Studying developing country business groups: some issues with reference to the Indian case

Through a critical review of some of the literature and making use of information relating to Indian groups, the case is made for a more bottom-up, and more historical, approach to the study of the developing country business group. The lack of clarity and unanimity in the conceptualization of the business group, the mismatch between many conceptions and the reality of Indian groups and how avoidable ignorance has led to mistaken conclusions are highlighted. Arguing that these problems stem from an excessive bias towards a top-down method of analyzing business groups, a shift in emphasis towards the concrete investigation of these groups, of their structures and working, and of their evolution over time, is urged