Subject(s): Kerala Dinesh Beedi (Firm) -- Tobacco industry in India in Kerala. -- Cooperation in India in Kerala -- Beedi workers and the Kerala model, making of the beedi working class, Solidarity vs retrenchment - Birth of KDB -- From mobilization to efficiency- role of the central society, Dynamics of shop floor democracy - empowerment vs supervision in the beedi primary cooperatives -- Efficiency and profit in the primary societies- KDB's market dilemma, KDB and the international movement for workers cooperatives , Tobacco production and diversification at KDB