Objective: To make a comparative analysis of the Polish and Indian model of social economy and to answer the question about sources of developmental dynamics of Indian social entrepreneurship. The Polish model of the social economy after dynamic development at the beginning of the 20th century was distorted during the communist period.
Methods/Findings: After 1989, Poland took over many solutions applied in the European Union, including the model of social economy. The European model of the social economy focuses on counteracting the exclusion of social groups that are neglected on the labor market, such as the disabled, the homeless, the unemployed and former prisoners. In India an original mix of spirituality has been existing, entrepreneurship and social commitment, creating a fertile ground for the development of the social economy sector.
Application: Indian social economy has made significant progress in recent years. It includes over 600,000 cooperative enterprises and 250 million users, making it the largest social economy in the world. These enterprises are active in promoting inclusive growth. Poland and India, despite large cultural differences, have also some common features. One of them is a large share of cooperative enterprises in the agricultural sector.