Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
PUBLISHED BY GDP FOUNDATION (Reg No: PNJ-4-12-2019 dt. 18th July 2019)
ADVISORY BOARD Mr. Pramod Vatsa Mr. Balaji Jayaseelm Dr. Dyaneshwar Mulay
EDITORIAL TEAM Mr. Kishore Shah Mr. Ameya Salatry Mr. Prasad Deshpande
INDEX Editorial 03 Launch - Thinkers Lounge
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Driving Purpose 07 Measure Your New Life
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Being Robust In The New Normal?
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R&D During COVID 19 Pandemic
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Reengineering Philanthrophy 18 DESIGN TEAM Owlways Creative
WEBSITE www.gdpideaz.org
Corporate Governance - A Necessary Evil
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Money Matters
22
Where Is Bob Williams
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Meet Tomorrow’s Social Enterprises
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The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the GDP Foundation or its trustess or partners.
Copyright: GDP Foundation 2020 1
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
The term ‘anthropause’ refers to a global reduction in modern human activity, especially travel, and was coined by a team of researchers in June 2020 in an article discussing the possible impact of COVID-19 lockdown on wildlife 2
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
EDITORIAL
It is time to
PD: How do you think it has impacted entrepreneurs? KMS: There are different shades of entrepreneurs with respect to their shape, size, dependency on others. Those who were in service sector like Travel, Tourism, Hotels, Entertainment, Events etc. will have long time to get back on the track. Those who were in heavy industry sector will have a moderate struggle. However, those in Pharma, Hospital, IT sector will infact see a rise. Global supply chain will also face severe uncertainty.
What is Anthropause? Is is just a catchphrase or then a phenomenon that is going to create a big change in redefining our race? To analyze this and interpret the term in depth, we formed a Triad. Three individuals with different backgrounds looked at the term through three different lenses to help our readers understand the it better.
Having said that, critical competencies like Agility, Practical Intelligence, Business acumen and Ability to learn will decide who will sustain and excel.
UnPause
Kishore Shah
Ameya Salatry
Prasad Deshpande
Prasad Deshpande: How would you define Anthropause? Kishore M Shah: Anthro means “human”, pause means is “temporary stop in action/speech”. The word “Anthropause” was coined by the British scientists during the current pandemic and it was primarily to understand the impact on flora, fauna, all types of creatures etc. due to cessation of human activities due to pandemic. To me, it is unfolding new patterns thinking, feeling, acting and interacting (socio economic). We are forced or voluntarily choosing or then temporarily deviating from our conditioned ways of thinking, feeling, acting, interacting. So in way, Anthropause has offered us a window to actually see evolutionary trends in human behaviour and its impact on other creatures and species during the pandemic window and whether this will have lasting impact for years to come. Ameya Salatry: Anthropause is the Great Pause that is caused due to the Covid 19 lockdown bringing the globe to a halt.
Leaving financial parameters in abeyance , what worries me is the mental health challenges which will stare at us very soon which will stress the social fabric, induce major shifts in human values like compassion, kindness, empathy which is already so fragile due to pandemic. AS: It has affected an entrepreneur tremendously as the business activity has taken a negative spin. From lending, to credit to operations to logistical issues, business has been severely affected. This event has wiped off the existence of several businesses and possibly for the first time in history, resulted into a global meltdown in business activity.
PD: Is it a pit stop or pitfall? KMS: Prasad, this is a very good question. Let us understand it from the Behavioral economics point of view. Humans will have doubts and anxieties and they will chase dreams for expectation fulfilment on one hand and get trapped into herd mentality on the other hand; be it in real or virtual world. If I slice the social pyramid then those who are extremely well off will continuing to lead the normal life styles with few restrictions. The higher middle class who had enough fiscal reserve, net connectivity will move into a “stop gap” pit stop. But I have my own doubts on how many will be genuinely introspecting and reinventing themselves? Those who belong to the middle class and lower middle class, it’s a clear “Pitfall” as they will be struggling for survival on both lives and livelihood.
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
Industries have also expanded in obesity mode. With global supply chain badly strangulated, my gut feel is that they will go for complete overhaul and reinvention. Both business and community are hurt. So if they come together, it will be a “pit stop”. If they antagonise, then it will be for sure a pitfall for both. AS: There is a lot to learn from this incident. Primarily to factor in situations that are completely beyond the control of human beings. Not to plan and create too much inventory, debt, and to make one’s business watertight so that events such as these cannot result in a significant impact on the business. With a lot of dependence on government intervention, such an event can shut a business overnight. Hence to keep some room to survive with operation it is essential to do some positive planning of events that are negative in nature such as force majeure events.
PD: How should one look at this as to carve the new normal? KMS: Humans are always paranoid for certainty, control and predictive growth, this core has been shaken up this pandemic.
PD: After chatting with Mr. Kishore Shah and Ameya Salatry and after talking to the industry experts, one advertisement is playing in my mind. The legendary Apple ‘Think Different’ commercial Here’s to the Crazy Ones.
Click on the icon to watch the advertisement Cpurtesy: Apple Inc.
Too many half baked philosophies are dished out regularly on virtual world adding to the clutter in mind, Governments with their outdated bureaucracy are further sending shock waves.
So all misfits and square pegs in the round holes, get up and get going. Anthropause is our time. Because the onus to start things is on us. There is no normal. There are no templates. There are no more safe paths. There are not more conventions.
In my opinion, we need to not have carve anything new but rather route back to certain basics which somehow we have devalued and work on the following:
It is up to us to redefine and reshape. Time to get back to the drawing boards. Time to look inwards. It is time to grow a pair of... sturdy wings. It is time to take a plunge and fly high.
