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I have gone to the Forest


Since March 2009, I left IIFM the second best place I ever lived in, after my home. As all other IIFMights believed, it was the time a new journey began. As the focus point changed, in came a new camera position, the new organisation, new forms, dead shapes. Trying to setup a visual rhythm seemed to come naturally. All of a sudden, I was in a forest of ‘Iron and Steel’, rather than a forest that I might dream of.

I started in a big way. My first conference with international fraternity, in a five star hotel, discussing core issues of food security over an affluent lunch. Surprisingly, everyone was so serious about a piggy bank sum of money, that is the “Chirag” of Aladdin. Coincidentally, both the families of Aladdin are poor, the earlier one as well as the latest one. But the icing on the cake is that many “Aladdin” are getting the different “Chirags” and all of them are working. Hope, some Aladdin will also get the daughter of the King.

Many of my class mates and alumni’s are designing and selling these “Chirags”. The great day will come soon, where every “Chirag” would flaunt the label “Made by IIFMight”.

Research and Health were the two sides of a coin, which I got first in my piggy bank. Both were excellently drawn by Rumi’s “Magic Pen”. Health and IIFM – Surprised !!!. But, when things were written by the “Magic Pen”, you know what happened. IIFMights have established a firm ground in this field as well. This may give a new dimension to many of the forest birds having a good eye in “Health” based research and there are still enough pages remaining to be written upon with your “Magic Pen”.

“Mr. CC” is shouting, saying “See See, what you have done”. But why, am I not able to see anything, in my AC cabin with my laptop ON, with the room illuminated by lights during day time. Oh “Mr. CC”!! I have not done anything. Let me check the outside world. Then I met IIFMights again in Mr. CC’s party, having one capital obviously not Delhi, its intellectual capital. Like me, many were good friends of Mr. CC, his brother, Mr. Kyoto and their family members: CERs, VERs, REDD, Vulnerability, Adaptation, Risk, Hazard and Variability, many more..........

The fraternity of Mowglis is also roaming with latest gadgets in their hands, capturing black strips on the yellow canvas. Also, they want some “Payments” either in cash or cheque from Aladdin for services like water, oxygen and some more natural assets. A conflict between luxury and survival. But, Mowglis are in the forest, its destiny.

Our thinking box resplendent with innovation, is made up of Forest. Still, IIFMights are thinking out of the box to plant a new sapling in this dense forest. My memories shiver for one good saying “Anyone can see aforestfire, the skill lies in sniffing the first smoke.”

Even today, my brain is baffled by many queries and still, “I Have No Answers”. While sitting on the rocks of the sunset point at old fort, I fondly remembered (sunset point of IIFM) and my heart says “I have gone to the Forest”.


IIFMight needs contributors.

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After a long time I tried posting something on this blog, but nothing came to my mind.. yeah nothing came to my mind that can be fit for a post on this particular blog. I do update my other blog once in a while but I write on this only when I have something which is related to IIFM. I realized that I have exhausted myself and have not much to share about my experience with IIFM/at IIFM /about IIFM.

So I am making a request to the current batch of students and other alumni to contribute to this blog to keep this alive. The search rankings and my interaction with IIFM aspirants ( I came to know them as the administrator of this blog) suggest that this blog is quite popular for people looking about information on our alma mater. So we have some good incentives to keep this blog alive and make it content rich. Even for many alumni this serves as one of the main resources to get updates on campus happenings and an indirect way to connect to students. But moreover, it serves all those IIFM aspirants who want to know more about IIFM and IIFMights (the official resources do not do justice on this front).

I would appreciate if members of the current batch (specially the members of clubs such as Literary or Media and Communication Club) can take some time out to contribute.

Daksh: the business plan competition

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Entrepreneurship Development Cell, IIFM conducted an event last year on 21st November called Entrepreneurship summit and Daksh the B-plan competition.

Following is the link of the video uploaded showing the highlights of the
event.

Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKe_Aammrfg



If you are facing problems in viewing the video online then you can
download the 10 min(76 Mb) video from the following link

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B-lQCOQDxYyQYjdmNTRhZWYtNzE3NC00NGE2LThjMjgtZjJhNTA2MDkyMjZh&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

Entrepreneurship Development Cell
IIFM, Bhopal
email: edc@iifm.ac.in

B-School Shutterbug: We missed it!!

Time to start again!!!

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More than a year has passed when I left those lofty gates. But still, not even a single day has gone, when I have not missed them.

I don’t have words to express my gratitude to IIFM. Wherever I am standing now, it’s because of that alma mater of mine. And, I am sure many of you must be feeling the same.Justify Full

After passing out from there, I had so many new experiences and believe me all those new experiences would not have happened had I not joined IIFM.

Why IIFM”?
The question which started from GD/PI…. And still, continues…..

I really feel so sad to see that this page is not so happening as it was thought of during the days of its inception. This page was meant to reconnect with each other. I know all of us are busy in our daily lives juggling between office and home, field visits and desk work, starting with new endeavors….

But still, we can definitely take out some time to write a blog for this platform now and then.

We owe at least this much to IIFM!!!

A proud IIFMight!!!

Swati Agrawal
(PFM’10)

IIfm-Life Changing Experience

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The very clichéd advice of ‘dream big’ has been a part of my everyday life while growing up. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, including those of my peers would only have those two words to say to me at family events, festivals, and even birthday parties! Over the course of time, it had all become very meaningless to me, mostly because whatever I had ‘dreamt’ of as a child had not quite taken shape. I had dreamt of being in the veterinary sciences, medical sciences, animation sciences too, but they weren’t quite realistic, at least not for someone like me.


Herein comes the importance of where I am now. The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. This past year has been a year of many firsts: My first degree, my first successful attempt at a competitive exam, my first interview as an adult and my first dream that came true.


I have heard of so many people, working or studying at places that only the cream of the cream go to, who are only just surviving because they must. The don’t love it, they’re not happy and they definitely wouldn’t hesitate to drop it all and leave, something I have not observed in anyone that I have encountered in my one year at IIFM, since June 2018. My seniors, my batch and my juniors roam free at this institute, and not just in the vast campus, but also in life.


IIFM gives us the chance of choosing where we want to go, be it in the annual adventure camp, or in the form of a career. Whether you want to live in the mixed evergreen forests of the Vidarbha landscape and walk with the wild, or wish to magically play with numbers such that your selfless effort helps out women, children and farmers in need, you will find the way, if you start at IIFM.

We, at this institute, are taught to look at the greater good, to realize there is so much more to life than an air-conditioned office that comes free with a seven-digit-salary, to look at the bigger picture in terms of people, the environment and species that walk the earth with us and to help ourselves rise to a platform where we can be the kind of people that we have always wanted to be.


IIFM has taught me to be courageous, to experiment, to find what makes me happy, to live my life the way I want to and not the way it has been dictated to me, but most importantly, it has taught me to appreciate the clichéd advice of ‘dream big’. I have found my calling at this institute I now call home, and it may not have been like the ‘Eureka!’ moment in the movies we like to watch, but it has, without a doubt, made me someone who can stand on a giant stage in front of the world and say with confidence, that I, for the first time in twenty-three years, am finally proud of myself.


Adrija Roy
PFM 2017-19

Janmashtami@IIFM

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Govinda aala re....... aala !!!!!!

Umang, the Cultural club of IIFM once again brought the smile and joy on the faces of students by organising Janmashtami and reminded the culture of family celebration and strong relations among the IIFM family.
The buzz could be felt from the day before the Janmashtami itself with students forming their teams for the event and some student running around to get all the stuff from the market, to make sure that event went successfully.
As we have the tradition and culture, the event started with Puja, and some students have taken fast also.

Janmashtami celebrated in mess lawn which was well decorated. The ceremony started with much-anticipated "Matki-Phod" around eight teams participated six-member each was present to show their skills and take home the crown. Water rained down by the other alternate squad on the team. And cheering from the crowd and the "hoo-haa, hoo-haa" of the teams all added to pump up the whole atmosphere. It all ended with a team completed the task in Just 35 seconds, followed by grand dinner in a mess.
It was a wonderful experience and some memories to cherish for the rest of our days at IIFM.

"Experience cold or heat, pleasure or pain
these experience are fleeting,
they come and go, bear them patiently."
-----------------------Bhagwat Geeta.


Glimpses of Matki Phod:







Written By: NavNeet Dimri (PFM 2017-19)
Organising Credits: Team Umang
Photo Credits: Vicky.

Launch of Environmental Literacy Campaign 2018

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Ganpati Bappa  Moriya !!!!!
Ganesha Chaturthi was celebrated at the Indian Institute of Forest Management. Looking at the 21st-century environmental challenges, the emphasis was given on celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly manner. This included the activities such as celebrating the festival with minimal use of plastic, reuse of decoration materials, hundred percent clay idol with no artificial colours used for painting, nirmalya composting, eco-friendly immersion in artificial pond and plantation of a sapling from the clay of idol on the last day.
On the Auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, with the blessing of lord Ganesha, we the green managers of IIFM are glad to announce the successful launch of Environmental Literacy Campaign – 2018, to be conducted on 26th to 28th October at our own city of lakes, Bhopal. ELC is a small step towards conservation of nature and taking sustainability to the masses.
COME, PARTICIPATE & LEARN

Glimpses Of Today's Event:






Photo Credits: Bhaskar (PFM 17-19) & Adyut (PFM 18-20)
Written By: Vikesh Kumar & Abhishek Gawande (PFM 17-19)




IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Rahul Bist (PFM 1999-2001), Founder Partner @ M2i Consulting

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Rahul Bist (PFM 1999-2001) is one of the Founder Partners of M2i Consulting, which is currently one of the leading consulting companies in the country on financial inclusion, training, and M&E services. He has done advisory, assessment, training, and consulting related assignments in over 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. As one of the lead team members of M2i, his role is to visualize future opportunities, develop strategies, forge partnerships and translate strategies into actions through a team of professionals who are part of M2i.

Email- rahul.bist@m2iconsulting.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. The journey so far has been eventful and exciting, to say the least. From the uncertainty about my career option after graduating, to finally finding a path and then treading on it has been adventurous and fulfilling. I started from an NGO, moved on to a consulting company, and then started my own company at an early age. 

I was in the job for hardly 5 years before starting my own company. It was risky, but I never realized the risk at that time in the excitement and youthfulness when I started the venture. I guess a certain level of foolishness to rush in is needed for entrepreneurship. However, I realized that success was not just a function of hard work or smart work but it consists of multiple other factors too. Some of these which they don't teach is the art of just 'hanging in there' when the going gets tough, being thick-skinned when you seek business, being patient when you don't get results, and the ability to choose what is 'right' rather than going for quick success through 'wrong'.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. I started my career as a Development Professional, moving on to be a credit rating analyst. I did over 50 credit ratings of MFIs in around 10 countries. The variety of institutions I rated gave me the confidence to foray into advisory with my own company. At M2i, we have not just provided various advisory, market research, analytics, and training services but also taken pioneering sectoral initiatives.

We have developed and implemented a risk management framework for MFIs. We have developed a methodology and tool for the Code of Conduct Assessment (COCA) of MFI, which is a global first. COCAs are now an integral part of the industry and all banks need COCA reports. M2i holds the copyright on its methodology. We have also done pioneering work on HR practices and Loan Portfolio Audits. 

Evolving with time and seeing the future requirements, M2i developed an online training platform and content. Currently, we have over 35,000 users on our online training platforms which are used by several prominent MFIs, banks, and other financial institutions. M2i has also developed an online M&E tool that helps in project monitoring and evaluations. Internationally, M2i has developed products and linkage models for various saving groups to avail financial services from formal financial institutions. M2i models helped in financial inclusion in countries like Ethiopia, Burundi, Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, Rwanda, and Bangladesh.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. The most satisfying part of my current role is that as advisors, assessors, or as a due diligence agency we get an opportunity to improve the practices in the industry, to challenge the benchmarks, and to push institutions to strive for the standard which may not be the norm. Often when we are advising or assessing some institution, we are invariably told that this is the industry practice, 'everyone does it'. However, we in our role can say to them that 'what everyone is doing could be wrong', industry practice could be wrong. Hence, we as an independent agency can challenge the norms and set standards. I feel that as consultants we have that responsibility and that for me is most satisfying. 

