End Poverty
End Poverty (EP) is a civil society organization, started in the year 2009, based in India that designs and delivers innovative solutions for the poor of India in partnership with national and international organizations. EP’s approach is to enable and empower people for change and support them with identifying solutions and making informed choices. The programs are designed after meeting the targeted [...]
Gender Equality, Education, and Employment in India
India is a country where gender inequality has been a crucial issue for generations. Starting at a very young age, girls face a variety of barriers that contribute to unequal economic and educational opportunities. The empowerment of women, both through education of girls and employment of women, has a direct impact on the Indian economy. The literacy rate in India for females [...]
An interview with Tushar Vyas, President of Growth and Transformation for GroupM South Asia
John Hoffmire: I find it fascinating that you have been both an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur in the field of digital media. You’ve started companies from scratch, and you created new business enterprises within a multinational corporation. Tell me about your journey from start-up entrepreneur to a GroupM intrapreneur. Tushar: In many ways, there is not much difference between the mindset and [...]
An interview with Paramjyoti Chattopadhyay, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, NITI Aayog
John Hoffmire: I remember when I met you at Oxford in 2015, feeling like you and I had similar interests and unusual career tracks that bounced us back and forth between working to alleviate poverty, management consulting, and public policy. Am I right about the unusual career paths? Param: I’ve always been interested in both development finance and market opportunities that develop [...]
Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka to foster tech entrepreneurs
The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), the apex ICT institution of the Government and a catalyst in driving the startup ecosystem forward, launched the ’10,000 Ideas’ national tech innovation program recently to empower the next generation of tech entrepreneurs along with startup ecosystem enablers. Facilitated in collaboration with startup ecosystem enablers and partners for entrepreneurs, ‘10,000 Ideas’ sets [...]
An interview with Dr. Kasturi Das, Professor of Economics at the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad (IMTG)
John Hoffmire: Kasturi, you have covered multiple fields in your work life so far. Tell me about your professional journey, if you will. Kasturi: That’s right, John. In my professional journey spanning more than two decades I have worked in multiple capacities – conducting research, advisory, advocacy, teaching, academic administration, and community service. My journey has spread across various countries where I have had [...]
An interview with Kaushik Bose, Co-founder and CEO of SustLabs (a consumer IoT company in the energy space)
John Hoffmire: I remember when I first met you during your time as a fellow of the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP). You were so passionate about energy conservation and had recently cofounded SustLabs. Is SustLabs an energy saving or a data analytics company? Kaushik: At the moment, we are primarily a consumer IoT company. We license the tech-stack [...]
Drumlins Water Technology
Drumlins Water Technology is a spin-off company originated from Water Research Lab Banasthali Vidyapith. They provide smart water solutions for the communities at affordable price. They convert polluted water into tangible and valuable assets without utilizing excess water and electricity for operation. Drumlins Vision The utilization of existing water in more responsible and smart way is the major concern in day today [...]
An interview with Vinita Srivastava, Executive Director (Heritage) at Railway Board
John Hoffmire: You’ve had an interesting career that spans mechanical engineering, the transportation sector, and cultural preservation. That’s an unusual mix. I’d love to learn more about how that came about? Vinita: I don’t see it as such an unusual mix. I’ve always had a love for the Indian railroads. You see, a railway isn’t just tracks and trains. It’s the backbone of the [...]
An interview with Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant, Member, Corporate Strategic Management Team, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
John Hoffmire: You are an increasingly rare entity in management these days — you’ve stayed with the same company for nearly 20 years. Tell me about your work with Bharat Heavy Electricals and why you’ve felt comfortable staying there for so long. Sanghamitra: You are right, I’ve been with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for a long time. It is one of the country’s [...]
An Interview with Meghna Apparao, Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) Fellow, 2018
John Hoffmire: Since your time as a fellow at the Chevening Research Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP), you’ve taken on new roles and responsibilities as a leader of brand awareness and customer experience. I’d love to hear more about that? Meghna: I came to Oxford in 2018 as part of the CRISP program at St. Cross College. I had been working with [...]
An interview with Shilpa Pandit, Associate Professor of Psychology and Co-Founder of Dreampath Foundation (which works with adolescents and youth as they navigate their careers)
John Hoffmire: When I first met you in 2018, I remember being impressed by three things: 1) You seemed like a very wise soul – like someone full of hard-earned wisdom; 2) You radiated joy and fun – happiness just spilled out of you; and, 3) You’ve worked in such a wide variety of ways and means to make the world a better [...]
