Sundeep Khanna, the former executive editor of Mint, covered everything from the great Indian entrepreneurship spirit to the milestones in India’s business history during his lecture at the Asian College of Journalism.

He guided the students through a timeline, talking about trade and commerce during the Indus Valley civilisation, the Mauryan dynasty, the Mughal rule, and the British colonial period. 

Trade and commerce persisted throughout invasions, Khanna said, underscoring the need to understand the pre-industrial era to appreciate the current economy. 

While trade practices and policies restricted businesses and limited their growth, businessmen at the time were more focused on nation-building rather than making profits, he pointed out.

After implementing the New Economic Policy of 1991, India experienced Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG). This, in turn, allowed businesses to expand.