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. I think IIFM has helped in developing an attitude and provided a launch platform. IIFM helped, at least me, in appreciating the fact that I am a professional and I have an opportunity and a role to play. Before IIFM, I never thought of myself more than a 'student'. IIFM gave the environment, peers, and culture which could be utilized by anyone to make a difference if one wishes to.

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.

A. My advice to the youngsters would be to be resilient, to have a long-term strategy, and not be wavered or lured by quick gains through wrongful shortcuts. Try to create something that can truly add value. For which one will need to remain updated and on top of things. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. My favorite memories are many. I think IIFM was one of the best phases of my life. I fondly remember our fight for submitting assignments, those group trips, bamboosa parties, field-trip, OTs, walks down the helipad, contemplating on the sunset point, and my room overlooking the lake and the hill. I cannot forget my roomie, and it was all so amazing. It is giving me goosebumps even recalling it.

I guess every boy and girl out there needs to cherish it to the fullest. It may sound cliche but believe me, it feels like yesterday. IIFM is so ingrained, that I can visualize my first day landing at IIFM, Director's welcome speech, each of my faculty, taking tea-break in between classes, going to the library, computer center, tea tapri, going to mess, forming those committees, winning the Director's Prize for Best OT (now called as Summer Internship), Kalpataru - annual fest, everything is so fresh and it shall always remain so!!

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. I think it was the overall environment rather than one or two things. As I said earlier, before IIFM, I was just a 'student', IIFM helped me to become a 'professional'. The environment at IIFM was a real change for me. The infrastructure, the faculty, the assignments & presentations, field trips, student clubs & committees all have their impact on you. On top of that, luckily I had an excellent and a very competent set of batch mates. So you learn a lot from such peers. Even today, I feel very proud of all my batch mates who have done remarkably well in their careers.

Q. The best buddies/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?

A. The tidbits at IIFM are enough to write a book about. But I was very happy as our field trip took us to Dehradun, the place I belonged to. We stayed at FRI, it was winter and the weather was amazing, I remember my parents inviting our entire batch to home and we had a mini-party at my home, it was wonderful and my parents felt very happy hosting my friends. In one of the dinners at FRI with a batch of trainee IFS officers, I played harmonica and everyone appreciated. 

I also remember numerous fun episodes with friends and my room-mate Biplav. Once I had a brightly colored tree-snake on my study desk and I thought Biplav had put it on my desk to scare me. So I tried to poke it with a pencil to show my daredevilry to Biplav. However, Biplav had a laugh of his life looking at my frightened reaction when I finally realized it was a real snake that sneaked into our room. :)

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. IIFM is a multi-dimensional experience, one should not spoil it by getting obsessed by only one side of it. Try to soak in as much as you can. Be bold, participate in things, experiment, have fun, be mischievous, make friends, make plans, and try to evolve as an individual. Do not be influenced by negativity and nurture that creative instinct.

Q

. What is your typical day at the office? (We want to know what your day job looks like..)

A. A typical day for me could start in a far-off place visiting a client's office, attending a meeting, delivering training, or visiting communities in the field. Travel is a big part of my job profile, and 50% of the days are like that. However, the rest 50% may start at my own office with me preparing proposals, negotiating with clients, doing team meetings, making presentations, doing data analysis, or writing a report. 

Q. Would you like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family..

A. My hobbies are running, I have done a few Half-marathons. I also listen to music, and I like cooking. In addition to that, I have a weird hobby of watching science videos, General Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics are my favorite subjects. On the family side, I have a wonderful wife and an amazing daughter.

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors, ..

A. Books: 'Kite Runner', Movies: I like all psychological thrillers, horror movies, sci-fi movies, and superhero movies. I can't stand drama and romantic movies.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?

A. I will be available for online or physical lectures, training, or talks. Microfinance, financial analysis, and or other management subjects is what I can take sessions on.

Q.What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

 A. 

It is difficult for me to comment on this as I have not visited IIFM for some time. While I am aware of some of the changes, it would be difficult for me to comment if they are for the better or worse. But I liked our small batch size and the hostel. We did not have a separate male and female hostel which I thought was progressive and mature.

Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Neeraj Negi. He is in World Bank, Washington, USA.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Bishnu Charan Parida (MRM 2004-05), COO of JSLPS (RDD, GoJ) and Board member of IIFM Alumni Association

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Bishnu Charan Parida (MRM 2004-05) is a development management professional having 25 years of full-time experience in NGO, UN, and Govt. agencies. Currently, he is working as a Chief Operating Officer of JSLPS (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, Rural Development Department, Govt. of Jharkhand). JSLPS is implementing National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) the flagship scheme of the Government of India in Jharkhand and is one of the best performing development organizations in the country.  He had earlier worked as Dy. CEO in SSUPSW (Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of Bihar), as SPO in UNDP (in Jharkhand), as a Team Leader in PRADAN (Odisha and Jharkhand), and as an Educational Trainee in RSC (NCSM), Govt. of India in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 
He is a gold medalist (topper) in his class of MRM at IIFM in 2005. He did Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan in 1995 with 1st Class (2nd Topper) and B.Sc. (Physics Honors) from Utkal University, Odisha in 1991.  He completed an eMDP (Satellite-based 6 months duration) on "Senior Leadership Programme (SLP)" from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode in 2015. Presently he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Management from ICFAI University Jharkhand. He is a member of ICSD (International Consortium for Social Development). 
Email Id - bparida@gmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 
A. I did MRM course in IIFM in 2004 - 05 taking a sabbatical leave from PRADAN after working for nearly 8 years.  Before that, I had tried few distance learning courses from IGNOU and the University of Hyderabad unsuccessfully (could not submit assignments in time due to full-time work). After completing the MRM course in IIFM, I continued in PRADAN for the next 4 years and then move to UNDP in 2009.  I worked in UNDP in Jharkhand up to 30th December  2011. I worked in SSUPSW (State Society for Ultra Poor and Social Welfare), Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of Bihar for a short period i.e. from 2nd January 2012 to 20th June 2013. I am continuing in JSLPS from 22nd June 2013. 

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 
A. My present organization JSLPS is one of the biggest development organizations in Jharkhand and also in India. It has an outreach to 32 Lakh Rural Households (families) through 2.56 Lakh womenSelf-Help Groups in NRLM. It has a budget outlay of more than INR 1,000 crores per year, 2,800 staff on its payroll, and more than 50,000 Community cadres are supporting its mission of women empowerment and livelihoods promotion. JSLPS is also implementing high intensive livelihood projects (I. JOHAR through World Bank and II. J-HIMDI through JICA loan fund) in Jharkhand. It is satisfying to work in a big organization with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals in the government set up and collaborate with multi-stakeholders from the state government to the central government, resource agencies, NGOs, World Bank, etc. We can undertake any big or small activity all over the Jharkhand in quick time. Women SHG members and staff of JSLPS had done lots of work in the initial phase of the COVID-19  pandemic in Jharkhand and prevented spreading the coronavirus to a great extent. But the operational job is painful and one is always under pressure to deliver quickly and report the progress frequently.     

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Yes, I learned Natural Resource Management, General Management, and Organizational Behaviour in IIFM which helped me in broadening my understanding of Environment, Development, Research, and Management and inter-link between people -planet- profit. It helped me to play my leadership role in a better way. MRM degree of IIFM helped me to work in UNDP and also to pursue Ph.D. in Management.
 
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers. What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles? 
A. Many teachers, development professionals including my colleagues in PRADAN, UNDP. SSUPSW and JSLPS and even my MRM classmates have influenced me in my career. 
My advice to freshers and IIFM graduates are - 
One should assess his / her values, strengths, weaknesses, likes, desires, dominant emotions, etc. required for various sectors. For example, the development sector job needs professionals with passion and concern for others particularly for the poor and underprivileged. Government sector job needs much patience and working in ambiguity while corporate sector job needs quick delivery ability in the tight timeline/schedule.   
It takes time to identify one's passion and talent for one particular domain/sector i.e. environmental jobs or micro-finance or development sector jobs. One should accept the job offer whatever comes to him/her, work for few years, and then move to his desired role with further preparation and capacity building.  
Freshers who have an interest in teaching and research should do a Ph.D. in the desired subject in the early phase of their career (ideally within 3 years).
Freshers who want a leadership position in any sector should work a little longer (more than 5 years) and gain diverse experiences. Few experts say that one needs to work in a minimum of two Domains (Marketing / IT / Business Development / Operations / HR / Finance etc.) in two positions (field-level / regional level / National level / Corporate Headquarters) in two regions (states/countries) to become a successful leader in any sector.
Job profiles are changing drastically due to the influence of technology, innovation, and market demand. One should not be predetermined to work on a particular job. One should develop his / her abilities to work on any job in any sector.
Self-development and continuous learning of diverse things for further improvement should be given priority. Early success leads to arrogance, arrogance leads to complacency, and then to failure. Be humble while getting success and bounce back from failures. Develop resilience capacity to survive in the complex job market. 
Communication skill is an essential skill which is required for all kinds of jobs in all sectors. Observing, listening, and responding appropriately are ingredients of better communication skills.

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 
A. Celebration of birthdays in mid-night, going to the New Market area of Bhopal in a small group, field trips to different forest divisions/biodiversity parks are few memories of IIFM days. MRM 2004 – 05 batch mates are all close friends. Our relationship is continuing through phone calls, WhatsApp, and occasional meets.  

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!)  or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. I have been influenced by many faculty members of IIFM. A few of them are Dr. Parul Rishi, Dr. Rekha Singal, Dr. Suparva Patnaik, Dr. Amitabh Pandey, Dr. P. K. Biswas, and Dr. H. S Gupta.  Interestingly, Dr. Parul Rishi and Dr. Rekha Singal ( now at IIM – Ranchi) have been helping me in my Ph.D. work on Emotional Intelligence. We are also working on few research surveys. 

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
A. I read lots of books and magazines mainly on non-fiction i.e. self-development, management, and leadership. I am a member of the Book Lovers Club (BLC) of India.  I am a subscriber of Amazon Kindle unlimited, Medium, Harvard Business Review, Readers Digest, Mindtools, etc. Furthermore, I have done and currently pursuing few online courses on Emotional Intelligence, Research methodology, Leadership, etc. through EDX, Coursera, Swayam platforms. I also watch Bollywood movies on the weekends with family using OTT subscription (Airtel Xtream, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, and Discovery+).

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. I am interested to take classes (online and offline) on the Development sector for students, joint research and consultancy assignments with faculty, and networking with alumni as a contribution to IIFM.

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Jayanta Sharma, MRM 2004 - 05.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Rahul Bharadwaj (PFM 2006-08), Founder @ Ayvole

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Rahul Bharadwaj (PFM 2006-08) is a market researcher by profession and specializes in B2B (e-technology as well as non-e-tech/industrial domains) research. An alumnus of PFM 2006-08 batch of IIFM, Rahul worked with Kantar (formerly IMRB International) for more than a decade, since being placed in 2008 till founding his own consulting firm, Ayvole, in late-2020. In his role as a market researcher, he advises clients on go-to-market / market entry strategies, market sizing & demand estimation, competition assessment, customer segmentation, product & concept tests, pricing, branding & communication, supply chain diagnostics, stakeholder satisfaction/experience, etc.

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulbharadwaj/

FB: https://www.instagram.com/rahulb1802/

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/rahul.bharadwaj.18/

Blogs: https://rahulbharadwaj.wordpress.com/

Email: rahulb83@outlook.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. I was offered a position as Associate Research Manager at IMRB International (now Kantar) during the IIFM Campus Placement Fest. And that organization remained my professional mainstay from 2008 to 2020 (barring a year-long sabbatical which I took in 2012-13 to appear in Civil Services Examination). I have not only learned the tricks of the trade here – thanks to amazing bosses, colleagues, and juniors who I had the fortune of knowing over the years – but was also able to apply that to the satisfaction of many a client. My journey up the responsibility ladder in this organization has been immensely satisfying. In fact, I used to joke around the office corridors that IMRB, in fact, meant “I’m Rahul Bharadwaj”. Ha ha! However, since the past couple of years, I have been wanting to start work as an independent market research and insights consultant and, eventually, I moved out of Kantar at the end of 2020. I am now building my own consulting firm, Ayvole, and hope to bring even more value to my clients through my work.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. I always used to tell my team (at Kantar) that a couplet from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara defines a researcher best: “Ankhon Mein Hairaniya Le Kar Chal Rahe Ho To Zinda Ho Tum.” That, I suppose, defines any job – you are bound to do well if you hold the world (professionally, in this case) around you in wonder and are ever ready to learn new things. The moment you decide to stop learning – you die (professionally).

