Motivational Factors of Tribal Entrepreneurs in Handloom Clusters : A Case Study of Thenzawl, Mizoram

The North Eastern (NE) states of India have the largest concentration of handlooms in the country (more than 65% of the total looms). However, a majority (62%) of the looms in NE states are engaged in domestic production only. The weavers of Thenzawl cluster, located in Serchhip district of Mizoram, have redefined the quintessential ‘marginalized weaver’ as a strongly motivated woman entrepreneur who has transformed the role of weaving from a mere wage-earning activity or a domestic chore to a commercially viable enterprise, regardless of the number of looms owned. This paper inquires into the role of motivation in the overall process of entrepreneurship in the cluster by examining the entrepreneurial motivations such as entrepreneurial ambitions, reasons compelling entrepreneurs to enter the industry, factors facilitating their entry into entrepreneurship and whether they would like their children to continue as entrepreneurs in the same industry