The Impact of Caste-Based Networks on Firm Survival: An Analysis of Tax Data

Mahajan, Satyam (2025) The Impact of Caste-Based Networks on Firm Survival: An Analysis of Tax Data. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (MS Dissertation of Satyam Mahajan (20MS225)) 20MS225_Thesis_file.pdf - Submitted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (994kB)

Abstract

Understanding the role of caste networks is critical for shaping the Indian economy because these networks significantly impact economic activity, mobility, and inequality. Castebased networks, while sometimes facilitating economic opportunities through mechanisms like informal insurance, job referrals, and trust-based relationships—especially in environments with weak formal institutions—can also create barriers by restricting access to resources and perpetuating traditional occupations. This duality affects the economic mobility of individuals and groups, influencing educational, occupational, and locational choices, and can entrench inequalities in income, wealth, and access to public resources. Caste has historically played a major role in determining patterns of land and capital ownership as well as in concentrating economic power among certain groups at the expense of others. Investigating networks provide important hints about the extent to which ingrained social structures still influence contemporary economic outcomes, such as firm survival. It also aids to reveal the ways in which social stratification affects the accessibility of entrepreneurship opportunities and the viability of businesses in diverse geographic and economic contexts.

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