• • • • • •
This is not the time to pause and be complacent. This is the time to become fluid. It is time to break the rhythm, compose your tune, and make the world sway to it.
Rebuild Large scale community purposefully. Structure IOT platform to harness human talent. Openness to integrate diversity of thoughts, feelings, views Collective, creative problem solving Building self sustained units at village/District level Simple, smarter, superior disaster management systems
AS: Think, plan, introspect and predict early. Push where necessary and mobilize where essential should be the mantra.
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And if you think you are all alone in this, let the words of Shri. Rabindranath Tagore resonate in your mind. Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tobe Ekla Cholo Re. “If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone.”
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
Don’t lose it Just UnPause 5
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
NEW LAUNCH
Thinker’s Lounge
T
Thinker’s Lounge is a platform where one can read, refer and absorb new case studies, articles, and research papers. It is also the home to GDP Foundation’s official communique - The Philanthropist.
hinker’s Lounge is an idea conceived by the GDP
About Mr. Balaji:
Foundation and Goa Bylane to make literature and
Mr. Balaji has been managing the sustainability and social
thoughts available that are relevant to today’s changing
responsibility for leading global companies for the last 15 years.
times. A step towards Intellectual Atmanirbharta.
He has expertise in governance, planning, and implementation of Operafionak Strategies across a multifaceted portfolio of
Thinker’s Lounge is a platform for industry experts, academicians
consumer and professional brands.
and young thinkers to pen down their thoughts and publish them online for the world to read.
Mr. Balaji is experienced in managing teams globally with a focus on innovation, cost efficiencies, and
The platform was inaugurated by Mr. Balaji Jayaseelan, our
digital transformation.
esteemed Prativartan Executive Panel Member on 16th September 2020.
Extensive experience in the incubation and facilitation of startups in Cloud, edTech, and Energy/Sustainability services (gCurv, Echo
Digital Welcome Banner
Consultants, Kids STEAM Academy, Link cycle, Duplo cloud). Passion towards early STEM education for children, bringing experiential learning through a confluence of Arts, Buildingblocks and Robotics.
Click on the icon to listen to Mr. Balaji’s inauguration speech.
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
PEP VIEWS
Driving Purpose
How do companies pursue different trajectories to define their maximization of value? Our Parivartan Executive Panel member Mr. Balaji Jayaseelan presents his analysis. commitment to their customers and partners and maximizing their company value. Unilever:
Lipton tea drives Rainforest Alliance labels in their products with detailed traceability and third party auditing standards based on their sustainable living plan policy. The company operates
C
ompanies pursue different trajectories to define their maximization of value. It can be a myopic view of maximizing shareholders with a laser focus on quarterly
profits or long term value of aligning societal and employee needs. Instead of viewing these issues as trade-offs, we can consider them a collaborative effort to define the organization’s purpose. Profit maximization can be viewed through the lens to create long-term growth opportunities through employees’ growth and solving societal problems. A recent study from Alex Edmans, Professor at London Business School, states: “Companies with high employee satisfaction outperformed their peers by 2.3%-3.8% per year over 28 years. That’s 89%-184% compounded. Further tests suggest that it’s employee satisfaction that leads to good performance, rather than the reverse. Other studies find that customer satisfaction, environmental stewardship, and sustainability policies are also associated with higher stock returns”. Reference: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit (LBS Review) <Click to read> Few examples of companies demonstrating the purpose are:
a round table on seeking sustainable solutions for the palm oil sector with other companies and NGOs. From the viewpoint of short term shareholder, the purpose is to maximize his/her profit. It is the volume sold and earnings of the product in that particular quarter. A return of investment is on the premise of simple payback calculations. Suppose we preview the work through the lens of purpose. It is the long term view of understanding the supply chain impacts of palm oil – Deforestation, water quality, community livelihoods, and other environmental issues local to the region. How do we define and drive purpose?
Some of the ways for companies to deliver on the purpose 1. If companies are explicit with their values and goals, there is more likely that employees can galvanize behind them. It provides them ways to align their values to their purpose. 2. Create and align needs that can create long term benefits rather than focusing on on-trend topics. 3. Don’t fake it. It will look insincere and display as a PR stunt. 4. Create a feedback loop to analyze the activities and align with the strategy. 5. Collaborate
with
like-minded
companies,
non-profit
organizations, Government to create the shared value model. Creating a paradigm shift to purpose-driven might take time, but it is a worthy endeavor to build long-term value.
Tom’s Shoes
The shoes provide soft, breathable, and lightweight footwear; while also taking on the responsibility of making life more comfortable for children and impoverished regions. The purpose
Mr. Balaji Jayaseelan Sustainability & Innovation Advisor
is quite simple, for every $3 we make, they give $1 away. It is their 7
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
PEP VIEWS
Measure Your New Life
What is the recipe for measuring your life success? Mr. Pramod Vatsa expresses his thoughts on the same.
I
n 2020, everything is out of gear & it is time to recalibrate our
Experience count equally, not only the pursuit of money.
worldview and definition of success. Some of the paradigm
The smartest people have not been working only in the private
shifts for the Working People & Entrepreneurs are going to stay
sector. Public, Social and nonprofit sectors also have dedicated
forever:
people and you can find more meaning there.
The Vision of Success - Impact you can make on people’s quantity
Management could indeed be the noblest of professions, as it
and/or quality of life.
offers many ways to help others learn and grow, and to contribute to the success of a team. In order to measure our New Life let us
Main motivations should be:
ask some pertinent questions to ourselves:
1. To be with the family and people you care
1. How can I be happy in my career?
2. To do something meaningful and impactful
2. How can I be sure that my relationship with my family is an
3. To pursue a long-term career in entrepreneurship, where you
enduring source of happiness?
can innovate rapidly to change the way the world works.