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. There are two things that are absolutely rewarding in a role of a B2B market researcher. The first is the joy of learning new things. As a market researcher, you need to delve into the unknown. There is an excitement to that journey – something akin to an adventure. You must be ready to be surprised! And that is fun – even if many times daunting.

The second is the variety of work that you get to do which never ever allows your learning curve to flatten. During my decade-long experience in this field, I have worked with clients in sectors such as auto, BFSI, biotech & health, building materials, construction & real-estate, e-tech, energy & environment, FMCG, FMCD, industrial tools and machinery, logistics, etc. Within each sector, clients’ central business questions have varied widely. It cannot get more diverse than this.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. While the course structure, content, pedagogy as well as delivery at IIFM was amazing, I think it was the practical experiences that IIFM offered us, through field trips and organizational training, that came in particularly useful for me professionally.

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your career? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?

A. The greatest influence on me, professionally, has been my first boss – Mr. V. Sridhar– and my super-boss – Mr. Rathina Kumar. In fact, it was Mr. Rathina Kumar who interviewed me at the IIFM’s Placement Fest. Both of them have been amazing mentors and have been responsible for my development as a B2B market researcher. These are the people whom I still reach out to for any advice in this field. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. Memories at IIFM are like Hermione’s Handbag– you can conjure any type of memory you want and IIFM is sure to provide it. However, it is the friends, which I made for life, which I cherish the most about IIFM. We loved each other, we worked with each other, we played with each other, we fought with each other, and then hated each other before falling in love again. And it was simply an amazing magical time which I experienced there. I can keep talking about this and I am sure what I would say has already been said by the alumni you have interviewed before me and would also be said by those who you would interview after me.

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!)  or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. All of the I above, I suppose. Brilliant and passionate teachers, a treasure trove of a library, amazing friends, the beautiful campus (which inspires you in its own quaint ways) as well as always-ready-to-help alumni – they have all played a significant role.

Q. The best friends/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable titbits that you like to share.

A. We were fortunate to be taught by the very best of teachers who challenged our limits and helped us achieve those. I would especially like to mention Dr. C.S. Rathore, Dr. Manmohan Yadav, Dr. CVRS, Dr. Patnaik, Dr. Rekha Singhal, Dr. Amitabh Pandey, and many others.

Among the seniors, I was fortunate enough to have done one of my internships under Mr. Ashish Mishra (then at Grasim) where I learned a lot. I have been privileged to know Mr. Akshai Abraham and Mr. Santosh Singh closely while in Chennai. Among the immediate seniors, I interacted the most with Mr. Mayank Chaturvedi who was also a sounding board for me and had many words of great advice which have really helped me a lot.

I had amazing people as my batchmates, and I came to love and respect all of them and am still in touch with many of them. I had a wonderful time with people such as Arjun (you can’t beat his undiminishable energy), Shrey (loved his amazing attitude and his ideals of friendship), Sunil (a genius with unmatched humility), Shailendra, Parul, Pranita, Kallol, Sonal, Varun, Kshitiz, Shweta, Kanika and Garima, and others.

Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. First (and this is advice which I would give anyone at any stage of life), know that you are there because you were meant to be there. So, search for your destiny within and around yourself (in this case IIFM – both its soft and hard infrastructure). Look hard and for sure you will find it.

Be amazed and keep your five senses open to new learning – this is a wonderful life (even if at times it does not seem so)! Make great friends! Have fun! Be loyal – to yourself (most of all) and to others! Take time out to develop yourself – both intellectually and emotionally. Take things seriously – but only to the extent they merit and no more.

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. I would answer this question in two parts: time as an employee and that as an entrepreneur.

I have worked in Delhi NCR for most of my career (except for the initial 3.5 years or so when I was in Chennai; a city I fell in love with). This has meant a long commute to the office (though I also worked from home 1-2 days a week) – between 1.5 to 2 hours one side depending upon the mode of transport I took (car or metro). My typical day at the office, which was around 8-10 hours long, comprised, lately, working with my managers and my team to plan the strategy to achieve our targets and then executing them. This included meeting clients, understanding their research needs, preparing proposals for them, supervising the execution of market research projects, and, obviously, firefighting when things go wrong (which they do and should do; or else how would you learn!).

Since January 2021, when I started working independently, through my firm Ayvole, I typically work from 8 AM in the morning to around 8 PM in the night (with the usual breaks in between). My workday is more varied now – I spend more time learning, especially the things which I had been putting off, a significant time is spent networking especially on LinkedIn, writing new proposals as well as further developing my offer. The days are more hectic now and though I am nowhere near working 80 hours a week, I can feel what Lori Greiner (Shark Tank fame) meant when she said that “entrepreneurs are the only people who work 80-hour weeks to avoid working 40-hour weeks”. There is always a nagging feeling at the end of the day that I haven’t done enough and, I suppose that is a good thing. It keeps me on my toes.

Q.  And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add

A. Again, this question too I would like to answer in two parts: pre-Covid-19 and through/post-Covid-19 times.

We (me and my wife) largely had a “weekend marriage”, since our marriage, as she works as a government doctor near Dehradun (also a hometown for both of us) and we largely met over the weekends only. Therefore, a workweek for both of us has been strictly working and weekends being strictly fun. Over these many years of marriage, we have cultivated many common hobbies. We love theatre (watching) and spent many Saturday-evenings enjoying the rich Delhi theatre culture. We also love to travel and see new places and ensured that we holidayed (even if for a short 2-4 day period) at least 3 or 4 times a year. Apart from this, we also love watching movies, dining out, and trying out new cuisines.

As soon as Covid-19 became an emergency in India (late March 2020), Kantar declared a mandatory work-from-home for an indefinite period and I shifted my base to Dehradun. In the initial 3-4 months, we remained very vigilant regarding Covid-19 prevention precautions (especially because my wife’s hospital was one of the centre of Covid-19 quarantine/treatment). This meant literally ‘castling’ our house and moving out only when absolutely necessary. However, since late June when the lockdowns eased, I and my wife started exploring Dehradun on our cycles and it has now become a passion. Late last year, we also bought an electronic piano and are slowly learning our way around it. I do hope to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata someday. So, in a way, Covid-19 has brought a lot of changes to my life and most have been very welcoming. 

Q.  Favourite Books, movies, authors.

I am a voracious reader (though of late I find less time to read) and maintain a good library at home. Therefore, the books are too many to name here. But, in general, I love reading about history and culture, William Dalrymple being my favourite. I have, over the years, come to love the twilight period of Indian history (a 150-year period from the death of Aurangzeb to the 1857 Rebellion). Reading books (and traveling) has allowed my mind to open up (and as Dr. Chinmaya S Rathore sir said once to me, (“opening up is an irreversible process”).

I love a variety of movies except, in general, the horror genre (I have no patience for the ever-angry ghost bent on troubling anyone and everyone but fell in love with the way the ghost stories were humanized in the Netflix twin-series, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’). I love the fantasy genre the most with The Lord of the Rings movies (as also the book) being my all-time favourite. Among the directors, I like movies by Christopher Nolan as well as Quentin Tarantino (I haven’t watched all his movies but fell in love with all the ones which I watched).

I generally like soft music – mostly Indian – but of late have also started listening to Piano pieces (absolutely love Ludovico Einaudi).

Love for poetry, both English and Hindustani, is something which – I believe – I have inherited from my maternal grandfather through my mother. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar remains my, as of so many others’, favourite.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?

A. I would be very happy to help in any way I can to contribute towards IIFM, its students as well as alumni. One of the most immediate things which I can do is mentor students on whatever I have learnt in the corporate world over the years through sessions/lectures. I am also working towards floating, at least one, summer internship this year at my firm Ayvole. I am hoping that it may prove useful for the development of students at IIFM in whatever limited way.

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. Unfortunately, (and this has been largely due to procrastination on my part) I have not visited IIFM since I graduated in 2008. I would love to visit soon – as soon as this pandemic gets over. But I have been in touch with some of the professors, the alumni, and the students. The feedback has been mixed – with the general trend (even if gradual) being of some pessimism over the years. I would be very happy to help, in any way, to make the sentiment, as well as the underlying conditions for that, more positive. 

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A. I have mentioned many of my batchmates in one of the questions above. You can profile/interview all of them – they are all amazing people.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Gitesh Gunjan (PFM 2006-08), Senior Manager, E&Y LLP

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Gitesh Gunjan (PFM 2006-08) is currently working as Senior Manager in the Business Consulting vertical of Ernst & Young LLP. While working for the government and public sector advisory practice, his specific area of focus is in the Skill Development & Entrepreneurship consulting space. 

During the initial years of his career, he did manage on-ground execution and implementation of several large-scale skill development programs as a training service provider. While during the latter half of his career, he has been engaged in undertaking various consulting assignments which involved supporting various Central/State Government departments in devising/updating their schemes and policy documents, designing the scheme guidelines & SoPs, providing advisory & program management support, etc.

Email- giteshgunjan@hotmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. Post passing out from IIFM, I did join IMS Learning at their Pro-school division where my role was to manage the business development aspects of various professional development courses. There, I got an opportunity to execute placement-linked vocational training programs for underprivileged rural youth of Gujarat. With that little understanding and experience of implementing skill development programs, my journey in the sector started. I did join IL&FS Clusters thereafter where I had to implement the large-scale skills training programs across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 

With good exposure and understanding in the skilling space, I had got an opportunity to get into consulting with EY. After working there for good 2 years, I switched to PwCpost which I did also try my luck in entrepreneurship through the opening of a quick-service restaurant at Bhopal, which I had to close in just 6-7 months. Thereafter, I have been with EY for the last 4 years where I lead and manage multiple consulting assignments for many Central & State Govt. departments. 

Apart from working on several research-based studies and providing consulting services to clients, my role is to undertake and manage business development by expanding the existing solutions to new geographical areas & clients and developing new solutions and products in the sector to broaden up the business horizon for the firm.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. Every project and assignment that I had managed and executed, has given me ample opportunities to learn and can be quoted as a milestone in itself. However, I would like to mention my experience with IL&FS Clusters where I had independently managed various large-scale skill development programs and multiple cluster development programs at the regional level. As a Regional Head, my responsibilities included, hiring and managing 100+ team members, managing the establishment of multiple training centers, developing and maintaining the relationship with the industry players & employers, regular coordination with various govt. officials while meeting the year-on-year business targets.

Such exposure at IL&FS helped me a lot in taking up new roles and responsibilities later in my career. I would also like to mention my learnings at EY where I have been given an opportunity to manage my portfolio of consulting projects and develop new businesses. With extensive work experience in scheme design, policy-making, and delivering advisory services to various Central/State Govts. and multilateral agencies, I have started looking at government schemes, policies, and programs with a different lens.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. When I look back to the statistics and the impact that has been created on the millions of people through the number of skill development & entrepreneurship initiatives and cluster development programs across India, I feel very happy about it. I feel satisfied with the fact that my little contribution and efforts while working in the sector have created a path for employment and income generation for lakhs of men and women across India.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. It is IIFM that has carved my career path and has given me the very opportunity to kick start my professional journey. The learnings at IIFM have helped me to be a quick decision-maker, deliver time-bound assignments and become a true professional.

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?

A. I can proudly say that the IIFM family has been the key influencer, guide, and driver which helped me excel in my professional journey at every stage of my career to date.

As suggested by many of our alumni, I would also like to reiterate that one should identify his/her strengths, weaknesses, and interest areas and focus on continuous self-development. I would like to advise the youngsters that one should be mindful in choosing the career path because we generally get attracted to the track which gives us more financial gain at the start and not the long-term sustainable option. 

Our Alumni are the greatest asset of the IIFM family and I would strongly suggest each one of you to be in continuous touch with them, seek guidance and support at any point in time. I have worked with several colleagues from various institutions and I can confidently say that the way we IIFMights are bonded together, cannot be seen elsewhere.

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. There are many memorable experiences at IIFM which I can recall. Some of them include Birthday bumps, Holi celebration, Tug of War, Cooking litti-chokha and chicken (Abhishek's specialty), adventurous ride in "Bhatt Suar", Snacks at Madhuram Sweets, Ice-Cream at Top n Town New Market, buying second-hand stuff with Kallol, Chicken Lollypop at Sakshi Dhaba, Movie screening by our Movie Club, Sunday Biryani at IIFM Mess, Skits we participate in and many more...

