According to an Economic Times Intelligence Group survey in 2015, Muslims made up a mere 2.62% of the Directors and Senior Executives among the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) 500 companies. These top executives received 3.14% of the total remuneration drawn by these elite group of finance professionals.
Amitabh Kundu, who steered the Post-Sachar Evaluation Committee in 2014, says: “Muslims are the most deprived in the jobs market, their condition is worse than even the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in urban areas.” Muslims make up almost 15% of India’s population but there is a broad estimation that they hold less than 7.5% of all jobs available. This dismal scenario has been analysed in great detail by the Sachar Committee in 2006.
Summing up the Economy and Employment situation of Muslims in India (page 106) the Report says: “Overall, one finds that as compared to others, Muslim workers are engaged more in self-employed manufacturing and trade activities. Their participation in regular salaried jobs (especially in the government or large public and private sector enterprises) is much less than workers of other (Socio-Religious Categories) SRCs. They tend to be relatively more vulnerable in terms of conditions of work as their concentration in informal sector employment is higher and their job conditions (contract length, social-security, etc.) even among regular workers are less than those of other SRCs.”
This being the condition of Muslims and gazing at a possible prolonged political climate in which reservations or affirmative action for Muslims to enable their economic and employment would remain a pipedream, there is no other choice before the community but to focus on business and entrepreneurship.
WHAT ARE INDIAN MUSLIMS GOOD AT?
No industry is the sole preserve of a specific religious community. However, there are many factors that lead to certain trades, skills, crafts and professions being dominated or associated with a particular SRC. A large section of Indian Muslims has historically been artisans and accomplished labours under the Mughal rule in India with skills that translated into different industries, some of which have survived till date. For example, brass industry, leather industry, meat and beef industry, handloom industry, hand-embroidery industry, lock industry and bakery and confectioneries industry are to a large extent dominated by the Muslim community.
Muslims are very good in troubleshooting and servicing electro-mechanical devices and automobiles as well as highly proficient in skills that require a fair dose of creativity like designing clothes, jewellery, hair-styling and even film making. They are good in civil engineering and architecture and hence are fairly independent when it comes to building their own housing societies and townships. Muslims have also made their mark in food and hotel industry with some achieving cult status in their respective towns and cities.
SOME MUST-DOS FOR MUSLIM BUSINESSES
There are many must dos for Muslim businesses if they wish to improve and grow in the increasing competitive business world. Some of them are: One – they must have a broad understanding of what business they are in. They have to develop strategic insight and check where the industry is moving so that they can take the long-term decisions in advance and ensure that their business is transformed according to the fast-changing external environment and needs of the market.
Two – they must focus on leveraging the latest management techniques and / or cutting-edge technology for their business so that they are at par or ahead of the competition. Three – they must try to be extremely professional in their business approach. According to management experts, professionalism means: “Follow guileless like the dress code, office hours, doing the given job in a timely manner, to be consistently good at what you do, staying true to your words, meeting deadlines, being dependable, to approach people with respect, be proactive in upgrading your skills, being positive, focused, not letting your personal life dominate the workspace, listening to what is being said, supporting others and making informed decisions.” Normally if it is a small family owned business, there is a tendency to be casual and do things in an ad-hoc manner even in some very basic things as turning up punctually to the office or workplace.
Four – Muslims businesses must understand and focus on quality management and acquire quality certifications for their products and services. This will ensure the highest application of the latest management tools and rigorous adherence to the ‘de facto’ and ‘dejure’ standards as mandated by the certifying bodies like ISO, six sigma, etc.
Five – Muslims must believe in scaling up and growth. Yes, we should be content and accept as part of our (iman) faith that one’s (rizq) provision is fixed and stipulated by Allah but that does not mean that we should close our doors to the growth and expansion opportunities that are extended and visible on the business horizon. Most of the times growth is the key for survival and it might offer employment and sustenance to others, helping you to gain more (ajar) virtue.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Entrepreneurship is the art of starting a new business. An entrepreneur is usually a small businessman offering an innovative product, process or service with the entrepreneur aiming to expand the business by hiring, improving sales and financing the enterprise through venture capital and angel investments. Thus, the term entrepreneur is more closely related with the term start-up.
Entrepreneurship development is a process in which individuals or groups are encouraged, motivated and supported by both government and non-government organisations to launch their own business ventures – with these external actors committed to provide incubation facilities, education programmes and business networks in the form of memberships to trade associations, chambers of commerce and other facilities that will help settle and grow the entrepreneur’s business.
There are many Muslim organisations that have taken a lead in this important process of nurturing and encouraging Muslim youth and professionals to start and build their businesses. Prominent among them being Rifah Chamber of Commerce (rifah.org) and Islamic Chamber of Commerce.
NATION BUILDING THROUGH PRACTICE OF ETHICS IN BUSINESS
Muslims are questioned by some pseudo-nationalists regarding their loyalty to the nation and asked to prove their patriotism and love for the country. It goes without saying that Muslims have played and will play a great role in nation building. In the domain of business and entrepreneurship their work is cut out. Besides the above stated efforts, Muslims must not forget their core job and responsibility as ambassadors of Islam. Thus, their first aim as businessmen should not be profit at all costs, rather it must be to seek the pleasure of Allah and a “halal” way of earning. Implementing honest dealings and respecting customers is bound to improve business.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said that the honest and truthful trader / businessman shall be in the Paradise with prophets and martyrs. It is a well-known fact that Islam spread in the coastal areas of India and the various countries of the Far East and Africa because of the honest way of transacting trade and mercantile activities by the Arab and Muslim traders and businessmen. Today the world of business is besieged with scams, scandals and fraudulent practices. Our greatest contribution towards nation building would be to set the standard for the uncompromising practice of ethics in business. Our nation would then realise and accept the contribution of our community towards nation building and lead to our overall prosperity both in this world and the hereafter.