3. How can I live my life with integrity?
Entrepreneurs need to redefine the application of the management
To find cogent answers to these questions, we need to turn those
and innovation theories, to build stronger companies & to help
Management lessons & theories on ourselves. Management has
their people to lead better lives.
answers to all these questions; as an example, Frederick Herzberg’s theories give great insights into the first question —“how can we
Money is no more the number one priority. A lot of people now
be happy in our careers”? Frederick asserts that the powerful
think the amount meeting your requirements is good enough
motivator in our lives isn’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn,
but want to do something additionally, which ‘drives their life’.
grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized
“Frederick asserts that
for achievements. My recipe for measuring your life success is through:
the powerful motivator in our lives isn’t money 8
”
Create a Strategy for Your Life How your strategy is defined and implemented will answer 2nd question – “How can I ensure that my relationship with my family proves to be an enduring source of happiness? A company’s strategy is determined by the types of initiatives that management
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
invests in. On personal front, we need to decide allocation of our
Avoid the “Marginal Costs” Mistake
time, talents, and energy, based on the purpose of our life. It’s
We’re taught in economics that in evaluating alternative
quite sad that a significant number of people give little thought
investments, we should ignore sunk and fixed costs, and base
to the purpose of their life. We need to remember that we apply
decisions on the marginal costs and marginal revenues from
the tools of engineering or economics only a few times a year, but
each alternative. This doctrine biases companies to leverage the
we can apply our knowledge of the purpose of life every day. The
strengths created to succeed in the past, instead of focusing to
choice of your profession could be one tool for achieving your life
create the capabilities for the future. Since the future would not
purpose.
be exactly the same as the past, it’s not the right thing to do.
Allocate Your Resources
This theory addresses the third question—how to live a life of
Your decisions about allocating your personal time, energy, and
integrity? Unconsciously, we often employ the marginal cost
talent ultimately shape your life’s strategy. You have a bunch
doctrine in our personal lives when we choose between right
of “pursuits”: rewarding relationship with your wife, raising
and wrong. The marginal cost of doing something wrong “just
responsible kids, contribution to your community, success in
once” always look quite low! Justification for dishonesty lies in
your career…., that compete for these resources. Since we have
the marginal cost economics of “just this once.” If you give in to
a limited amount of time, energy and talent, we need to decide
“just this once,” based on a marginal cost analysis, you may regret
how much do we devote to each of these pursuits? This challenge
where you end up.
is similar to the one we face in a Corporation. People who are overzealous about work have this propensity to underinvest in their families and overinvest in their careers. This tendency of allocating fewer and fewer resources to the priorities, which mattered most, would be akin to the failing businesses allocating resources from the areas demanding immediate
Remember the Importance of Humility:
attention to areas providing immediate gratification. This must be
One characteristic of humble people is their high level of self-
avoided since intimate and loving relationships with the families
esteem. Humility also defines the esteem with which you regard
are the enduring source of happiness.
others, thus guaranteeing good behavior. The vast majority of people you interact with on a day-to-day basis may not be
Create a Culture
smarter than you. But if your attitude is that only smarter people
As per Edgar Schein, Professor MIT Sloan School of Management,
have something to teach you then your learning opportunities
the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and
will be very limited. But if you have a humble eagerness to learn
manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you,
something from everyone then your learning opportunities will
and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is
be unlimited. You can be humble only if you really feel good about
happening.” So if people follow organizational priorities and
yourself & you want to help those around you also to feel really
procedures then by instinct that they reinforce culture.
good about themselves.
The aggregate of people’s behaviors creates organizational
So finally you should assess the success of your life not by the
culture. If peoples’ ways of working together to complete tasks
money you have earned but the numbers of people whose
succeed over and over then it creates the mechanism by which a
lives you have touched. You should not worry about the level of
culture is built. And culture defines the priority given to different
prominence you have achieved but count the individuals you have
types of problems.
helped to become better people. Develop a metric to capture this and make a resolution to live every day for your life to be judged
In using this model to address the question, How can I be sure that
a success.
my family becomes an enduring source of happiness? Families can also have cultures, just as companies do. If you want your kids to have strong self-esteem and confidence, then you have to imbibe it in your family’s culture.
Mr. Pramod Vatsa SEKURIT Excellence Programs & WCM Director Saint-Gobain Sekurit International, France
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PEP VIEWS
Being Robust In The New Normal? How has survival taken precedence over growth for all organizations. Mr. Prabu R sheds light on this new trend.
T
he Covid 19 pandemic has created many challenges for
•
Increase in digital sales channels paving way for e-market
entrepreneurs & businesses across the world. Survival has
•
Increase in local sourcing content in close proximity to
taken precedence overgrowth for all organizations. Saving
lives and livelihood has become a priority over anything. Many
operations to ensure continuity of supplies and gaining momentum of Make in India products
organizations have to relook and redraw the map to align their priorities to have a minimum negative impact on their financial health. Recovery seems to be still a work in progress considering the various aspects of business performance in different sectors. Key Significant changes to the operations and business environments are as below:
Work from home has become part of policy initiatives across all
•
A larger share of employees has to shift to working virtually
organizations and is here to stay. It will coexist with work from the
and remotely.
office even during the Post Covid situation. Many organizations
Acceleration of adoption of online technology platforms to
are also looking at giving up major office space to adapt to change
run day-to-day meetings including customer interactions
in the environment as one of the cost reduction measures that
•
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
is need of the hour. Demand for smaller commercial spaces will
entrepreneurs is to keep the below points in mind to become a
most likely increase in near future. Getting past the limitations of
successful venture.
traditional performance approaches oriented around headcount and cost will require fresh thinking about boosting productivity.