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. I think the courses such as Strategic Management, Financial Management, Quant, and respective elective subjects were very useful. Participating across various IIFM clubs, activities, assignments/projects, field visits and 2 OTs have helped me in overall personal and professional development.

Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?

A. I had a fantastic time with all my batchmates and seniors at IIFM. I cannot forget the Quant classes by CVRS Sir, RD, and Microfinance classes by Biswas Sir at flexible timings proposed by us, IT classes by meticulous CSR Sir, HR&OB Classes by always smiling Rekha Ma'am, very useful lessons in Microeconomics by Madhu Verma ma'am, Ecology classes by Suprava ma'am and forestry classes by Amitabh sir and YD sir.

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. I would suggest all the newcomers of the IIFM family to learn every lesson, participate in every activity, and cherish every moment at IIFM. I think you may not get another chance in life to experience such a magical life on campus. IIFM has everything that you want to learn, experience, and take away with.

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. I think there is no typical day in consulting. Rather, it's a combination of day and night most of the time. I am just kidding 😊. But yes, it is a regular practice of consultants to work till stretched hours.

My work typically involves meeting various government clients, taking stock of the ongoing projects, number of phone calls, lot of interstate travel, and managing various Bids. I feel that leading a bid/BD proposal is a big event for us and it involves a lot of teamwork, planning, and strategic inputs. Post its submission I generally feel similar relief that one feels after successfully completing his/her child's marriage. But, then comes another child to get married and it goes on and on..... Even with all these, I feel every day is interesting and challenging and it gives me immense opportunities to showcase my abilities and learn further.

Q. Would you like to share about your typical weekends...

A. During weekends, I love cooking and spending time with my family, friends, and relatives. I also love watching movies, TV series (mostly Hindi), playing badminton, etc.

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors,...

A. I have only read "The Alchemist" and "The Ultimate Gift" and so, these two books are my favorites 😊. I love watching almost all Bollywood movies and few select flicks from Hollywood. Some of my favorites are Barfi, Aankhon Dekhi (Sanjay Mishrastarrer), Zakhm, Bheja Fry, Life of Pi, Despicable Me, Ice Age series, and of course Bahubali (fantastic creation by Rajamouli)

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?

A. I would be very happy to contribute in whatever way possible to the IIFM family.

Q.What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. When I studied at IIFM, we used to have 2 different organizational training of 10 weeks each and this gave us an extensive exposure and understanding of the professional world before we came out from the Institute. I think it would be nice if the same can be re-initiated. 

I can see more traction among the alumni now, as compared to when I studied at IIFM. A lot of activities, workshops, newsletters, and forums have been created/undertaken to enhance alumni engagement which I feel is a very positive pursuit. With the newly created Alumni Association and better alumni participation, I am sure we would be able to bring the required positive changes and help our alma-mater to become a sought place for recruiters from across the world to hire budding leaders.

Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A. I want all my batch mates to get profiled here as all of them are doing exceptionally well in their areas of the professional journey. 

We have some alumni who had chosen to contribute to nation-building by joining civil services. Mr. Bhashkar Lakshkar, Mr. Neeraj Bhansod, Mr. Vineet Abhishekare some of them. I would like to get them profiled. We should also profile Mr.Amit Vatsyayan and similar stalwarts who have reached the topmost level in their respective organizations and can share their inspirational journey with us.

IIFMight in News: Mr. Rana Pujari, PFM 2012-14,

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We are pleased to inform that Mr. Rana Pujari, from PFM 2012-14, has been selected to join the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctic Expedition to be held in November 2021! Rana is currently working as Program Officer - South Asia with The Climate Group, based in Delhi. 

Every year 2041 Foundation, an organisation founded by Robert Swan, organises this expedition to generate awareness on climate change, preserve Antarctica by safeguarding the Madrid protocol ending in 2041 and train future climate leaders. Robert is one of the world's greatest living explorers and the first person in history to walk to both the North and South Poles. 
Rana, says, "It is a great honour as well as a responsibility for me to be among the few Indians in a cohort of 80 individuals selected from across the world on this expedition to the South Pole, the ‘Last Great Wilderness’ on Earth. I could possibly end up being the only person representing the State of West Bengal this year, a feat I have never dreamt of achieving in my life." This is a Certified CarbonNeutral Voyage.
Rana further adds, "I will use this opportunity to witness, first hand, the impact of global warming, exchange knowledge and learning with my global peers and conduct scientific exploration, and among all, meet Robert Swan and be part of the ‘Leadership on the Edge’, a leadership training program that he himself conducts. This expedition will help build climate leadership and prepare me better to generate more awareness about the rising impact of global warming and climate change and call out purposeful actions from key stakeholders. On my return, my aim will be to share my story to inspire more and more youths and run campaigns to raise awareness around environmental conservation and sustainability in our society, government and businesses."
To make this possible, Rana needs to self raise ~USD 20000/INR 14.5 lakhs. He has started a crowdfunding campaign on Ketto and looks forward to a blend of corporate, government, and individual sponsorships to support his expedition costs. Here is a link to his Ketto Fundraiser - https://lnkd.in/dHjBKsPHe ends up with, "I need you to help fulfill this ambition of not only mine but of us all. Please help spread the word and/or Donate to enable me to contribute more meaningfully to the cause of the planet we call home."

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Soumya Guha (PFM 2002-04), Country Director @ Plan International

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Soumya Guha (PFM 2002-04) is currently working as Country Director of Plan International in Lao PDR. He is responsible for the overall programs, positioning, and legal representation of the organization. Plan International as some of you may know is an independent global development and humanitarian organization working for child rights and gender equality. You can read more about this fascinating organization here https://plan-international.org/about-plan-international.

At Plan International in Lao PDR, Soumya feels he is privileged to work with and for young people especially girls from different ethnic groups. What makes the work exciting is that he has a wide stakeholder group to discuss, consult, co-create, and scale-up. This includes the Government, the civil society, the UN, corporates, partners including young people's organizations and different donors - individuals and institutions. 

One exciting work, currently he is involved is about developing and actualizing the 'Noi Framework' in partnership with the Government, UN, and civil society partners. 'Noi' is a little girl in the Lao language and represents all adolescent girls in Laos. The Noi Framework is made up of five key indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that best determines the life of Noi. These indicators are child marriage, teenage pregnancy, child labor, adolescent anemia, and out-of-school rates. The idea is to track these indicators over the life of Noi as she grows from a 13-year-old to a 25-year-old confident woman by 2030 - the end date of the SDGs. It is basically to highlight how the development partners and importantly the Government is doing to make Noi optimize her potential. 

At Plan International, he makes sure to highlight, push and prod if the progress is uneven as is often the case. The Lao PDR Government recently used the Noi Framework in its voluntary report to the UN General Assembly. Soumya with his team is also promoting it so that other countries in the Asia Pacific and indeed globally can customize the 'Noi Framework' and use it to mainstream and highlight the unique development challenges and opportunities that adolescent girls and boys face. 

Email - soumya.b.guha@gmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 

A. It's been exciting, at times hard but never dull! I joined UNICEF from the IIFM campus and was working in one of the remotest districts of Madhya Pradesh - Shivpuri - for two years. There were still some Chambal dacoits at that time in Shivpuri! The work was around piloting a child-centered village planning model. We would ask the community about what their aspirations are centering around children. Then look at what they could do, what needs support from the Government, and what has to be fully externally supported. It was a great immersion into participatory processes and decentralized planning. UNICEF's District Planning Model was largely based on the good work that happened in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during those times. 

From UNICEF Madhya Pradesh I moved to Delhi in ORBIS International. This was following the footsteps of my wife who found a better job than she had in Bhopal. ORBIS International is a brilliant organization whose mission is to eliminate childhood blindness. Their motto is that the most vulnerable should have the best care. Terrific isn't it? If you think about this. It makes complete sense. The most vulnerable need to have the best care as if something goes wrong with say an eye surgery, they don't have the wherewithal to get it right. One learning piece I did with a few colleagues there is to right up ORBIS's approach. You can find it here http://www.vision2020india.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/67_jceh.pdf I have worked in different states of India through ORBIS International and Plan India. This includes Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Kerala among others. This gave me quite a rich cultural perspective and helped me later in my international work. 

The first international work that I did after was with Plan International in Liberia, West Africa, A completely different context - a country that was never colonized, a country that had the first female and Noble Laureate President in Ellen Johnson Serleaf - but also a country devastated by 14 years of civil war. It was a tough place to work but the people themselves were joyous, humble, and welcoming. They have faced a lot of strife but there is a lot to learn from the way they are trying to build back.

I went to Bangladesh next and again it was different and exciting. My ability to speak the Bengali language - I am from Kolkata - made a huge difference in connecting with the staff and the community as well as with the Government. I have done some of my best work in Bangladesh. Will share with you an example in the next section. So keep reading. I am currently in Laos. It is a beautiful country with the most gentle, welcoming, and nice people you would see. A country largely without Covid-19 too! 

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. There are quite a few. However, if there is one that stands out for me. It is this thing about taking a calculated risk and not being fearful about failure. Here's an illustration. We worked with the Prime Minister's Office in Bangladesh to co-create and then nationally scale up a technology-enabled solution to combat child marriage that allows the age verification of a prospective bride or groom through a simple click on a mobile phone application. This will potentially impact the lives of 12 million girls.

When we were trying to conceptualize this, there have been often that people in respected positions of power saying - this won't work, you are taking on too much! why not pilot and then scale? All good advice perhaps but we didn't listen. To listen meant giving up on the lives of so many girls who would get married before they turn 18. What happens to their schooling, to their future, and indeed to their dreams? There was a real urgency here and we decided not to play safe. The project finally got funded. Deep work is happening through it in the districts with the highest prevalence rates of child marriage in Bangladesh. 

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 

A. The fact that we spend most of our working day in thinking, working, and advocating for and with children especially girls from ethnic groups. Their smile, joy, and vibrancy are worth every minute of hard work. The other thing that motivates me is the team members we have. They are all brilliant and exciting to work with. The final thing I like is I do get time to read. I have some control over what I will do and when!

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. Certainly yes. I knew that I have come to the right place since my interview and GD days i.e., the first visit to the IIFM campus. I think the questions they asked in the interview to test for congruence made me feel so. The Professors were all genuine and the coursework meant a lot of time spent in nature through your field visits and the two OTs.

The exposure to rural development and indeed forestry was rich. So I did get a sense of confidence to stand my ground in the complex life that comes after IIFM especially if one chooses development and environment. 

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles. 

A. The biggest influence perhaps is from the books that I read at the IIFM campus but not necessarily from the course !! One such was the insightful work of Robert Chambers titled 'Putting the last first'. Go and have a read of this. It poignantly asks the question 'who is last' and why? and why we need to put them first in development. It is a masterpiece for someone new to participatory rural development.

I learned a lot from my batchmates who in their ways were unique. Niraj Bansod who later went on to become an IAS officer was so humble. Kunal Sharma is such an 'eco sync' as was Sai. Sachin Bansal was so professional and currently a top-notch Financial Analyst. Vishal Arghode was quiet and professional on campus and now a strong professor at IIM Nagpur. We had a diverse and strong PGP batch 2002-2004 and a wonderful M-Phil batch sharing the beautiful campus with us. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 

A. There are many. Once we were moving to the canteen and the lights went out! By the way, when the light goes out in IIFM, it's actually great. It means that the competition is less as the ones who study too hard have to be in the lawn with the ones who don't. Quite an equalizer! Back to the canteen story. So we were walking and I just instinctively stopped my friend Sachin Badkas from stepping on to something. It was a snake! I knew I had something in sync with the environment that day. 

We were attached to the Rajasthan Forest Department for a month and a half and had a wonderful exposure to wildlife management in that fascinating state. We met Fateh Singh Rathode, one of India's foremost wildlife conservationists at Ranthambore National Park. He used to say that he can't sleep well without seeing a tiger every day. 'Uhoy logh thik he; dekh liye toh acha nind ata he'.....almost his exact words. That's the deep care that man personified for the tiger and through it for the ecosystem. 

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. I think the diversity of the course is an advantage. So one side you are learning environmental science and forestry and on the other marketing management and quantitative techniques. One also had an opportunity to dig deeper with the specialization. Then you have this chance to test out what you have learned through the two organizational trainings. So it gives you breadth as well as a means to try out what excites you. This was the case definitely in 2002-2004. So I choose to work in Development and others went into the environment and quite a few to the corporate and within it the financial sector.

