Rural Entrepreneurship in the Era of Globalization: Challenges and Response

Abstract

The evolution of human development has brought a new dimension into the paradigm of development. As a result education, empowerment and environmental consciousness are indoctrinated into the realms of development along with economic growth. In recent years various dimensions of human development like democratic decentralisation; gender disparities and empowerment are being studies in rather detail but in the ensuing euphoria of some critical dimensions of empowerment i.e. economic self-sufficiency are neglected. Economic independence is the core of empowerment and therefore requires specific attention. In the era of globalisation and liberalisation this has larger significance particularly in terms of safeguarding self-interest and fostering economic freedom. The hegemonisation and homogenisation perpetrated by the cultural globalisation through Coca-colonization and McDonaldization has threatened the livelihoods and identity of these sections. Artisans particularly of rural India are a vulnerable section and in the times of globalisation the state is unable to help them as the negotiations under structural adjustment has made it gradually withdraw from welfare activities and civil society is neither strong nor capable enough to take over the responsibility. Therefore, the need arises of capacity development of which entrepreneurship development is a part. This paper is an effort to look at the dimension of rural entrepreneurship and their dilemmas in .the aftermath of recent economic shift.