1. Solving customer’s pain points, understanding customer & other stakeholder expectations, challenging the existing
A buzzword that is gaining momentum across the business world
business model, will help to commercialize your venture
is “RESILIENCE”. How does an organization plan to navigate
successfully.
this crisis successfully & come back to normal? Businesses are
2. Most important is to create the right mix of skills such
rethinking and re-evaluating various options to reorganize for
as Prudence in Business decision making shall be key for
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations
sustainability in near future. Risk-based thinking will have to
by moving people and resources around and by deploying them
be imbibed and be part of every organization culture going
in different ways. Decisions are taken at lightning speed to gear
forward.
up for opportunities for the future. Businesses will likely to have a clear view of which critical processes should be digitized to
Certain traits around reducing cost and increasing revenue within
drive near-term value and which initiatives (such as creating new
the organization will always remain important in the following
offerings or investing to extend customer reach) are critical to
areas:
remaining competitive.
1. Which product mix to focus on greater profits and increase
“
A new mindset incorporating allimportant elements with prudence will drive new results.
cash flows? 2. Which Market/Customer/order to focus on sustaining profits? Finally, it is all about addressing the immediate challenges and creating a detailed plan to return to scale businesses quickly, thereby keeping a check on how the market environment has changed. Businesses have to think and act on above by embracing
”
the agile approach to save themselves from the effects of the
between Digital haves and Digital have-nots. The digital haves
It is important to be aware of which zone each business or
will connect better with loyal customers; provide a frictionless,
individual finds themselves in to decide if they will survive this
private customer experience; serve them at a lower cost during
crash. Fear zone – state of panic or easily get annoyed, Learning
these vulnerable times.
Zone – Recognizing that we are all trying to do our best to face a
Digital transformation is the new trend and normal to be seen
pandemic. A new mindset incorporating all-important elements with prudence will drive new results.
across all organizations. There will be success differentiated
complicated situation & finally Growing zone – where we think The startup ecosystem in India has gained a lot of importance
about others and how to help them, finding a purpose and living
and is seeing drastic progress in unimaginable ways. This is bound
the present.
to increase the innovation culture and many new startups and young entrepreneurs will blossom soon and stand to benefit
Let us all stay together and realise benefits of being in a Growing
post covid. Invention and commercialization will be the key to
zone to emerge as strong magnets for attracting the opportunities
success. Incubators, Accelerators and Venture capitalists will
of tomorrow. Tough times never last but tough people do.
emerge as strong support elements for Startups. Challenges faced by Startups such as scaling up, lack of financing and lack of knowledge of diversity will be addressed by support elements, which is an advantage already. Many businesses will have these Startup support elements as part of their organization to drive Product, Process and Business Model innovation for their future growth. One of the key important messages for budding start-up 12
Mr. Prabu Rajagopalan Regional Sales Head - South Zone TDK India Private Limited
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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PEP VIEWS
R&D During COVID 19 Pandemic In this article Mr. Subramanian Neelakantan highlights key initiatives and brings out the research directions & opportunities in the ICT domain.
The present pandemic situation has a deep impact on our life, impacting relations between human to human and human to the environment. While this is a challenging period, the inherent inner strength within us motivates us to move forward finding new avenues, possibilities and opportunities. This article highlights key initiatives and brings out the research directions & opportunities in the ICT domain to address specific challenges. Global Studies & Data Collection
There has been a drastic and widespread reduction of mobility both on land and sea across the globe. There is huge traction amongst scientists to analyze the impact at the global and local level. During June 2020, Christian Rutz et. al [1] coined ĂĄnthropause to this period of unusually reduced human mobility and analyze the possible effects on wildlife and propose methods towards data collection and research. They outline and highlight how the 14
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see huge
opportunities to contribute to global studies as well as formulate frameworks for local specific research and analysis
â&#x20AC;?
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
research community gains unprecedented mechanistic insight into how human activity affects wildlife. Their article brings out details of animal-tracking (bio-logging) studies and the research potential of the recently launched COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative. Data collection and sharing framework covering places like local parks, national parks, public beaches, marinas, plazas etc. have been factored. Indian Context and Scenario
Reflecting on the situation here, we see huge opportunities to contribute to global studies as well as formulate frameworks for local specific research and analysis. Study and analysis of the migration of members across the states can bring out more insights towards the creation of newer opportunities and plan for resources. Sahana Ghosh et. al [2] brings out the work of researchers and students during the lockdown, despite uncertainties on fieldwork on various aspects such as disrupted food supplies for animals and biosecurity. Towards the
e-Learning technologies and tools have propelled connecting children and teachers effectively
study of air-quality during COVID19, Snehal Lokhandwala and Pratibha Gautam [3] bring out the findings of their study based
shall result in long-term outcome and shaping of the research
on an attempt to visualize the improvement in the air quality
directions in such key areas.
based on satellite images and onsite real-time monitoring at specific locations. Report [4] by MoEFCC presents various action
Research in Technology Space
items including the creation of a comprehensive Environmental
Tele-Medicine: GoI has been quick in bringing in policy measures
Information System (ENVIS) comprising a network.
