When her IIM-A batchmates were busy hunting for high-paying jobs, she joined an NGO.
When her IIM-A batchmates were busy hunting for high-paying jobs, she joined an NGO. Madhabi Puri Buch, the CEO of ICICI Securities, worked there for a year before starting her corporate career. And that social worker 'gene', as she calls it, has been quite active even after all these years. Madhabi, who is busy with yet another charity project, an exhibition called Art for Smiles that opened yesterday at ICIA Gallery, talks to CS about making a difference:
WHO: Madhabi Puri Buch
WHAT: Talks about giving back to the society in the form of charity work
Charity's all that matters
I think it is important to give back to society, and there are many ways of doing that. But these days, I'm more concerned about multiplying the little money that we've been able to collect. If you join hands with the right people, you can multiply even a small amount by a hundredfold. A lot of people ask me how I manage tou00a0 make time for charity, but the fact is that I am at a stage in my life when I do have time. My son is grown up and I don't have as many domestic responsibilities to attend to. If I'd been in my mid-thirties, it would have been a different story altogether, but that wouldn't have made me a lesser person. What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't matter whether you're involved in charity directly or indirectly. And no one has the right to pass a value judgement on it.
What's in a name?
Corporate social responsibility has been a legacy for many bigwigs in India. The Tatas, the Azim Premji Foundation, the Bharti Foundation, tthe ICICI Foundation have all been serious about making a difference. And then there are many others who like to secretly help out in their individual capacity. Now that I've been associated with this cause, in the last six months, I've come across people who have donated over a $1 million each. I can't give out their names, because they don't want to tom-tom their charity work, but I can tell you that they're all names that you have heard of.
Planning right
I've realised that giving is actually quite easy. There are many people out there who are happy to help. But it is when you bring in various parties, in the form of an orchestra, that a project becomes truly effective. And all that is required here is a little money and a little more of your time and commitment. And even though my participation in the project might be limited, we're able to multiply the money handsomely because of shrewd planning and the right support.
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