Title: Dynamics of ecosystems - lessons from Indian case studies

Authors: C.R. Rajan; M.J. Xavier

Addresses: Great Lakes Institute of Management, Dr. Bala V. Balachandar Campus, ECR Road, Manamai, Tirukazhukundram Taluk, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu – 603 102, India ' Chennai Campus, VIT University, Vandalur – Kelambakkam Road, Chennai 600 127, India

Abstract: In an increasingly interconnected world, accelerated by technology perfusion, and process standardisation, companies need to leverage competencies of an entire business network to gain competitive advantage. On this count, business ecosystem approach is one way of describing the operating environment in which companies and consortia involve actively. Obviously, a business ecosystem requires a nodal organisation to make it uniquely valuable to all participants in the system and drive the system to its competitive position. A business ecosystem is not insulated from environment context(s) or the ingenuity of competitive players. In this paper, the authors have analysed two Indian business ecosystems, their construct, uniqueness and dynamic value sharing by their constituents. This theoretical construct is based on an in depth assessment of functioning of two such systems in India, one a vast dairy cooperative that has a strong brand 'Amul' and the other a large farm inputs company that has created a rural retail network serving the farm sector. In both cases the lead organisation has evolved to meet environmental challenges. Theoretical constructs on ecosystem in published literature broadly describe these two cases. There is scope for further research on more such ecosystems that are rapidly emerging in India.

Keywords: business ecosystems; value creation; innovation; structure; competitiveness; value sharing; strategic groups; India; ecosystem dynamics; case studies; dairy cooperatives; farm inputs; rural networks; retail networks; agriculture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2016.079135

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.226 - 239

Received: 09 Apr 2015
Accepted: 23 Nov 2015
Published online: 14 Sep 2016 *

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