This book is a significant contribution to the literature on comparative entrepreneurship. Studies in this area are few and far between. Still fewer are works dealing with historical experiences of different societies in the realm of entrepreneurship. A cross-national analysis with focus on a long time horizon should most likely provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. This is what this book does.

Another and the principal purpose of this work is to comprehend the essential dynamics of Indian business behaviour. It does so by placing the Indian experience alongside that of another Asian country whose economic and business accomplishments are often cited to highlight India's poor record. Through such a comparison, the book seeks to correct many popular misconceptions about business developments in India and place business accomplishments of Japan in a proper historical perspective.

The study is not a comprehensive business history of either of the countries under focus. It concentrates on the differential scenario in respect of emergence, perception and exploitation of industrial oppor- tunities during the formative period of industrialisation in the two countries. Interpreting the available data against an integrated frame- work, the work arrives at some very refreshing conclusions about the entrepreneurial behaviour in India as well as Japan.