Amrita Sharma, a social entrepreneur and the challenges her team faces in managing the social enterprise Gram India. Gram India is the marketing division of Parnana Parnani Education Society, which offers free education and employment opportunities to rural Indian women. Established as a Limited Liability Partnership on 18 December 2015, Gram India specializes in embroidery and offers products, such as handicrafts, suit covers, incense sticks and rural BPO services. The corporate office is in Jaipur, Rajasthan and the production centre is in Newai, Rajasthan. Gram India strives to balance two main objectives as a social enterprise: creating social value by employing rural women and achieving financial sustainability through sufficient revenue generation. However, several challenges impede their path to self-sustainability. These challenges include over-dependence on a single customer, the physical distance between the office and production centre, labour issues, funding uncertainties, distribution channel choices, staff management and inventory handling. After four successful years, Amrita and her team are contemplating strategies to ensure Gram India’s long-term sustainability. They need to devise effective plans to overcome these obstacles and secure the future of their enterprise.