From Ambition to Action

Sustainable Development – Now and Then

Deepti — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:25:54 +0000

There are clear differences between the approach of previous generations towards sustainable development and that of today’s youth. The old model of people making money and waiting till the end of their lives to give it away is not acceptable to the new generation. Corporate social responsibility and philanthropy as concepts are less appealing to …

Bombay, I hate you like I love you

Deepti — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:19:38 +0000

Photo credits – Abhishek Sarda ‘On the streets of Bombay

Freeing Energy from the Grid

Deepti — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:21:14 +0000

As one of the fastest growing free-market democracies in the world, India’s growth rate of 8.2% is likely to continue. With this growth, the gap between energy demand and supply is also widening. While the liberalization and privatization of the 1990s has transformed the Indian economy, its lack of focus on rural electrification is posing …

My Connection to India’s Complex Growth Story

Deepti — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:43:53 +0000

I come from a family of well-educated engineers, doctors and civil officers. I grew up in a sheltered environment, learning about the significance of a credible education, of stability, and of planning as far ahead as possible. Most of my extended family relocated to study in the U.S, and have built comfortable lives there. If I was writing this a decade ago, I might have had a similar story to share. But I have grown up in the “new” India, and in this land of expanding opportunity, I chose the road less traveled. In my 26 years I have traveled the world, started a not-for-profit, spent a month in the Antarctic and have chosen a career that attempts at “good” business. Turning down several opportunities to continue working abroad, I chose to return to India.

Under the Imli tree:50 years of Vidyaranya

Deepti — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 13:20:38 +0000

“Believe nothing… …merely because you have been told it Or because it is traditional, Or because you have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you Merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, You find to be conducive to the good, The benefit, the welfare of …

The Future of Social Entrepreneurship

Deepti — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:08:20 +0000

From Beyond Profit A few decades ago when Joe Madiath started Gram Vikas, he was labeled a “social activist,” a type of rebel. Today, he and other entrepreneurs have become lynchpins in the social enterprise sector. In the ’80s, social entrepreneurship was a concept in the making; now it’s at a pivotal point. Many entrepreneurs …

Indian Microfinance Crisis of 2010: Turf War or a Battle of Intentions? – An Intellecap White Paper

Deepti — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:33:25 +0000

Recent allegations against Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs) by the media and the State have thrown sector stakeholders into a crisis. Accusations against MFIs include coercive practices, lack of transparency, and “usurious” interest rates. These accusations have resulted in the passage of an Ordinance by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP). Intellecap, an India-based social …

Reliving Robben Island

Deepti — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:20:59 +0000

“While we will not forget the brutality of Apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument of our hardship and suffering. We would want it to be a triumph of the human spirit against against the forces of evil. A triumph of of wisdom and largeness of spirit against small minds and …

Media meets Microfinance: The Big Debate, at the Srijan Financial Inclusion Forum 2010

Deepti — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:52:25 +0000

“The media does not understand the sector,” and “the media tends to sensationalize news,” are two of the most frequently heard comments when you ask Microfinance leaders what they think of the media coverage the sector receives. The reports about the state of microfinance and its practitioners in India have been unflattering, to say the …

Tribal Leadership & the Next Industrial Revolution

Deepti — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:40:18 +0000

Seth Godin, marketing guru, entrepreneur, author and change agent is in our neck of the woods this week. Word on the street is that he’s in India to make a film on marketing to low-income communities. On Wednesday, Godin spoke to a captivated audience at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad about the transformation …