Social Entrepreneurship in Palmyra Tree Product Businesses of Tamil Nadu: Enterprise Practices and Business Model Perspectives

Abstract

The palmyra tree (Borassus flabellifer) has always been a mainstay of rural livelihoods in all parts of Tamil Nadu, and the tree provides a range of food material, handicrafts and construction material. Although the sector demonstrates a high level of economic versatility and ecological resilience, palmyra-based activities have been so far mostly informal, poorly organised, and marginalised in the contemporary markets. The present review scrutinises the prospect of social entrepreneurship as a mechanism for transforming of these subsistence-oriented livelihoods into sustainable and inclusive rural enterprises. Using a structured narrative approach, the article draws together scholarship on social entrepreneurship, rural business management, value chain development and non-timber forest products. Findings reveal that social entrepreneurial models - characterised by hybrid value creation, collective organisation and reinvestment of surplus - can help to mitigate structural constraints such as production fragmentation, lack of access to markets and low value addition. By placing palmyra enterprises in a broader context of discussions on rural enterprise development and social innovation, this review contributes to an understanding of the academic literature and a policy debate. The study also defines gaps in existing research and outlines the areas for future empirical and conceptual research relevant to traditional product-based enterprises.