Is India's entrepreneurial spirit or its economic desperation on display in the popularity of the Tata Ace?

The Tata Ace has become a symbol of small business growth and entrepreneurship in India, and it's everywhere. It is affordable, and this has enabled many individuals to begin their own delivery or transportation services that may help them to rise out of poverty. But critics say that the prevalence of the Ace is really a symptom of economic desperation, with people taking informal and often precarious work because there are no better options. The popularity of the vehicle has led to questions about the nature of economic development in India. Is the proliferation of microentrepreneurship via vehicles such as the Ace a hopeful sign of grass roots economic growth, or a smoke screen for widespread underemployment and lack of formal sector jobs? This debate also raises broader issues about economic policy, informal economies and the problems of development in populous nations.