The Nagarathar (also known as Nattukkottai Chettiar) is a Tamil community (a Dravidian ethnic group based in the southern part of India) that follows the belief system of Shaivism (one of the widely followed sects of Hinduism). They are a prominent mercantile Vaishya caste in Tamil Nadu, South India. They are a community with very rich cultural heritage, known for their philanthropy; building temples and schools, and maintaining them throughout India and Asia. The Nagarathar were historically an itinerant community of merchants that travelled to foreign countries by boat, train, and by foot and set up businesses.
The Nagarathar community celebrates a very rich entrepreneurial heritage and a very high appetite for business risk. However, during the course of the last two generations, Nagarathar’s have lost the entrepreneurial trait and have become a community that is mostly risk averse. In 1913, 90% of the community were entrepreneurs however in 2013 this declined to 10%. In an effort to rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit in Nagarathars, International Business Conference of Nagarathars (IBCN) was conceptualized by Singapore Nagarathars and they hosted the first conference in November 2013.
KNBA is proud to host the IBCN 2025 in Bengaluru.
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