to extend the technological solutions for the benefit of citizens. One of the key measures is towards enabling the Online medical
Research Directions & Opportunities
consultation through solutions like Tele-Medicine connecting not only doctors to doctors but also doctors to patients. During the
Innovation through Hackathons
pandemic situation, this has been a great boon for the elderly and
Numerous high-impact National level Hackathons have been
comorbid patients for their consultations. C-DACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eSanjeevani
carried out during this period, motivating students and startups to
OPD is one of the successful such solutions deployed across 20+
devise novel and innovative solutions pertinent to the pandemic
states. Further research can take this stream of research towards
situation. C-DAC conducted a national hackathon called SAMHAR
the application of Augmented reality and virtual reality solutions
COVID19 to address challenges related to drug-discovery and
for effective treatments and medical teaching purposes.
application of AI/ML. MHRD along with AICTE, CSIR and C-DAC are presently engaged in the Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020
E-Learning: Government initiatives on research is laudable in this
bringing in researchers across the country to work with students
challenging scenario enabling the field of ICTE for its contributions
and industry for devising solutions for COVID19.
through advancements and innovation across sectors. For example, e-Learning technologies and tools have propelled
India was very quick in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and
connecting children and teachers effectively. Though this area
immediately initiated various activities related to drug discovery
of research has been there for quite some time, the present
to accelerate the development of diagnostics, vaccines and
situation has kept one on the toes towards faster adoption and
repurposing of drugs for this novel coronavirus.
effective course correction by putting on to use many tools and techniques. While this addresses the challenges to a certain
Researchers across CSIR, IISERs, IITs, TIFR, C-DAC have quickly
extent enough needs to be done towards education to reach all
initiated R&D towards the same and these are the efforts which
strata of the populace. Hence, these are open areas of research 15
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
and key challenges that require out-of-the-box thinking for the
globe sharing and caring. Usage of financial instruments, online
effective use of technologies across social strata.
shopping, entertainment are seeing newer opportunities. ICT research to encompass end-to-end engagement, user
WFH Solutions: Looking at the impact of lifestyle changes due
personalization and privacy-preserving analytics are areas to be
to WFH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Work From Home mechanism is another interesting
explored further.
aspect of research and study. IT and enabled sectors have greatly been not affected by sooner adopting the alternate methods and
Community Participation & Platforms
putting in systems/networks in place for secure Work From Home scenario. Here again, though WFH tools were widely available it
One of the key aspects of this situation is to have strong community
still requires refinement and revisions to suit the pandemic that
participation in a range of aspects such as contribution towards
cripples one to move for many weeks and months. Research
data collection, observations & recordings, sharing of resources,
towards devising Highly usable but ensuring Security & Privacy is
and interventions at the local level and play a key role in finer-
a key area of research for these technologies to inherently ensure
level feedback/assessment in research studies. This also opens
the same for members who are highly conversant as well as to
up opportunities for the elderly community, women and children
members who are not so conversant in the use of technologies.
to participate in such research. What is required is a well-crafted approach & strategy to involve and leverage the community using ICT tools and techniques in such research efforts. Hence there is this excellent opportunity to develop platforms extending social media with aided tools for such research efforts. To conclude, we see this pandemic situation shall lead research based on the lessons learned to evolve a comprehensive framework including regulatory, technology, human lifestyle, the environment in a connected fashion for future societies to make a switch over with less impact on such pandemic situations.
Click on the Icon to watch a film produced by The Economist descibing how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a shift towards remote working. (Courtesy: The Economist / YouTube)
Key References:
Rutz, C., Loretto, M., Bates, A.E. et al. COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife.
Role of Women Researchers: Women have been effectively
Nat Ecol Evol 4, 1156â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1159 (2020).
contributing to research in various domains in the country. Further with enablement through remote access to scientific instruments,
Sahana Ghosh, Conservation biologists navigate the new normal,
international collaborations, there are more opportunities for
Mongambay
women to play a crucial role in shaping the research direction of the country.
Snehal Lokhandwala and Pratibha Gautam, Indirect impact of COVID-19 on environment: A brief study in Indian context,
Accessibility Solutions: It is important to recognize the challenges
Environ Res. 2020 Sep; 188: 109807. Published online 2020 Jun
of differently-abled in such extraordinary situations and specific
18. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109807
research towards devising technological solutions for enabling a seamless way of life is very important. Hence research in
Implementation of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Biodiversity Action Plan An
accessibility should factor in the entire ecosystem and offer
Overview 2019, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
solutions comprehensively.
Change, Government of India.
Heritage and New Society: Based on widespread usage of online mode of engagement we see the impact on heritage, culture and new ways of renewal of traditional practices across communities. Distances vanish and we see new society connected across the 16
Mr. Subramanian Neelakantan
Senior Director(R&D), C-DAC
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
Reengineering Philanthropy
The Pandemic is here to stay for some more time impacting the lives and livelihood and hence to avoid any further slide this is the time to “Reengineer – Philanthropy” 18
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
TRUSTEES SPEAK
Mr. Kishore Shah looks at Anthropause from a different perspective and pens his thpughts on how we can reengineer “Philanthropy” and rebuild the world together without burning outdomain. A Lot many companies present their vision, mission statements,
world”, neither bureaucracy is oriented nor trained to manage
values, equate their employees to “Asset”, passionately talk about
uncertain situations of a Pandemic magnitude spread over a long
their loyalty and priority towards stakeholders, which is all about
time horizon successfully as we do not have a legacy to fall back
canvassing the intent of their best practices but in a certain world
and for a country of our size and complexities it will much more
there are very few occasions, opportunities to demonstrate such
complicated.
practices, so such slogans and statements go unnoticed, untested. During the pandemic several individuals, associations came However the Covid pandemic has exposed and explored industries
forward and extended helping hand but without robust
by throwing multi-fold opportunities to practice what they have
administrative machinery (which a bureaucracy generally has) to
genuinely or rhetorically preached, it is an acid test for them.
support sustain, these initiatives got exhausted and faded out.
