'Greatness' need not mean fame & size

India is right to celebrate big firms, but must also celebrate its valuable small giants

Since the industrial revolution, size, and more recently, market capitalisation, has become markers of corporate greatness. Is that really valid? Are there no “great” companies that are not giants by size, but maybe giants by reputation and contribution to society?

Small Giants (Penguin, 2016), a book by journalist Bo Burlingham, is worth a read. The book is a chronicle of “small giants” which, quietly under the radar, have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Consider as examples Conzerv India (sold to French electrical major Schneider), Galaxy Surfactants (now a listed company), Microland (a private