Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements 175
One may not be only an entrepreneur for all the time, the
entrepreneural function may be going along with other functions also.
Now we find entrepreneural functions are executed by teams of men, and
even the state has entered into the field of innovation and exacution.
Corporate research has become the order of the day." Research and
development section is a common feature of any company, consuming a
sizable amount of finance because of the growing impact of science and
technology on society. Professional managers, who are trained, retrained
from time to time by specialized institutions, initiate and imitate new
functions in their organizations. Whether it is intuition or inheritance,
acquirement or inculcation, alone or along with others. 1 think, when the
spark of novelty bursts into splendorous flame to illumine the social
environment with economic benefits, then the emergence of the
entrepreneur is ensconced. But for entrepreneurship to continue the
climate of beneficance should consist of the favouring environment, the
prevalence of an adventurous spirit around, potent incentives and
proportionately adequate rewards and provision for successor and their
training. 20
From all that has been said it is very difficult to deny the honour
that is due to Mr. Das as an entrepreneur. His 'industries' failed not only
because he fathered those but because of many other reasons. And he paid
a heavy penalty for which the Oriyas should not be excused. But he was
a leader par excellence, he was an ardent entrepreneur who blurred his
vision by sacrificing profit for patriotism and conservatism or conscience.
The failure of the Utkal Tannery looms large before us when, we
consider the entrepreneurship of Mr. Das. Nobody can deny mat the
founder as an individual was responsible because of his multifarious
activities, his lack of supervision, his trust in all subordinates and above
all his desire to hold up the banner of Orissa and her products rather than
profit-grabbing. He used to set fire to thousands of pairs of shoes if he
found defects in one or two. He harped on perfection of the product and
reputation of the Orissa's craftmanship. In 1922 Mr. Scoland of Whiteway
Ladle, me famous Department Stores al Calcutta offered 50,000/- in cash
and assured all other facilities to the Tennery in lieu of his company's
manufacturing seal on the Tannery's products. Mr. Das rejected the
proposal and lost an abundant source of economic benefit. This is what
he felt—' I may be a pauper now because of the Tannery, but 1 can not sell
away me fame of my nation. Fifty years after if the history of Orissa is