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Sunday, May 20th
Call to bridge growing disparity
By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, NOV. 8. Expressing concern over growing disparity between the poor and the rich in India, the president of the World Council for Corporate Governance, Madhav Mehra, has emphasised the need for building up a rural infrastructure and educating the villagers to bridge this divide and ensure rapid development of the nation. Mr. Mehra, a management guru and thinker turned-social entrepreneur, has come up with an alternative model to the consumer-based economy called Poor-Oriented Innovation for a Substantial and Eco-friendly Development (POISED).
Mr. Mehra will be presenting his model as well as sharing his other concerns while addressing the first National Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility to be held here this Tuesday. The conference, being organised by the Centre for Social Responsibility, will discuss topical issues pertaining to corporate social responsibility and will also addressed by the former Chief Justice of India, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Suhir Raha; and the Deputy I ugh Commissioner of Britain, Mark Runacres.
Mr. Mehra, who has been actively involved with issues like corporate social responsibility in India and has been continuously shaping various opinions and policies for the same, believes that POISED is the only cure for immediate catastrophes -global warming and widening disparities -- which could be achieved through 11 simple steps. "We need to build private/public partnerships for innovating eco-friendly poor oriented products besides achieving radical increase in resource productivity and minimize intensity of energy and material use. Then we need to find hybrid solutions to every problem that should be blend of traditional and emerging technologies which should be scalable and transportable."
Advocating the need for the corporate sector to understand that the poor people in society could be key drivers of their success in business. "Most poor are only capital poor but asset rich. Developing a market economy based on enforcement of commercial contracts through transparent governance structures can convert their hidden assets into capital. Even on the existing capital base poor offer a huge market. So the collateral social and economic benefits of extending the market economy to poor can be colossal," he added.
"Dr Madhav Mehra is a phenomenon, nothing describes him better."
Ola Ullsten, Former Prime Minister of Sweden at the 8th World Congress on Environment Management, Palampur, 2006"
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Dr Mehra, I just read your commentary on Satyam....You made one of the wisest observations on board failures I've ever read - "It is difficult to understand something when your salary depends on not understanding it".Brilliant!
Ralph Ward, Boardroom Insider
"Dr Madhav Mehra, has played a significant role to bring about a change in the mindset of the corporate world. India will remember him as a great pioneer who foresaw such a need and strove for inculcating a culture of quality in all spheres of activity."
S S H Rehman Executive Director, ITC Group of Hotels
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"I have known Dr Mehra for the last 8 years in my capacity as the Chairman of the Centre for Social Responsibility,..... Chairman of the S.M. Charitable Trust . I am amazed by the energy, enthusiasm and dedication that he brings to every idea he promotes."
P.N. Bhagwati, Former Chief Justice of India
"Rarely does one come across a legend like Madhav Mehra. I have witnessed his dedication everywhere: building community centres for gaddies of Dhauladhar, hospital and school for slum dwellers in Delhi and addressing corporates on the social role of their business."
Dr Sahib Singh, Ex-Chief Minister, speaking at SM Medical Centre, 13.04.04"
"Had Dr Madhav Mehra just been the founder of the IOD, that in itself would have been a piece of work tat the present and future generations would cherish. But by establising so many other organisations, he has really ensured that we respect him as a pioneering figure of all te good that Indian business is striving for."
Javed Husain, Professor and former Dean of Engineering
"Address of Dr Mehra was a unique experience. I aspire to listen to him again and wish Dr Mehra can find time to address youth in the colleges."
MK Yadav, Hindustan Zinc LTD
"Dr Mehra has given a unique dimension to CSR. His interpretation is particularly relevant to us and we must invite him once again to address our top executives"
Hon'ble Carlton Davis, head of Jamaica's Civil Service"
"Dr Mehra's passion comes alive from his speeches"
Uma Arora, Chairman Idam Learning
"Dr Madhav Mehra's keynote address was the most thought provoking"
N A Patil & R B Rajpune
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