ABSTRACT
Micro-entrepreneurs are vital for a nation as they contribute towards market creation and economic development. It is imperative to understand the engagement and working of micro-entrepreneurs with regard to sustainable development and poverty reduction. Moreover, the study of micro-entrepreneurship is deficient without an understanding of the marketing exchange systems. Marketing to the poor is quite imperative, which must be deep-dived to gain insights from the study. This study was conducted in the state of Jammu and Kashmir by organizing structured in-depth interviews of 14 micro-entrepreneurs operational in the region. The chapter throws light on different aspects of micro-entrepreneurship in a conflict zone – operational aspect, challenges, poverty reduction through micro-entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Micro-entrepreneurship serves as a bottom-up approach since it assists the poor to achieve economic freedom, leverage social capital, increase employment avenues, and lower associated costs. The poor grow alongside the growth of their undertaken entrepreneurial activity. The study presents insights regarding the fact that the poor put in their best to ensure break-even or achieve operational profit. The study contributes to understanding the interaction of market actors and marketing exchange system affecting the growth and sustainability of the poor.
