Ahmedabad has always been a city that runs on ambition. From the textile mills of the past to the tech parks of today, the spirit of ‘dhandho’, the Gujarati art of smart, fearless enterprise, flows through every lane of this city. But behind every thriving business is a network, a community, a support system. Today, Inside Amdavad shines a spotlight on four powerhouse organisations that are quietly fuelling Ahmedabad’s entrepreneurial engine.
GCCI: Over Seven Decades of Powering Gujarat’s Commerce
There aren’t many organisations that have the heritage and legacy like the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI). Formed way back in 1949 by industrialists Sheth Kasturbhai Lalbhai and Sheth Amrutlal Hargovandas, the organisation has worked tirelessly for over seven decades now in laying down the foundations of Gujarat’s success story.
With 7,500 members and 200+ trade associations that represent 2.5 lakh companies in total, GCCI is an organisation that makes sure that your local firms have access to global markets. Partnering with apex organisations such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM, and the International Chamber of Commerce, GCCI works very closely with over 30 leading chambers globally.
GCCI does not just stick with its policies but goes ahead and works hard for its members by providing them with free helpdesks on topics related to EXIM, MSME, and GST, apart from having a world-class alternate dispute resolution centre and years of experience in disaster management through the Gujarat Chamber Foundation Trust.
BNI: Your Network is Your Net Worth
Picture this: imagine having access to dozens of highly skilled salespeople who work exclusively for you, but with no expenses on payroll. This is the concept behind BNI (Business Network International), the world’s biggest professional networking group boasting 355,000 members in 77 countries around the globe.
The motto of BNI can be simply stated as Givers Gain®. If you give business to others, they’ll give it back to you. An old wisdom that has completely changed people’s approach to competition and cooperation. In Ahmedabad, BNI groups consist of professionals from more than 300 various industries who focus on promoting one another’s business through referrals.
If you’re an entrepreneur in Ahmedabad aiming for success, BNI offers you more than just networking.
CAIT Young Entrepreneurs: Giving Youth a Voice in Trade
CAIT, or the Confederation of All India Traders, is considered one of Asia’s biggest organisations of its kind, with its membership strength of 8 crore and over 40,000 trade unions of India. Here comes the link to our beloved Ahmedabad, which made the birthplace of India’s very first-ever CAIT Young Entrepreneurs division, established on 28th August 2021.
Established at the very heart of Delhi’s Vyapar Bhawan, CAIT works as an important link between traders and various government organisations in interpreting and implementing trade policies while safeguarding the rights of its members. In the same way, the CAIT young entrepreneurs’ wing in Ahmedabad has taken up the responsibility of training the youth traders about the new business scenario.
It was Ahmedabad that gave birth to this movement.
Gujpreneur: Celebrating the Gujarati DNA of Dhandho
The core of the entrepreneurial environment in Ahmedabad lies in a unique platform, Gujpreneur. An interesting combination of Gujarat and entrepreneur, Gujpreneur aims to inspire and motivate through stories.
What’s unique about Gujpreneur? This platform does not simply highlight success stories; instead, it tells the stories behind the successes. By publishing blogs and podcasts, Gujpreneur brings together entrepreneurs who are either Gujarati by birth or those whose entrepreneurial spirit belongs to Gujarat. Being a first-generation entrepreneur or an experienced businessman, the spirit of the Gujarati entrepreneur is something that cannot be missed here.
If you are curious about what it takes to become an entrepreneur, then Gujpreneur offers you front-row seats to their story.
The Next Chapter of Ahmedabad’s Entrepreneurial Story
What is exceptional about the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Ahmedabad is not merely the existence of thriving enterprises; instead, it is the emergence of communities that change the very definition of starting a business. GCCI, BNI, CAIT Young Entrepreneurs and Gujpreneur are all at various stages of the entrepreneur’s career path. Some are there for political advice and global exposure while others are building a robust referral network for their members. Some even educate the younger generation of founders by providing knowledge and confidence.
Overall, the mentioned organisations contribute to a bright future of entrepreneurship in Ahmedabad where starting up will no longer be an isolated activity but will become a community effort. They make sure that the first-generation entrepreneurs have big dreams, the family businesses grow with the times and the youth of Ahmedabad will consider entrepreneurship not only as their job but also as a means to bring some real changes to the world.
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