There was this all-round grooming which gave us a chance to choose what's interests us and what suits one temperament. There is a big likelihood that I will concentrate on combating climate change moving forward in my way and the course at IIFM with its interdisciplinary nature will play an important role in that as well. One additional aspect that worked for me was the practicing of leadership that IIFM provides through its different on-campus activities, student forums, sports, and culture. This provides a good grooming ground for leadership in the future. 

Q.The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?

A. I have shared some of my batch mates from whom I learned in a previous question. Each member of our batch was unique in a way or two. My roommate was Anique Junaid. We jelled well. He is a brilliant professional working in the forestry and allied industries sector internationally.

IIFM has some of the most wonderful professors from whom I have learned the basics of environmental and development management. Prof. Prodyut Bhattacharya and Prof. Rekha Singhal not just for their expertise but also for their personalities; Prof. Rathore for his humbleness in spite of his razor-sharp intellect, Prof. Amitabh Pandey for his deep understanding of anthropology and care for the student community - just a few of our remarkable Professors at IIFM from whom I have learned in class but also by observing them as they went about their work. 

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. For the once lucky to be at IIFM; I would say immerse, observe, read, converse and reflect around environmental and development management. Go deep into the areas that you like and not be shallow in terms of understanding. Don't get too occupied with the competition. Try to learn the concepts, principles, the perspectives. The grades would follow. 

Develop those friendships and maintain them after campus life is over as it will be. Sorry for that. Choose and try to get the job, research work, or entrepreneurial venture that most interests you, an area that you are most likely to work hard and not feel tired. This is the area that you stand the most chance to master and excel in. The money and career prospects follow for the ones who are good at what they do and not the other way round. For those who are contemplating IIFM; choose it if you have a heart for environmental or development management. 

If you want to work for others and especially for the environment do come to IIFM. You will thrive here and in your career thereafter. If environment or development doesn't ring a bell for you then this is not the B School for you. My advice is then the same. Choose something that you truly care for. 

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. I don't have a typical day and that's great for me. So there will be a week in the month that I will travel to the communities where we have projects. I will interact with young people and perhaps come up with a good idea around what next needs to happen. At times I will be in these big Government and UN meetings. I would hopefully make good sense talks from evidence having visited and interacted with those about whom the policies are being made. Some days are quite like this one; when I am penning down my thoughts about IIFM! 

Q. Would you like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family.. 

A. I love to learn and I am currently doing an online Master's in Sustainable Development from Sussex University. I have two beautiful and engaging twin daughters and they keep both parents busy over the weekend otherwise. 

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors, .. 

A. In my formative years, the Bengali writer Saratchandra Chattayapadhyay had a great influence on me. I think my understanding of equality and empathy for the marginalized were seeded through his writings. If you can, do read Srikanto and Pather Dabi. In recent times I am fascinated by the work of the historian Yuval Noah Harari and his books 'Sapiens', 'Homo Deus' and '21 Lessons for the 21st century'. Read his books or watch his Ted talks.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? 

A. I am happy to have conversations with the current batch. We did one and it felt great and hopefully was useful for the students. I am happy to do direct engagement sessions with the new batch as well as grooming sessions with the passing out batch. This is now easy to do over tech platforms. Happy to also connect in other ways that the students may want. 

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. I understand that there are now three clear streams from the beginning. This might have some advantages and there could be some concerns. It's best to have some knowledge management around this. I was impressed with the thoughtfulness, quality of questioning, and sincerity of the current batch at IIFM during the live session I did. It was wonderful and their questions reflect a strong discourse that's happening on campus. 

Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A. Our 2002-2004 batch was brilliant. Biased as I may sound about my batch, here are just some among many others whom you should interview - Kunal Sharma, Sai, Vishal Arghode, Sachin Bansal, Niraj Bansod. Thanks again for this opportunity to fondly remember and reflect on our days @IIFM.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Lokesh Kumar (PFM 2003-05), Executive Vice President @ Yes Bank Ltd.

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Lokesh Kumar is currently working at Yes Bank as Team Leader and Executive Vice President for Govt. Banking Business for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh region. He joined the bank in 2015 in the Strategic Advisory division and has helped the bank in acquiring business by providing technical assistance to target key Government Departments.

Email - lokesh28@gmail.com

Important and Interesting links on Mr. Lokesh Kumar -

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/how-dynamite-kills-cauvery-mahseer/articleshow/15782243.cms

https://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?t=4475

http://arunachalepitome.blogspot.com/2010/12/eco-tourism-workshop-organised-at.html?m=1

https://iifm.blogspot.com/2004/07/badminton-tournament-at-iifm.html?m=1

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. It's an amazing journey, nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. I was inclined towards ecotourism and conservation since my early days. Credit for the same goes to Suprava Ma'am, Madhu Ma'am, KNK Sir, Yogesh Sir, Amitabh Sir...all of them motivated me to contribute to ecotourism, conservation, and social development sector. 

I joined various organizations like Leisure Hotels Corbett, ECOSS Sikkim, JLR Karnataka, Pragya, JPS Associates, Gujarat Tourism before going to Yes Bank. While undertaking various assignments I traveled the pristine Himalayan stretch right from Ladakh to Tawang. In various roles I have served I got the opportunity to contribute from all segments-NGO -Government-Corporate. 

I have experienced more than 50 national parks and sanctuaries and the tourism model they practice. I have prepared more than 6 state-level tourism policies and implemented more than 15 internationally funded projects in tourism and allied domains. I feel privileged to be a part of IIFM and I am always connected to the faculties to date, who are always willing to support me.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. In this journey, some of the learnings worth mentioning would be as follows:- 

a. Taking organisational training (Internships) seriously helped me in my career, it had a huge impact on overall report writing skills, communication techniques, analytical approach, etc.

b. Focus on one domain is the key and improvising and scoping in the same is required at all stages of career path.

c. Maintaining a low profile at the initial stages of career, as learning is more important in that period. Post-IIFM life is different and decision making is difficult, consult seniors and faculty before tricky situations. 

d. For better opportunities focus on government and funding institution's priority on sector and projects. This will land you in a better place and organisation. 

At a personal level, my key milestones are that I have contributed to approximately 6 states(UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Gujarat, Daman, and Diu UT, Pondicherry, MP, etc) in tourism policies, homestay policy, skill policy, ayush policy, etc. I got the opportunity to work as Chief Operating Officer with SPV of Gujarat Tourism at an early age, which was very enriching.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. Contributing to states, ministries, and corporates in the field of my passion viz. ecotourism, social development, gives me immense pleasure. Also, the present role has made me travel to the lengths and breadths of India and has given me the opportunity to prepare investment compendiums and project profiles for the state of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The present role has also given me a chance to share, present and replicate my experiences in other states, which I find most satisfying.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. Totally, the key learnings at IIFM have always helped in shaping my approach. The way we were trained during field visits, organisational training has helped thoroughly. 

It has improved the way we look at things, the communication techniques for conducting FGDs (Focus Group Discussion), PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal), etc. have helped me in all field-related assignments. During IIFM we were made to give numerous presentations (especially on Mondays) on any topic, and we used to despair it during those days, I am pretty sure that now my batch mates can agree on how that has helped us all in totality.

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.

A. IIFM has struck a chord about helping others, throughout my career, my life has gone into thinking and developing enterprises for the needy, underprivileged, vulnerable, and disconnected communities. I consider this as the biggest influence...that through my planning, policy development, presentation to minister or a bureaucrat on tourism/community-based tourism I can directly affect and influence communities for their betterment. 

My only advice to the freshers would be that one should only choose domains based placements, else all IIFMites would end up in a microfinance/banking institution. Please look out for opportunities in other vibrant fields such as - Watershed, Handicrafts, CBET (Community Based Ecotourism), Wildlife Conservation, Enterprise or MSME development, Gender, Social Safeguard...etc. These domains have lots of potentials and all sorts of Big 4 or Consulting Organisations hire people in these fields regularly. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. I was into sports big time (Badminton, TT, Cricket, Volleyball, Football, etc.) and won the Best All-rounder of the year award for both years in Kalptaru ( annual fest). I also had the privilege of representing IIFM in two national forests sports meet at Goa and Raipur respectively. Besides my gang G8* was a mix of all personalities and we were involved in many activities like Biking, Boating, Kayaking, Bird watching, Food, etc. 

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. IIFM is a great institution with great faculties, and I was blessed to have a really good bunch of colleagues, juniors, and seniors with me at IIFM. It would be an injustice to single out few contributors, as I think all the above have immensely contributed in their own way.

Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?

A. Best Buddies (G8) - Rakesh, Jaggi, Kanishk, Vishu, Akai, Pooja, KT, Billa,  Seniors- Kunal, Induja, Samita, Karmveer, Arif, Sachin Badkas, Juniors - Veerendra, Param, Swapan, Nitu.

Independence Day Football Cup 2004 (Flagship Sports Event): Independence day match has always been very competitive between Senior Batch and Junior Batch at IIFM and for us, this match will surely live in our memories, juniors were very excited to defeat us in the football match and they were trying for pressure tactics by claiming that how easily they will defeat us. On match day I scored an opening goal from left leg free-kick and then the juniors were rattled all over the ground (they lost 4:1, of the only goal we conceded was an own goal)... Humiliation was in the air, and they were reluctant in facing us ;).

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?

A. Enjoy the course and days at IIFM. The type of opportunity you will get here is unmatched. Be focused and sharpen your skills. Keep interacting with faculties and seniors and make the most out of it.

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. Post lockdown the job is not very interesting. The routine job is to align the team in my geography, do scoping, and finalise priority in meetings. Pitching products to increase the wallet share of the bank. Few con calls each day and chasing the target on a day-to-day basis.

Q. You would like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family..

A. I am blessed with a beautiful daughter Adya, who is 20 months old, very naughty, and talkative. My wife Charu is a CS and we met during my job with JPS Associates in Delhi. 

I like driving and cover long driving expeditions during holidays. Weekends are usually a small outing, good food, and some booze.

Q.  Favorite Books, movies, authors, ..

A.The monk who sold his Ferrari, Connect the Dots, Five Point Someone... Movies - Chak De India, Swades, DDLJ, Sholay, Drishyam, Special Ops, Sacred Games, Baby, Apharan, Mirzapur, etc. Authors - Rashmi Bansal, Robin Sharma.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?

A. 

a. Providing one-to-one sessions in ecotourism, social development, and related opportunities to the interested students.

b. Placements.

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. I guess now the batch strength is much larger as compared to our time. Smaller groups were much cohesive and bonding was much higher. 

Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Rakesh Guran, Pooja Kumar, Akai Mao.



IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Siddhartha Das (PFM 2002-04), Regional Coordinator: Asia & Pacific @ Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)

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Mr. Siddhartha Das (PFM 2002-04) is presently working as the Regional Coordinator: Asia & Pacific for Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) which is one of the leading global platforms on high-level WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) advocacy. His work entails ministerial and high-level bureaucratic engagement with nodal ministries working in WASH across different Asia & Pacific countries and helping them draw commitments in achieving SDG 6 targets. 

Earlier, he was leading the India Sanitation Coalition Secretariat which is hosted by FICCI. Prior to that, he had a short stint with Sesame as the Director of Programmes. Siddhartha has previously worked with WaterAid where he was leading the policy aspects on Rural WASH. His primary role was to lead and support the advocacy and policy initiatives of WaterAid in close coordination with the Government of India and other leading sector players. He has worked for Fresh Water Action Network South Asia (FANSA) as the Regional Coordinator for South Asia providing policy and advocacy inputs to FANSA programmes across the South Asian region. Siddhartha has also worked for the UNICEF India Country office providing leadership support at the national level for the implementation of the Link Workers Scheme (a rural based HIV prevention programme) across the UNICEF-supported districts. 

Siddhartha has played a key role in the planning and preparation of high-level global advocacy initiatives like Sector Ministers' meetings and Finance Ministers' meetings organised by SWA. He was part of the Working group inputting into the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines, which has been the flagship programme on sanitation in India. During his stint with the India Sanitation Coalition, the organization was conferred a special award by the Government of India for its initiatives in corporate engagement as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission

Working on developmental issues has been his passion and he has been able to further harness his skills by being involved in high-level policy initiatives. 

Details of Siddhartha's present organization can be accessed using the website link www.sanitationandwaterforall.org  . Currently, Siddhartha is based in New Delhi.

