The Indian Auto Rickshaw in Egypt: An Ethnography of Transnational Trade Connections

Abstract

How did the introduction of the Indian auto rickshaw in Egypt lead to the establishment of a transnational supply chain in the urban margins of the Nile Delta? Following the trajectory of an Indian trader in Egypt, this article reveals unexpected continuities and connections between networks of people and places. Its primary aim is to open a discussion on the epistemological issues of a rupture that is difficult to grasp, that is, the shift from a ‘globalization from below’ – limited to a few regions of the world and led by pioneer migrant-entrepreneurs – to a general globalization of trade frameworks.