Time will tell us how many sacrificed the temptations of short term ROI, monetary goals for their values, vision and mission. This
Industries by their very nature are more resilient and responsive
may sound difficult but it is not.
as they are constantly facing uncertainties of the market but instead of the required integrated efforts each industry seemed
Let me share the logic, the top management, middle management
to work in silos or limited themselves to give suggestions or
are not going to be hit because they have always drawn hefty
donate money to the relief fund which in itself dampened the
pay packets, perks, their insurances are in place, so is their asset
collective response time and the local community was left high
management. When put all together they can remain afloat for the
and dry which also included their very own employees.
next few years. Investors and venture capitalists may experience a downward spiral in profits but they will not go bankrupt instantly even in the worst-case scenario as when there are restraining forces, there are also driving forces evolving. The real challenge of life and livelihood is for the laid-off workers, contract labours, small businesses, vendors, supply chain value
“Bureaucracy is a giant machine driven by dwarfs
”
adders. To me they are like a small boat without a sail, ruddar,
The Pandemic is here to stay for some more time impacting the
oar or anchor. All are left in raging seas to fend for themselves.
lives and livelihood and hence to avoid any further slide this is the
They are struggling for the next meal to feed themselves and their
time to “Reengineer – Philanthropy” such it will help all of us to
families.
contribute in rebuilding the entire world and such an initiative will be remembered for decades.
I recollect Honore de Balzac’s quote “Bureaucracy is a giant machine driven by dwarfs” and such a metaphor suggests that
The corporate history has several cases were huge loss shock
machines do not have empathy, neither they can run on their
was internally absorbed for the priority to avoid even a single
own nor respond. So to expect something well-planned result-
starvation/death due to its product/service malfunctioning, there
oriented from Government will be an over expectation as
are several cases of product recalls, free replacements which
Bureaucracy runs on defined rules, regulations, laws for a “certain
were in several millions and billions. We share such stories vividly 19
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
and also students continue to analyse these cases in Management
3. Industries can alternatively provide collateral security and
institutes. It is quite understandable that Business leaders face
facilitate Bank loans for their micro vendors, contractors,
stressful pressure from investors and bankers to ensure the
laid-off employees who have dedicatedly worked for years.
bottom line at any cost but investors, merchant bankers will not face immediate survival neither their coffers will go empty so fast
4. Industries are huge markets for Insurance industries so using
Even those who have seen their savings getting dry can expect
this clout industries can and should negotiate to provide
to see the stock market bounce back as long as they hold their
health coverage for their workers, local community and
shares. Writing off costs is not new to industries the reasons could
marginalised.
be restructuring, product failures, or acquisitions that have gone haywire. So what makes it so difficult to write off losses due to the coronavirus pandemic?
5. Industries should resist the age-old habit of demanding credit, delaying payments. Theu should rather give advance payments to their small suppliers as they desperately need
Here is how we can Reengineer Philanthropy to support those
cash in hand to restart. It is like a Thanksgiving or a gift
who are at the bottom of the pyramid employees, micro vendors,
voucher which makes the customer return back to your shop
health care providers and communities because they are the link
again to redeem.
pin to kickstart the economy. 6. Hot spots & Cold spots –The pandemic wave is at different 1. Companies can even pay less this may not qualify as CSR or
stages in different countries hence the need/demand for
Philanthropy but it will help all to float and swim back when
masks, sanitisers, PPE, ventilators, oxygen cylinders etc.
the economy bounces back.
will vary from one area/country to another, hence instead of duplication there can be a grid/hedging where healthy
2. Companies can also reincarnate a part of it as Internal Bank and provide soft loans which will facilitate fast disbursal and also
exchanges can take place so that the inventories are purposefully utilised thus saving time, effort and money.
prevent their employees, micro vendors to get trapped into the web of treacherous money lenders who would fleece them.
7. Large-scale Community integration: Every community has all the required actors, ingredients, resources to combat such calamities but what is missing is sustainable integration platform which is swifter, simpler and smarter. Creating such integrated platforms will be the game-changer. Industrial/ management associations should take the lead to build an IOT platform and integrate communities which in turn could run Covid facilities, canteens, clinics, providing employment, in short addressing the here and now “felt” needs of the communities where they themselves are embedded. In times of calamity what matters is your ability to collectively brainstorm to find sustainable solutions, your resourcefulness and sense of urgency, so that immediate assistance reaches the vulnerable. It does not need herculean effort but with simple ,swift, superior collective thinking, feeling and action we can reengineer “Philanthropy” and rebuild the world together without burning out.
Mr. Kishore Shah
Managing Trustee GDP Foundation It is time for indistries to come to the rescue of the Society 20
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
DEMERG SYSTEMS
Time to start Anew
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
TRUSTEES SPEAK
Corporate Governance A Necessary Evil In this article Mr. Ameya Salatry explains the necessity of Corporate Governance no matter how cumbersome it may seem. potential risks and prioritizes the tolerance for risk based on the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business objectives, and manages and mitigates risks throughout the organization. India has grown exponentially over the years, and with it the businesses have had the requirement to relook at their governance strategy from legal and compliance standpoints. The in house teams of well trained lawyers and compliance specialists are formed to mitigate issues and manage compliances. However, even with the aid of technology, much has not changed with archaic compliances and fulfilment that the companies and businesses need to carry out from regulatory and statutory standpoint. The structure of statutory mandate has still been very traditional and the companies/businesses are made to follow principles that burn energy, time and money that can be easily Corporate Legal Governance is a complex set of rules, and
augmented with crispness and banking on technology.
compliances used by legal departments of the Corporates to adopt, implement and monitor an integrated approach to
The primary focus has been governance, however effective
business problems.
governance is key to stand tall in line with many nations where the legal and compliances are made very simple and effective.