Social Media: 

Twitter: @ronsid2000

FB: https://www.facebook.com/siddhartha.das.562/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhartha-das-79b14914/

Email: ronsid2000@gmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 

A. Post my IIFM days, I worked for the Indian Institute of Bio Social Research and Development (IBRAD) and was posted in the Adilabad district of the then Andhra Pradesh. This was followed by a five-year stint with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance working for the BMGF funded Avahan programme which was the world's largest prevention programme on HIV. My stint with Alliance gave me immense learning by being exposed to Monitoring & Evaluation, programme implementation, and social research. This was followed by a stint with UNICEF India Country office with its HIV section giving me an opportunity to work at the policy level and engage closely with the government. From there I got an opportunity to work at the South Asia regional level with FANSA in the field of WASH working closely with country governments in South Asia on WASH Advocacy. 

It was a conscious decision to move out of HIV/AIDS where I had worked for almost 7 years and try out a new field.  I was lucky to join WaterAid almost at the time of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission which gave me an opportunity to get very closely involved in framing its national guidelines, implementation of the programme and being part of different national committees. 

From WaterAid, I moved to Sesame as its Director of Programmes. While being there, I was offered the opportunity to lead the Secretariat team of the India Sanitation Coalition(ISC)  hosted by FICCI. ISC was founded by the famous investment banker and Padma Shri Awardee, Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai who is also the Chair of the coalition. Working closely under the mentorship of Ms. Kidwai was a great learning experience. All these diverse ranges of experiences in different aspects of development, leadership experience, experience in strategic facilitation levels, high-level policy, and advocacy helped me to get my present role as the Regional Coordinator: Asia and Pacific of SWA. 

My present organisation SWA is a global partnership of over 70 governments, external support agencies, civil society organizations, and other development partners working together to 1) catalyze high-level political leadership and action for sanitation, water, and hygiene, and 2) improve accountability and use human, technical, and financial resources more effectively. Partners work towards a common vision of achieving the SDG 6 targets which deal with water and sanitation. You can get to know more by visiting our website www.sanitationandwaterforall.org .

I work closely with around 18 country governments across the Asia & Pacific region helping them to frame their national programmes in achieving the SDG 6 targets and implementation of SWA framework. This year, we have plans to work with different country governments in integrating WASH and Climate Action.  I am lucky to be part of a brilliant team here in SWA. 

Overall, the combination of my experience in grassroots, implementation, monitoring, social research, and advocacy has given me a strong foundation to work at the strategic facilitation levels and contributing to the highest level of policy. 

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. Well, there are many milestones to share but I would like to highlight one which happened very recently (maybe because that is fresh in my memory !). I was recently part of a (virtual) panel discussion which also had the Bangladesh Minister of Rural Development, Local Government and Cooperatives, Mr. Tajul Islam. The topic was focused on WASH Financing. While I have been part of many panel discussions during my professional career, this was the first where I got to share the stage with a senior minister. Obviously, I had some butterflies in my stomach which eventually led me to prepare even better than I normally would! More so, because I had personally met the same minister last year in Dhaka and he came across as a very knowledgeable and focused individual. Finally, the discussion went off well and for the greater part of the discussion, I spoke in my mother tongue, Bengali! The discussions were telecasted live by a leading radio channel in Bangladesh.

Another great learning for me was when I got the opportunity to work with Prof. Robert Chambers whom we all know is a Development stalwart. I was working with him in framing the implementation of Rapid Action and Learning Units (RALU) across few states in India. RALU is the brainchild of Prof. Robert (that's how I address him), something linked to the Swacch Bharat Mission. I was amazed by the dedication, commitment, and clarity of thoughts of this icon who was in his 80s, but his energy levels could be compared with a person in his 20s! I remember once going to meet him at his hotel room at Sundar Nagar in Delhi. He was working on a concept and I was stunned to see hard copies of countless books and publications opened and spread in his bed and parts of the floor! Apparently, he was simultaneously referring to all those while working on his concept. Such is his passion and commitment. I felt so lucky to be working and learning from this legend! I have one of his yellow-colored pencils nicely preserved which he forgot to take back after a meeting in our office. 😊

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 

A. The most satisfying part is the opportunity to work directly with key decision and policymakers in improving the WASH situation across different countries. Engaging with ministers, senior bureaucrats and other key sector players from different countries, knowing and adapting to the country-specific dynamics (and sometimes politics!) is both exciting and challenging. The key thing is learning never stops irrespective of the position you hold and the organization you are working for.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. A Big YES, without any doubt! For any smooth career progression, foundations remain critical and I can't thank IIFM enough for the wonderful platform it has provided me. Interaction with the faculties, batchmates, alumni, and the conducive environment the institute creates has played a big role in my personality development, something which has helped immensely in shaping up my professional career.  

Not sure if it continues to happen now, but during our time we used to have 2 different Organizational Trainings (OT) and one Field trip component. For the field visit component, we were divided into groups of 5-6 people and attached to a state forest department for 2 months. These exposures were immensely helpful both in terms of learning and developing the right attitude. 

Academically, I was pretty average but what has probably helped me is the willingness to learn and being ambitious! The routine presentations and opportunities to interact with external stakeholders given by IIFM made me more self-confident and it helped me in tackling stage fear. 

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers. What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles? 

A. My advice to freshers would be to work on their personality development and develop the right attitude. It is ideal to score good marks and CGPAs, but don't run after those. One will always learn on the job and that is never-ending! A professional career is a long-drawn path and what matters a lot, in the long run, is hard work, humbleness, and integrity. The right attitude will allow you to respect people, learn on the job and make you a good professional. It will also allow you to deftly address occasional setbacks. Yes, there could be occasional setbacks in professional life, but always take it head-on as a challenge and deal with it (Remember, dealing with challenging situations unknowingly helps in personality development). 

Regarding influencers, there are many and I am grateful to each one of them. But I would like to mention the contribution and mentorship of two of my former bosses; Mr. Shumon Sengupta and Mr. Neeraj Jain. Shumon is an IIFM alumnus from the PFM 1991 batch and has held several global and regional positions for key developmental organizations and continues to hold one. A very humble person having immense knowledge on a wider range of issues. He was the Director at Alliance while I was working there. He is now leading a major consortium project in Bangladesh having more than 20 organisations through a big funded USAID project. Neeraj is now the Country Director with PATH in India and has held several leadership positions with reputed corporates and INGOs; a perfect example of a person who made a seamless transition from corporate to the development sector. Just watching him on a day-to-day basis helped in my leadership development and honing up my relationship management skills. He was the Chief Executive of WaterAid while I was working there. 

The mentorship I received from both these fantastic individuals have helped me to develop both personally and professionally. I continue to reach out to both Neeraj and Shumon for focused advice as and when required. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 

A. I have fond memories from my OT-II and its fieldwork in the rural areas of Karnataka. My good friend and batchmate, Vaibhav Gupta was my OT partner and we were attached to SDC-IC in its Watershed project.  We had some wonderful moments together across different rural areas in Karnataka.

We also encountered a scare while we were staying at an NGO campus in the villages of Tavaragera. That campus was in the middle of a forest area and a Cobra had once entered a dormitory of the campus and took the entire campus by storm. The reptile was ultimately dealt with but just can't forget the panic which gripped Vaibhav and myself. Both of us still talk and laugh about it! Vaibhav is now an established professional in the corporate sector. Our seniors, Nelson Royal (PFM-97) and Devanshu Chakraborti (PFM-98) were working with SDC during that time, and both turned out to be great mentors during our OT. 

Another fond memory was the breathtaking view of sighting a tiger inside the Ranthambore National Park during our field visit component with the Rajasthan Forest Department. We were a group of 6 during that field visit and were just spellbound to see a tiger live, walking like a king inside its territory. It was like a dream come true for the entire team comprising of Niraj Bansod, Soumya Guha, Sachin Badkas, Shobhana Boyle, Rita Nag, and myself.  

I remember going to nook and corners of Rajasthan during those 2 months of the field visit component starting from Jaipur, Alwar, Sariska, Udaipur, Banswara,  Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh, Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore), Bharatpur (Keoladeo), and then back to Jaipur for the final presentation.

Last but not the least, the wonderful and picturesque eco-friendly IIFM Campus! I believe that it's an absolute fortune to be housed on that campus for 2 full years.

Q. The best friends/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.

A. Niraj Bansod who is now an IAS and Mission Director with the Chhattisgarh Health department was my roommate. An amazing singer and I remember his melodious voice being viral across our batch and campus. Vaibhav Gupta and Ravi Prakash were in our adjacent rooms and all 4 of us used to have endless chats mixed with lots of fun. 

Pramod Choudhury who is now a General Manager with an established paper manufacturer and I used to exchange some serious banters and we continue to do so through our occasional conversations and WhatsApp chats! A very nice person by heart and a great friend.

Another fond memory was my occasional visits to Chin Chin restaurant with my good friend Alok Dhuria. Chin Chin used to be a very small restaurant serving amazing Chinese cuisines. Don't know if that restaurant still exists. Alok is now with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).  

Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?

A. I would start by saying that the Development Sector is just wonderful! Its diversity and the wide range of choices it gives are very exciting and help a lot in the career progression. It provides ample opportunities for innovation and allows you to exercise your wisdom. Finally, you need to trust your choice and interest, but in case you have even a slight inclination for this sector, just go for it!

My message would be to enjoy your two years in IIFM. The wisdom you will develop at IIFM will remain a lifelong asset. Be ready to deal with the occasional slogs in professional life and keep learning on the job. Like I said before, a positive attitude along with being a good team player are the keys to success. Work on your personality development and self-confidence, interact a lot discussing a wider range of topics among your batchmates, keep improving your presentation skills, have healthy debates, and keep working hard. 

Do not hesitate to reach out to the wonderful group of faculties that IIFM continues to have. My Go-To faculty used to be Dr. Amitabh Pande who was always approachable and willing to share his ideas. I still remember his wonderful pep talk during a short period of struggle after I passed out from IIFM. I was also very comfortable approaching and speaking with Dr. P K Biswas, Dr. Suprava Patnaik, Dr. Rekha Singhal, and Dr. A K Bhattacharya. What helped also was the fact that Dr. Pande, Dr. Biswas, and Dr. Bhattacharya were avid sports lovers; something which gelled very well with me, as I am myself a huge sports fan!

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. Blame it on Covid, my home has been my office for the past year! I start my day responding to emails followed by virtual meetings. Meetings can be very early in the morning if it involves the East Asian and especially Pacific countries. It's a transition between meetings, working on documents, conceptualization, analysis, etc. Time and again I also need to keep myself updated with the policy developments in different countries and therefore reading becomes very crucial. Since my headquarters is based in New York and many of my colleagues are based in Central Europe, internal meetings often get scheduled during my evenings. 

My work involved frequent international travels during pre-Covid days. Visiting new countries used to be exciting but also very hectic. Being confined to work from home for the past few months, I partly miss this travel component. But more important is for all of us to stay safe and continue with our Covid prevention behaviors till the situation normalizes. Overall, I can say that I love my job and feel fortunate to be working with a wonderful set of dedicated colleagues. 

Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add

A. Covid has changed a lot of things. My wife (who is a successful Human Resource professional and is working with a US-based corporate) and I inevitably used to watch at least one Bollywood movie every weekend in one of the multiplexes of Delhi. However, as you can imagine, this has now stopped completely! I love driving and we step out for aimless long drives with occasional stopover at one of the Starbucks. 

I am a huge sports fan and love watching different kinds of sports on television. I am very passionate about football and follow the EPL, Serie A, and La Liga very closely. Sports reminds me of the Badminton court and Table Tennis table at IIFM; two sports I used to play regularly during my stay at IIFM.  

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?

A. As I said, I love watching Bollywood movies and itching to get back to theatres once things normalise ! Presently I am reading a very interesting book called "Factfulness" authored by Hans Rosling, a book gifted to me by Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, our CEO in SWA. Very interestingly, the book gives reasons how our perceptions about the world can be wrong and that things are better than we think! 

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A. The list could be long, but let me zero down on the following three:

Manjeet Singh Saluja from my batch who is now working with WHO as the Environment and Public Health Specialist and has created his own niche in various sectors. Both of us frequently discuss on different developmental aspects and exchange our ideas (of course mixed with some leg pulling and banter 😊).

