Innovation, business leadership, resilience, and the triumph of entrepreneurship in overcoming personal struggles are the diverse themes of the five titles shortlisted for the sixth edition of the 'Gaja Capital Business Book Prize' 2024.

The shortlisted books, announced on Monday (October 7, 2024), include “Entrepreneurs Who Built India - Lala Shri Ram: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow" by Sonu Bhasin, “Fintech for Billions: Simple | Human | Ubiquitous" by Bhagwan Chowdhry and Anas Ahmed, and "Middle of Diamond India: National Renaissance through Participation and Enterprise” by Shashank Mani.

The winner will be awarded an enhanced cash prize of ₹20 lakh—₹5 lakh more than the previous editions.

“This year’s shortlist captures a slice of the revolution in corporate India’s DNA, ambition, and performance. The evolution of candidates for our prizes over the last few years augurs well for the future. In a world of soundbites, these books demonstrate the power of compounding,” Manish Sabharwal, chairman of the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize jury, said in a statement.

“Silver Lining: Overcoming Adversity to Build NephroPlus” by Kamal Shah and “Swadeshi Steam: VO Chidambaram Pillai and the Battle against the British Maritime Empire” by AR Venkatachalapathy are the other two books that made the cut.

The jury for the prize this year comprise stalwarts from the worlds of industry, investments, academia, public policy, and governance. They will announce the winner in December.

Instituted in 2019 to encourage Indian entrepreneurs, writers, and journalists to tell their stories for the world, the award celebrates authors whose work significantly impacts the business landscape through insightful research and compelling narratives on entrepreneurship and leadership.

“Against All Odds: The IT Story of India” and “Winning Middle India: The Story of India’s New-Age Entrepreneurs” were the joint winners of the ‘Gaja Capital Business Book Prize’ 2023.