Within the realm of governance, risk management and
To bring this into reality, what very much forms the essence of
compliance, the legal and compliance departments need to
this change is custodian mode of governance, which is largely to
effectively and positively overlap with departments such as
benefit the interest of the stakeholders and not just promoters.
finance, HR and Information Technology. The legislative think tank must adopt this change quickly so that Legal risk management refers to the process of evaluating
businesses grow with greater accountability and compliance
alternative regulatory and non-regulatory responses to risk and
management that is achieved swiftly. Too much time is consumed
selecting among them. Even with the legal realm, this process
in meeting the compliances thereby shifting focus and energy of
requires knowledge of the legal, economic and social factors, as
the businesses from their core aim of doing business.
well as knowledge of the business world in which legal teams operate. In an organizational setting, risk management refers to the process by which an organization sets the risk tolerance, identifies 22
Mr. Ameya Salatry
Trustee GDP Foundation
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
TRUSTEES SPEAK
Money Matters In this article Mr. Sandesh Prabhukhanolkar explains how the pandemic has affected consumer’s buying patterns. The clock struck twelve on 31st Dec, the firecrackers sound echoed at every part of the world and we all welcomed the New Year with open arms. The New Year that reflects a new beginning. We were expecting the year to be much better than the year before, as we always do, wishing health and prosperity for all. We had better and fruitful plans for the coming year. May it be the growth in business or to travel the world, may it be the marriage plans or to switch the job for better prospects. All our plans shattered when most of the countries announced a lockdown due to the life-threatening virus. Something suddenly happened which none of us thought of, something which nature had planned and something which was beyond our control. An obvious choice between life and living had made us stay at home doing nothing. The running world seemed to have been paused suddenly, with the markets empty, theatres closed down, roads with no traffic and the empty homes instantly filled with every house member. The stay at home prolonged for months thereby breaking every human being slowly. Although we are into the unlock phase today, things have changed to a greater extent and we are uncertain about things coming to normal in the near future. The effect of this pandemic is huge, probably because it has affected the money making capacity of the countless people around. The crowded mall today seem to be all empty, the amusement parks have lost the business for the summer season, the huge hotels have opened now with no people in it, the garment shops have failed to attract customers inspite of the ‘n’ number of offers, the
Click on the icon to watch a film on Money Matters for Kids (Courtesy: Leslie Geissler Munger - American politician and business executive
vicinity rather than the big malls. E-commerce has experienced a huge hike. Right from big electronic items to vegetables every bit and piece is available on the innumerable sites on our smartphone. Today our want is just one click away. ‘Work from Home’ the new normal has enabled the numerous employees to tap the jabs at various cities not worrying about the geographical borders. People now can showcase their talent through various YouTube channels, Instagram, Facebook etc. It is well quotes “when one door is closed the other opens but it is upto us to stop seeing the closed door and run towards the door opened”. Although this pandemic has hit us hard, we need to grab the numerous opportunities which have come our way.
labourers have lost their jobs and the manifold employees have faced salary cuts. However looking at the other side of the coin, small businesses like grocery shops & vegetable vendors are flourishing. Social
Mr. Sandesh Prabhukhanolkar
Trustee GDP Foundation
distancing today has made people visit the grocery shops in the 23
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
Goa means different to different people. What does it mean to bloggers and writers in Goa? Follow us on Facebook to know it all. Because Goaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very own digital magazine is analysing the best of the best blogs that portay Goa in a new light. So join us on this exciting journey. On a screen near you.
www.goabylane.com 24
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
25
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
THINKING PARTNERS
Missing Bob Williams In this article, Mr. Prasad Deshpande attempts to explore consumer’s changing psychographic profiles due to onslaught of the Pandemic.
Click on the icon to watch the advertisement Courtesy: Hershey’s Who is Bob Williams?
Bob is 93 years old and he is proving one simple thing - You are
The American beer brand, Coors, decided to stop its upcoming
never too old to change the world with one Hershey’s at a time.
campaign that positioned Coors Light as the ‘Official Beer of
For more than 10 years, this World War II veteran from Long
Working Remotely.’ That’s because with some companies asking
Grove, Iowa has been melting hearts by giving out nearly 6,000
employees from to work from home, the communication would
chocolate bars to his neighbors, friends and total strangers.
have been rather insensitive or misinterpreted in the given
Inspired by this example, Hershey’s spotlighted him in their new
current situation.
marketing campaign. Apparently, Hersey’s decided to pull this ad in a campaign.
Soothing the aching hearts
Consumers are responding to the crisis in different ways. Some Why? Because it showed people shaking hands and hugging Bob
are anxious. Some are worried. Some have started hoarding non-
Willams. (The commercial is still there on YouTube, but pulled out
perishable food items and hygiene products. And then we have
from all other platforms)
people at the other side of the spectrum, who remain indifferent to the pandemic and are continuing their business as usual,
When Hands and Hugs become touchy
despite recommendations from the government and health
As the Pandemic continues to unfold, how we live has come under
professionals. With uncertainty (financial uncertainty more
a scanner. Hygiene and social distancing have taken priority over
than anything else) looming over their head, your consumer has
everything else in life. Hand-shakes have become a thing of the
changed. It is time to observe your consumer once again and re-
past. And so has hugging. This is compelling brands to adjust their
map his mind. Remember, this is the new-age of customized and
marketing game plan and realign their communication strategy if
personalized marketing strategies. Sorry to say, but the pandemic
it has anything to do with ‘improper’ use of hands or characters
has killed one-size-fits-all marketing.
not maintaining social distancing. Meaning no more showing people in a crowded bar, in buses and trains, people hugging and
So what is your customer scanning?
kissing and feeding each other.