Vinay Tiwari from MRM-2004 who is an Associate Director with KPMG and attached with the Ministry of Jal Shakti. He has played a key role in Swachh Bharat Mission BCC component and is also known nationally for his work on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). His work has been acknowledged by none other than the former Secretary of the ministry, Mr Parameshwaran Iyer.

Alark Saxena from PFM-03 batch who is a Professor with North Arizona University and a former Professor from Yale University. A successful academician and a wonderful personality.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Anurag Dwivedi (PFM 2006-08), Vice President and Zonal Head, Midland Microfin Ltd

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Mr. Anurag Dwivedi (PFM 2006-08) is presently working as the Vice President and Zonal Head at Midland Microfin Ltd. Prior to this, he has worked with organizations like BFIL, Spandana Microfinance, Humana People, and Birla Sun life insurance in various leadership roles. 

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 

A.  After IIFM, I started with SKS (now BFIL) as an Area Manager and learned Microfinance from field perspective. Then I joined Birla Sun Life Insurance in strategy at HO and gained experience of working at Head Office and of a desk job. 

Later I quit my job at Birla and prepared for IAS (everyone from Prayagraj has to do it once in a life time :), during my last attempt. I joined the Microfinance sector post an unsuccessful attempt of IAS and started as COO of HPPI. Then shifted to few other organizations and now with Midland as Zonal Head taking care of the entire east. 

An unquenchable thirst for "Learning" and "willingness to experiment" made me take decisions without fear. I was on a knowledge acquisition spree during the first 10 years of my career. Now have decided to acquire some wealth also.  

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A.  Working in SKS was a great learning experience from several perspectives as "first". With no prior work ex, it was all learning for almost the first 2 years but in 3rd year it was more like a routine so I switched to Birla in an HO role where again it was quite a good learning from the professional point of view. From a personal perspective also, Mumbai was a great Teacher.

By the third year again I was a bit done with that role and wanted to do something which might sound disastrous so I quit my job and started preparing for IAS. These two years of preparation have shaped me like anything. I became more knowledgeable and confident by the end of even unsuccessful attempts.

I started again as COO which was a completely different experience from the last 3 experiences that I had after IIFM. 

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 

A.  Working as an "Enabler" at present, I feel is the most satisfying part. When your decisions have repercussions on others at large and you are able to take right decisions (mostly) which helped people and Organizations in positive way, you feel satisfied. 

Working for "Bottom of pyramid" which is the most honest strata of the society who always pay their dues (like Lannister's) makes my sleep better.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A.  No duality, a person is "SAME" so is his approach – there is nothing like personal and professional, I believe. I became much better person, equipped myself in several ways during the two years at IIFM which is and will keep on helping me to tackle diverse situations. Here the learning curve was too steep. 

The three batches with which I had a close interaction during IIFM were the major source of learning while Professors and academics were 2nd and 3rd. 

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles. 

A. What are the biggest influences will be more apt, as "what" makes us choose "who". Neural Plasticity, willingness to experiment and no regret of failure makes me going. 

An action hero might get injured badly but will not hesitate to do the next stunt even in the worst scenario. Least bothered about injuries but focussed on his goal. Prepared to take the situation head-on and belief in his abilities make James Bond. Insane love for your idea makes you Elon Musk.  

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 

A.  Every day at IIFM is as good as the other day and even after 13 years, it feels like yesterday. Daily room party, formal parties, GBM, inability to study despite knowing the questions of exam, Litti-Chicken party, volleyball, badminton, doing nothing, and it goes on.  I am stopping myself forcefully here ;)

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!)  or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. The whole process of surviving those 2 years was the biggest contributor. Friends (from three batches), Faculty, Alumni, Library, and Courses, have contributed to the pie exactly in the order as mentioned here in this line. 

Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share? 

A. I have earned several friends from IIFM from my batch, senior batches, and junior batches. As soon as I started writing names, it felt like that radio program of "AKASHVANI" of the late 90's so I will not take names. 

Biswas Sir and CSR Sir were the faculties with whom I have spent most of my time (out of the total time spent with faculties).   

Q. As an alumni, what's your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?

A. Make the most out of these 2 years. Sleep lesser (if you can), participate in everything, be an active part of those things which are there and create one which you like. Do not let that one-second pass by any kind of inactivity. Make sure to wake up early and go to bed late. Do everything, even those things which are restricted. Hang your shoes only when you are 100% drained.  

Q. You will find yourself completely overhauled if you utilize 24 hours of the day for learning during the period of IIFM.

A. Once you will be out of IIFM, you will not be able to get all those things that are being offered at IIFM for almost free, even with too much money. 

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. I am an early riser so always have plenty of time to do things beforehand. Normally in Microfinance, the branches start early at 7 AM so I start getting calls from that time itself and go on till late in the evening. Typically, it is difficult to have funda of personal-professional time here in Microfinance. This can be termed as a 24X7 job. I always reach the office early and leave mostly on time. Days are hectic with less time to do anything else. Also, this job requires a lot of travelling which sometimes is a relief where you get to do few things while travelling.  

Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add?

A. Reading, Binge-watching movies and series, and Driving are for me as Hobbies. Family and Hobby go hand in hand. All these things are fun if done with Family and Friends.

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors 

A. Reading is something that makes me "Anurag". I will read anything on which I will get my hands on. Presently, I am concentrating more on Philosophy and Psychology. I like Hindi Literature as well as non-Hindi. My Favourites are Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, J Krishnamurthy, Karl Gustav Jung, Freud, Harishankar Parsai, Sharat Chandra just to name a few. Also, have an unfathomable interest in Mythology and Indian Philosophy. Advait by Shankar is my favourite one.

Movies help me in creating interest in anything. I like Quentin Tarantino very much. I admire the movies of Daniel Day-Lewis a lot. Then there are several others like Matrix, Inception and all-time favourite Andaz Apna Apna etc. I watch movies more from a learner's perspective.         

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? 

A. From 2016 onwards I have always tried to help IIFM in internships and placements. I have brought Capital Trust, Spandana, Humana, and Midland to campus either for SI or for placements or both. Spandana offered the highest salary while Humana has given internship opportunities to close to dozen students from the 2018 batch. 

My Organisation has a massive plan for coming years so will need a good number of talented human resources and there is no better place to find them than IIFM so will ensure same in coming years also.

Also, I can be approached for anything where I may help. Internship, Placements will always be an area where I will keep on contributing as that is critical for the students and makes a difference to their life ahead. 

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A.  Aggressive marketing of the brand IIFM is needed so that we get to attract diverse background Students in terms of geography, work experience, past education, etc. Two OT's or internship was a great idea and should be reinstated. Alumni should contribute more in Placements as well as in interactions – Formal and Informal both.  

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Manish Sharma, Atul Singh, Prashant, Kumar Vaibhav, from my batch. Pankaj Singh Chauhan from 2007-09 batch. Rajiv Singh from 2005-07 batch.

IIFMight in Focus: Mr. Ramanshu Ganguly (PFM 2010-12), AVP @ Sambodhi

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Mr. Ramanshu Ganguly (PFM 2010-12) works as an Assistant Vice President at Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd. He currently leads most of the energy access, agriculture, livelihoods, and governance-based research and evaluations carried out by Sambodhi. He is also responsible for a significant part of the business development activities for the non-health division of Sambodhi.

Email - ramanshu.ganguly@gmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 

A. The journey since IIFM has been exciting, adventurous and has made me learned tremendously about how the world is significantly different from what we learn in our classrooms. As Professor A.K. Dharni, IFS at IIFM always mentioned, you need to unlearn a lot to make the best out of your professional life.

I guess I did had to do that. I started with Fino Payments Bank (Fino Paytech then) and got placed at different corners of the country trying to convince rural customers to get affixed to formal financial services. Struggling with languages and grappling with targets, I learnt that what we read about concepts are a lot different than what makes sense to a family of six in rural Bihar trying to make ends meet.

I was driven by this desire to channelize these learnings to the implementation. This desire prompted my move to Sambodhi in 2014 and I am happily working here since that time. I have had the excellent chance to look at developmental initiatives (across a wide range of sectors) closely as well as from distance and feed the learnings back to the implementers and policymakers as well. It was at Sambodhi where I got exposed to the USE of quantitative techniques, research methodologies-regressions and it started making sense when I started using them and saw their implication in real life. Sambodhi has helped me groom myself as a professional in this space, appreciate the needs of the space-both downstream and upstream. 

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. The key milestones would be: 

a. My exposure to rural India while in FINO.

b. Sambodhi's platform to learn and train people on the use of data in determining strategies is fabulous. It is difficult to isolate a moment here since all projects give you a new lesson which is the best part.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 

A. My exposure to the development space and the exposure to understand data and churn information out of it. Sambodhi exposes me to an excellent mix of academic and consulting work which makes learning a lot more fun.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. Definitely!! The subjects; the assignments; sudden deadlines; close deadlines-the week-long stressful examination period coupled with a bunch of extracurricular activities. Professional life is just as chaotic. IIFM taught me to have fun in this chaos. Once you start enjoying this chaos, you are a lot more prepared for life later on.

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles. 

A. My advice to IIFM graduates will be to focus on understanding and learning thoroughly. We mostly get absorbed in trying to complete an assignment, score good numbers on a test. But rarely do we try to truly understand what we are and why. You need to understand and be thorough with your objective at hand. It will then help you to do your job much better. ALWAYS THINK!!

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 

A. Overnight bike ride with friends to Panchmarhi apart from the bonfires on the cliff inside IIFM campus are the top two among many happy memories. 

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. Friends and faculties.

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. Enjoy your time here. Use the mental space to build yourself as a person - play as much as you can; go around and explore as much as you can, learn as much as you can.

Q. What is your typical day at the office? (We want to know what your day job looks like..) 

A. Well, we start early by having a to-do list and ticking the items off as it goes. I am involved a lot in proposal and report writing. 

Q. You would like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family.. 

A. Roadtrips.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? 

A. I can be involved in talks with IIFM students if need be.

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. I think students are more outward-oriented now. They are better prepared and have a stronger idea of how the professional space looks like.

Q.  Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Arnab Dey, Ph.D. candidate at UCSB; PFM 2012

IIFMight in Focus: Ms. Anushree Shukla (PFM 2007-09), Global Business Area Sourcing Specialist @ IKEA of Sweden,

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Anushree Shukla (PFM 2007-09) is a Global Business Area Sourcing Specialist at IKEA of Sweden.  IKEA was ranked 40th in the Forbes list of the world's most valuable brands, while it remains a Global Fortune 500 company with an annual turnover of approx. Euro 34 Billion. 

In her current role at IKEA, Anushree is responsible for globally leading the optimal supplier setup at the best cost for new product development as well as running outdoor range.  

Anushree started her career in 2009 with BILT, where she worked as Sourcing Manager for wood and wood-based raw material at the corporate office in Gurgaon. As part of her work, she implemented the first FSC certified eucalyptus plantations in India in the state of Orissa. This led to BILT being the pioneer in India for the first FSC certified export quality paper. 

After working for close to 5 years in BILT, she was offered the role of Wood Supply and Forestry at IKEA, India, where she led the function for South Asia and the Middle east. In her role at IKEA, she was responsible for ensuring consistency in the supply of ethical wood at optimal cost by the suppliers. She was the main driver for identifying the major wood species and wood sourcing set up in India for use in the IKEA range, and currently being implemented by the suppliers. 

In hex next role, she moved to FSC International in Germany as Business Development / Key Account manager, where she globally led the Timber and NTFP value chains, supporting global brands in day-to-day troubleshooting, marketing FSC, and ensuring a good relationship with the key accounts. Thereafter, she was offered her present position at IKEA of Sweden.

Email - anushree131985@gmail.com

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. So far so good.  It has been almost 12 years since I left college and yet when I retrospect, it seems like yesterday. IIFM had given me, my first steps to reach where I am today, and it has been a really good experience.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. There is nothing you can't achieve if you believe in yourself and work hard towards it with focus and determination. In our life, there is only a certain amount of time that you have, so you can either think about a million things, and invest yourself in this and that, or gather all your energy, empty your head and focus on making the best version of yourself. 

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. Being at the headquarters of IKEA and working in the heart of IKEA product development, leading it on a global level, and seeing my work contributing to fantastic products and thereby meeting customer expectations.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. Yes, IIFM gave me my first steps in the professional world, and all the good learnings at IIFM have enabled it to happen. My mantra has always been:

Smaller minds discuss people, Average minds discuss events, but great minds discuss ideas. 

Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers. What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?

A. My mother has been the biggest influence during my formative years, she is a highly educated and forward-thinking woman.

The second biggest influence in my life has been my husband who is my dearest friend, philosopher, mentor, and guide and has been my greatest support and pillar throughout. 

My advice to freshers would be that there is a lot of competition in this world and one must be up to date and continuously add value to oneself in terms of learning new things by on-the-job experience, training, and learning. 

I can suggest reading the Harvard Business Review for developing social, managerial, and leadership skills. Then I suggest reading about current affairs as they help you in striking meaningful conversations. I like The Economist for current updates. Also, it is important to understand that once you land a job in an organization you are in a symbiotic relationship with that organization, as long as you are learning new things and adding value to yourself while contributing to the company, it is a win-win, but when you're learning curve is over, it is time to move on and find better opportunities. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. So many good memories the best would be the field trips of IIFM esp. in the second year.

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!)  or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional.

A. I feel it is a mixture of all the above.

Q. The best friends / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.

A. I had a couple of friends I use to hang out with, but I am not much in touch with all of them since our professional paths took all of us to different places. But I am still in touch with some, but mostly due to professional reasons. On the other hand, I have been in touch with the faculties for various collaborations like orientation programs, guest lectures, market research etc.  

Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?

A. My advice would be that IIFM is not a regular MBA institute, it is a forest management institute and that is your strength as a student at this institute.

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A. My workdays are super hectic and that is why I have not been able to send a response for this interview for a long time :).

Due to COVID-19 I mostly work from home, but I do go to the office once a week. My day usually starts at 7:30 with checking emails over a cup of coffee. Meetings usually start from 8:00 am with the Asia Pacific team and in the second half of the day with the western hemisphere. Having a day with several meetings is usual, and such meetings could be working meetings in many cases, but after that, I work on my things. My day usually ends by 5:30 or latest 6 pm.

Q.  And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add?

A. On weekends I enjoy hiking as Sweden is an extremely beautiful country. 

My hobbies include learning new things - could be a sport and most recently I learned to ski, learning guitar, a new language, etc., etc. Basically, anything new!!

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?

A. Favorite Movie directors of all time are Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Coen Brothers (as writers and director).

Almost all movies starring: Al Pacino, Robert Di Nero, Tom Hanks, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Amir Khan.

Authors: Most recently Yuval Noah Harari.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?

A. Happy to contribute in whichever way the students would like me to! 

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. The curriculum is a lot more relaxed now and I think it should be more rigorous.

The positive change is that we have added new subjects to the course. Also, the active engagement with alumni has been a remarkable initiative.

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Ashish Malik (Olam), Atish Khan (Tetra Tech and Nature Dots), Priyanka Agarwal (KPMG), Pramod Choudhary (International Paper), Hemant Joshi (Mckinsey), Abhinav Shekhar (Aron Global).


IIFMight in Focus: Sandeep Chakravorty (PFM 1989-91), IFS, Joint Secretary (Europe West), MEA, GoI

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Sandeep Chakravorty (PFM 1989-91) is a member of the prestigious Indian Foreign Service (IFS) of the 1996 Batch. He is presently posted as a Joint Secretary (Europe West), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. In his 25 years of service, he has represented India in Spain, USA, Bangladesh, Peru, and Colombia in various capacities. 
Off his work, he likes cooking, blogging, and reading about history and international relations.

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? 

A. After completing IIFM, I took a job with the Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development (SPWD), a national-level NGO supporting watershed management throughout the country in partnership with other grassroots NGOs. I cut my teeth on the job, travelling to remote places across India promoting community participation for soil and water conservation. 

India 3o years ago was not the same place and communication wasn't developed. Even STD services were patchy. I picked up a lot of expertise being on the road and on the job in the four years I was with SPWD. As I picked up expertise, there was a demand for my skills of watershed management, and I was picked up by Sida at the Swedish Embassy in Delhi where I worked for about a year on their social forestry projects in India. 

During this time in the field, I realised the power of governmental intervention and thought about joining the higher civil service. So while being on the job, I took a shot at the Civil Service Examination, being clear that I will only join the top services. I was fortunate and made it to the Foreign Service and presently I have completed 25 years as an Indian diplomat. My job has taken me to Spain, Colombia, Dhaka, Peru, and New York apart from tenures at Delhi in various positions. I was Ambassador of India to Peru and Bolivia and then my last assignment was Consul General in New York. I owe my success in the Civil Service Examination and later on my performance as a diplomat to the orientation that I received at IIFM, a worldview, an outlook, on how to look at life. 

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. In my 30 years career, I have held 3 jobs- SPWD ( 4 years), Sida ( about 1 year), and MEA ( 25 years). My SPWD job gave me my first international exposure. I attended an RRA training program in Thailand and an international conference in China little knowing that a career in diplomacy was waiting in the wings for me. Then I moved to the Swedish Embassy in New Delhi again little knowing that I will soon be inhabiting Indian Embassies all over the world. 

My career in diplomacy has been very rewarding as I have always tried to be a people-oriented and service-minded person (ingrained in my DNA from my IIFM and NGO days) and worked to see how my work and job can benefit the common man. 

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role? 

A. The most satisfying part is of course representing the country and flying the flag abroad. India is now one of the leading countries of the world and this transformation I have witnessed in my career. This shows in my interactions with foreign interlocutors. Also, the Indian diaspora abroad is big, and representing India one gets a good chance of interacting with them. 

The other satisfying aspect is the ability to affect the lives of people and making a difference. Many of the things that we decide have bearing on the lives of people and that is the most satisfying element of my job. Here I would like to mention that my IIFM training comes in handy both in terms of infusing sustainability and environmental elements in my work and also dealing with people.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. What I learnt and experienced at IIFM has changed me for life. One is of course the professional part which is the importance one needs to give to the environment and ecology in every human endeavour. We are part of nature and not separate from it. This deep understanding I obtained only at IIFM and has been with me ever since. It permeates my thinking, my lifestyle, and my work. 

Although turns of life have made me a diplomat, I always carry my IIFM learning at the back of my mind and it often comes to the front and helps in doing things or guides me to solutions even in diplomacy. I take pride in calling myself a 'Green Diplomat'. 

I will illustrate with some examples. Recently we held a prime ministerial meeting between India and the Netherlands. As relations with the Netherlands are part of my current portfolio I started thinking about what focus to give to the meeting? How can the meeting be different and how to have an impactful outcome? Reading about the Netherlands and its capabilities I realised that the country is a powerhouse in water technologies, and water is the focus of the government in India. Water is also my interest area as forests are water factories. Bingo!!! So I took the lead in convincing my leadership that we should announce a 'strategic partnership on water' with the Netherlands. The idea was accepted and the two prime ministers spoke about it and announced it. Now we will see how to leverage our relations with the Netherlands for our several water-related missions. This is just one example. There are many, such as setting up the Gandhi Jayanti Tree Garden in New York through crowdfunding and greening of a poor desertified neighborhood in Lima, Peru. I could think of these projects and solutions due to my experiences and training in IIFM. 

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days? 

A. The first and everlasting memory of IIFM is the campus. One cannot ever get over it, the location, the building, the environment, the lakes around the campus, Bhadbhada dam, the campus some distance from the city, all added to the charm of IIFM. When we were there it was normal to see jackals and other animals and snakes such as the banded kraits were all over. I cannot ever erase these from my memory. There is also something about the architecture of the building. It grows on you and one starts loving the building. Another memory that I have was the field trip during the monsoon that the two batches 89 and 90 made to Betul in buses, overnighting in Betul, and on the way back we went to Bhimbhetka. It was a fun trip in which we bonded.

Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!)  or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?

A. My biggest learning was the ecological element of the curriculum. How everything is related and how development cannot be at the cost of the environment. This learning has moulded my personality and permeates my work. 

Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share? 

A. One cannot ever forget the 1st April or April Fools Day that we commemorated in 1990. It has been more than three decades but I remember it vividly and it still gives me laughs. If I remember correctly on the 31st March night we had the annual farewell function for the 1988 batch which went on till very late at night. Tired and exhausted (and drunk) we went to sleep very late in the night, perhaps around 2 or 3 a.m on 1st April. Someone thought of a prank, perhaps it was Vijay Koul and Manoj Dabas. They set up an accident scene at the main gate by throwing some scooters on the ground and they went around the hostel waking up people saying that there had been an accident at the gate and their best friend had died. They carried different tales to different people and one by one almost everyone was at the gate. The moment they saw someone coming on a scooter from the hill, the people near the gate would lie down on the ground acting dead and others would start wailing. The newcomers not knowing if it was real or fake would join in the wailing and this went all for almost till sunrise. Once the newcomer realized that he had been made a fool, all others including the 'dead' would get up and start dancing, waiting for the next victim. The moment they would see the light of a scooter from the hill, they would back into feigning being dead or wailing. I haven't had such an April Fools day ever again in my life. It is unforgettable. 

Q. As an alumnus, what's your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?

A. Someone is fortunate that s/he has made it to IIFM. Having said that I feel one should be very conscious from the beginning that one has come to business school and what one wants to make out of it. I wasn't. Having joined IIFM I was in euphoria and didn't realize till the first term was over that the education in IIFM would be transformative and could change my life. 

However, once I got the realization I was focused and did reasonably well. Having said that I wasn't a book worm and enjoyed my time in the institute and was involved in almost all pranks and initiatives including organizing events and the running of the mess. I had other colleagues who were focused on only academics and didn't enjoy their time on the campus. Today if we draw the balance sheet of life, I would say that they made the wrong choices. So my advice is to enjoy the time in IIFM but also be conscious that one can obtain quality and transformative education at IIFM.  

Q. What is your typical day at the office? 

A.  For me, it is "thank god it is Monday". I believe that as we spend so much time at the workplace, we better enjoy our work and look forward to it. In fact, I have decorated my office a little bit to my taste so that it feels homely and comfy. 

On a normal day, I am up at  6.00 a.m. After watering the plants and the morning cuppa, I go for my yoga class or an hour-long walk in Chanakyapuri. Back at 8:30 a.m. I read the newspaper for some time and then get ready to reach the office by about 10:00 a.m. Then I am immersed at work but I also go around checking out my colleagues. The first thing I do is to read cables and emails from our Embassies abroad and see if any urgency or emergency is building up. This allows me to plan my day and prioritize what needs attention. Then the day gets going in terms of guiding the team and focussing on the goals that we have set for our team. 

I also try to meet whoever wants to meet me. I believe meeting people keeps us grounded to reality. As my bosses get time towards the end of the working day, I normally stay late in the office and try to wind up by about 7:30 p.m. But I am not one of those who expect my team members to also stay late in the office. My leadership style is leading from the front. I do not expect my team to deliver anything that I cannot do myself. I am also not a micromanager and believe in delegation and team building. 

Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add

A. I like cooking and spending time with family and friends. I also write a blog on diverse topics although I must confess that after returning to India in July 2020, I haven't been able to do so due to pressures on my time. I also wanted to spend time with my kids before they went to the US for their college studies. Now that I am beginning to get some time back in my hands, I plan to write an international relations primer focussed on young people who want to know about foreign policy and international relations. In the mornings I attend a yoga class regularly and have noticed the difference it is making to me. 

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors 

A. I like reading non-fiction, mostly history, international relations and of course about trees and the environment. The book I read recently and has had an impact on me is "Overstory" by Richard Powers. It brings home in a telling way the need to protect our old-growth forests and how motivated some people are about doing so. It is significant that the book was a mainstream success in the US and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2019. A must-read for all IIFMights.

Q. IIFM is driven by alumni's passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? 

A. I was one of the first ones in Delhi to start an alumni chapter and organize frequent meetings. In those days our numbers were very small so it was a tall task to pull through. Then when Facebook came along I started an IIFM Alumni Endowment Fund page in the hope of pulling together alumni to contribute to the alma mater. Although the Facebook page is active and has a large membership, the Fund has not materialized. I would like to take advantage of my stay in Delhi to activate the Endowment Fund so that the alumni can give back to the institute in a more organized manner. At the moment it is very sporadic and a scattered effort.

Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?

A. Haven't been to IIFM for so many years now. I think the last time I was there was in 2010, even then I had seen so much change in the campus in terms of infrastructure development. Would like to visit again this year in the rain, when the campus is at its resplendent best.

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A.Shumon Sengupta, V. Varalakshmi, Ravi Gupta, Praveen Pruthi, HH Nath.


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