Bridging roles of social innovations in rural development: craft initiatives from Kutch, India

Abstract

Business practices are highlighted by development studies for contributing to the resilience of the rural population. However, business in the context of rural development has to fulfill distinct characteristics and roles compared to urban enterprises. Commercial organizations that are solely targeting economic growth and lacking social aspects of development might not contribute to overall sustainability of the region. This research investigates two textile craft organizations from rural India to trace the linkage between social innovations and resilience. Applying the concepts of bridging organizations and rural capitals, the paper illustrates the relationship between rural business, social innovations, and rural capital in the context of sustainable development. Findings indicate that social innovations playing bridging roles have the potentials to contribute to the sustainability of rural enterprises and the development of the region.