In today’s uncertain situation, there is nothing like a normal
26
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
routine. The Anthropause has compelled consumers to adopt
EY’s Index further explains that the four segments could morph
new habits that many experts anticipate are here to stay for long.
into five very different ones as the crisis abates. Over a period of time, most consumers in the “Save and stockpile” segment will
Covid 19 has given rise to three long-term buying trends:
migrate to two new segments: “Remain frugal” and “Cautiously
1) Focus on health:
extravagant.” These new consumer segments, detailed in the
Many brands have taken heed of this trend and have started
Index, could emerge post-COVID-19 and be summarized as: “Keep
realigning their product line. For instance, Raymond just launched
cutting”, “Stay frugal”, “Get to normal”, “Cautiously extravagant”
Virasafe, a USFDA-approved technology that uses a silver-based
and “Back with a bang”.
chemical coating infused into the fabric to destroy bacteria and viruses. It does sound a little gimmicky, but one can see the
How to cater to this changing psychography?
companies are addressing health as a core promise. Brands like
COVID-19 is a health and economic crisis. Consumer attitude,
Allen Solly launched facemask as apparel and made wearing
behavior and purchasing buying habits have changed. The
healthy look trendy. The point here is, companies should support
Companies need to adopt an R-Cube Strategy to position
healthy living and need to have a health strategy as a strategic
themselves stronger for the future.
differentiator. 1. Respond - Reshape your marketing plan around new demand 2) Rising conscious consumption:
and brand purpose
Consumers have started keeping a check on what they are buying.
2. Reset - Redefine relationships with consumers, employees,
Introspection is gaining prominence. Impulse buying is getting
suppliers and redefine relationships with the ecosystem
curbed. Reducing wastage, and shopping cost costs consciously.
partners
and Opting for sustainable and eco-friendly options - brands need
3. Renew - Reconsider your product and service portfolio and scout the market for collaboration opportunities to
to make a note of these consumer preferences.
collaborate 3) Love for local Instead of ordering food from restaurants, consumers are
Let us bring back Bob Willams
preferring opting for food made by home-chefs. Everything, right
Yes, the times are tough. The future looks a little uncertain. But
from homemade masalas to homemade mithai is in high demand.
let these mounting pressure pressures not get the best of your
Brands need to explore this angle and must look at ways to
brand. Let the warmth with which you created your brand not get
connect locally. They need to awaken the philanthropist in them
destroyed in all the recalculations and realignments.
and imbibe ‘doing good for the society’ in their brand DNA. There is a Bob Willams in each one of us and in every brand DNA. The changing psychographic landscape
It is time to bring him back.
The first edition of EY Future Consumer Index has defined four distinct consumer behavior segments. 1. Cut deep - Not so concerned about the pandemic - worried
Ref: •
www.hersheys.com
•
https://www.brandinginasia.com/advertising-in-the-time-of-coronavirushands-hugs-working-remotely-deemed-too-touchy/
about their families - pessimistic about the long-term effects 2. Stay calm, Carry on - Hit hardest by the pandemic - most pessimistic about the future - spending less across all categories 3. Save & Stockpile - not changing their spending habits - not
•
https://www.ey.com/en_us/consumer-products-retail/how-covid-19-couldchange-consumer-behavior
•
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/consumer-goods-services/ coronavirus-consumer-behavior-research
directly impacted by the pandemic - worried that others are stockpiling 4. Hibernate & spend - most concerned about the pandemic - best positioned to deal with it - optimistic for the future -
Mr. Prasad Deshpande Co-Founder, Goa Bylane Founder, Owlways Creative
spending more across the board 27
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
MENTORING TALENTS
Meet Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Enterprises Here is a brief introduction of the two Social Startups that GDP Foundation is grooming as a part of Hi-Potential Advisory Service.
OPTISMART ECO SOLUTIONS PVT LTD.
FITNESS CONNECT
This startup has started with a bang by introducing a smart toilet.
Fitness Connect is a SaaS-based product to help gyms and fitness
They call it EZZY-LOO. The USP of the product is an eco-friendly
centers connected with their clientele. It is an attempt to help
toilet that is easy to install and saves water, as much as 70% water
gyms and fitness centers streamline its operations and maintain
per flush. EZZY-LOO is prefabricated and modular. It is a toilet that
constant communication with its members.
involves less plumbing. And they are as easy to install and then detach as a washing machine.
Despite COVID 19, Fitness Konnect is very optimistic about its expansion plan. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because Covid-19 has made people
These toilets areas the perfect hygiene solution that can make life
realise how important their health is. More and more people are
easy in many ways. Take construction sites for that matter. Now
understanding this but they have no guidance. Fitness Konnect is
no more constructing a temporary toilet for the workforce. All
now aiming to provide this. The plan next for the B2B vendors is
you need to do is install EZZY-LOO at the site and detach it once
improving the marketing and operating competency through the
the work is done. It is also a perfect solution for outdoor events,
software and the website.
weddings and festivals.
Should you be interested in knowing more about these startups or then wish to fund them for their idea, write to us at speed@gdpideaz.org 28
Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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Oct 2020 | The Philanthropist
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