In the NY Times blog titled “Slumdog Entrepreneurs“, Economics Professor at Harvard School Ed Glaeser, writes about his observation that 43 percent of urban Indians who worked were self-employed (vs 11% in the US).  High self employment in Urban India reflects both good things about the country, like energy and intelligence, and bad things, like a maze of regulations that make it difficult to build large companies that follow the rules.

He specifically writes about economic activity in Dharavi Slum where poor people are managing to eke out a living as entrepreneurs.  The entrepreneurial energy one feels in the slums of India is a classic example of creative minds of individuals to better their life. These individuals collectively contribute to the economic engine of India.

He concludes that India is a nation where private citizens, both rich and poor, do amazing things despite tremendous failures of the public sector.