The Dharma of Capitalism- Book Review.



Reading the book in Geneva (CERN trip!) - extra points for it matching with my fit?! 


Anyways.....

In July, I was given the excellent opportunity to take part in an Oxford-partnered Varchasva leadership programme, a national course run over a year to develop leadership skills. Here, I was presented the opportunity to learn more about developing myself with respect to values and the teachings of Hinduism. 

One of the guest speakers was Nitesh Gaur, the Founder/CEO of Avanti schools rrust, and has a background in investment banking before turning his focus full-time to education and spiritual insight in leadership. 

One of the standout moments for me was the chance to speak directly with Nitesh Gaur about his experiences of carrying Hindu values into the world of investment banking, and how those shaped his journey into education and leadership. At the end of our conversation, he handed me a copy of Dharma in Capitalism which has since challenged and deepened the way I think about purpose and leadership.


Okay, lets get started with the review then.

What exactly is Dharma? Dharma usually translates to "duty" or "religion", ones actions that they are assigned to just simply do. For example, your (Dharma) duty at school is to work Your Dharma as a Christian is to love your neighbour. It’s also a little broader than this and is also about living in alignment with truth, justice, balance, and responsibility. In a way, it’s the glue that holds society together. Now, here’s the kicker: capitalism, as we know it, often gets accused of being cut-throat, profit-obsessed, and soulless. But what if we injected dharma into the system? That’s what Nitesh Gor sets out to explore.


C1- rethinking wealth

  • We start by reading challenges to the view of wealth as an end goal, reframing it as a tool for service and balance.

  • I really liked learning about his personal story and his "why?": his father refusing to give money to a beggar in India, recognising it would feed a corrupt system of exploitation.

  • It’s a reminder that even the smallest financial actions can reinforce or resist wider economic structures.


C2- dharma meets capitalism

  • Capitalism, he argues, is neutral — it’s simply a system of exchange. The issue is when it lacks ethical boundaries.

  • Dharma can act as the “guardrail,” shaping markets so they support fairness, trust, and human dignity.

  • My reflection: this felt refreshing. Instead of the tired capitalism vs. socialism debate, Nitesh shows how we can embed values directly into capitalism.


C3- the dharma index- very very cool

  • Introduces the Dharma Index: a framework to evaluate businesses not just on profits but on values like justice, sustainability, and fairness. He reviewed a bunhc of companies that fit a certain standard in terms of ethicalness, vegetarian etc.

  • Essentially an “ethical balance sheet” that could transform how investors assess companies.

  • My take: probably the coolest part of the book. As someone who sees how much markets respond to metrics, I loved the idea that “dharmic performance” could become as important as quarterly earnings.


C4- lessons from ancient texts

  • Draws on the Bhagavad Gita, upanishads, and hhindu philosophy to show leadership principles in practice.

    • Karma yoga → selfless action in leadership.

    • Aparigraha → non-hoarding, applied to issues like excess CEO bonuses.

  • I was sceptical about mixing ancient texts with corporate life, but it works. Like sometimes Ive heard stories about how hard it can really be. These teachings were pretty cool and relevant though, and I see how you could be more incoporating of hinduism and capitalism


C5- leadership in practice

  • Nitesh reflects on his own career in investment banking and how he tried to bring Hindu values into a high-pressure, profit-driven environment.

  • Leaders, he insists, must see themselves as custodians of trust, not just managers of capital.

  • Hving spoken to him directly at Varchasva about this, the message hit me harder; it’s not abstract theory, it’s something he has lived.


C6- economics with dharma at its core

  • Economics, he argues, is shaped by what it rewards. Right now, the system rewards short-term profit maximisation.

  • With dharma embedded markets could reward long-term wellbeing and human flourishing.

  • My view: this was the most radical and exciting idea. It made me think less about rejecting capitalism and more about re-engineering it from within.


This has got to be my favourite snippet:

  



Having finished teh book, I was inpired to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJuac3JCIbQ


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