Great architecture marvels of India such as Taj Mahal and a number of magnificent forts, palaces and temples were built in the times when there was a relative stable ruling environment.
Countries where people are not much worried about about basic needs such as food, housing and clothing are the ones that are most innovative. I found this really interesting report here. It talks about how the topmost countries in the list are best innovators because they have stable governments and sound business climate. Good education , broadband penetration and technical skills of the workforce were also sighted as the primary reason.
I do not say that innovation does not happen in parts of the world that are poor or are plagued by uncertainties. But a series of innovations that improve productivity and add to the overall wealth of the society can happen only if the country has a stable political and business climate .
In the example above I talked about Taj Mahal. It took artists some sixteen years( add five more years to the completion to perfection) to craft the magnificent piece of architecture. Stable nature of political regime and patronage by the rulers ( of artists and their creativity) helped to create it.
A number of such heritage monuments are there because of patronage from the kings and queens who loved and encouraged arts. One more example is the beautiful design of the old city like Jaipur where rulers allowed talents to flourish and innovate.
Implication for entrepreneurship
Individual entrepreneurs thrive all over the world , regardless of the political climate. However it is often easy for entrepreneurship to thrive if the business climate/politics is not suited to free enterprises. Government’s help cannot be wished away. In fact a lot of industries owe their success to friendly government policies. Creating incentives for entrepreneurship, easy registration of business ,maintaining law and order are functions of the government, in addition to either creating or facilitating things such as broadband penetration, road construction, electricity, water supply etc.
Individual effort will definitely triumph over everything else but a little help from rulers may also help. To have a thriving entrepreneur ecosystem, everyone and everybody need to do their bit.
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