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Doctors in India are grappling to diagnose and treat unexplained and persistent symptoms of <keyword id="9814327" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="long-covid" source="Orion">long Covid</keyword> patients due to limited guidelines, whereas researchers have flagged inadequate studies on the condition. With the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword> declaring an end to <keyword id="19896627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid" source="keywords">Covid</keyword> as a global <keyword id="416511" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-emergency" source="Orion">health emergency</keyword> in May last year, focused efforts are underway around the world to estimate the burden of long Covid among the population. The condition refers to the set of lingering symptoms affecting varied body parts and persisting well beyond the acute Covid infection period, including cough, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, brain fog and difficulty in focusing. The viral disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While studies have suggested that about a third of those moderately or severely infected are likely to suffer from long Covid, region-wise though, incidence could vary. A study by researchers, including those from <keyword id="19988007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="harvard-medical-school" source="keywords">Harvard Medical School</keyword>, US, estimated that 31 % of the once-infected people in North America, 44% in Europe, and 51% in Asia, have long Covid, which is "challenging the healthcare system, but there are limited guidelines for its treatment". It was published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in September. In India, however, studies on long Covid are few and far between. One such study by Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, conducted from May 2022 to March 2023 on 553 patients who had recovered from Covid, found that about 45% had lingering symptoms, persistent fatigue and dry cough being the most common. "There is limited exploratory research on the long Covid syndrome with scarce data on long-term outcomes," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Cureus in May this year. Understanding the long-term effects of the virus is important for developing management strategies, optimising healthcare delivery, and providing support to recovered Covid patients in the community, they said. Dr Rajesh Sagar, Professor of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, said, "Looking at the current state of long Covid studies in India, it is too premature to say that we understand the condition well enough to know how to diagnose or treat it." Animesh Samanta, assistant professor at School of Natural Sciences in <keyword id="19897094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shiv-nadar-university" source="keywords">Shiv Nadar University</keyword>, Greater Noida, said, "While studies in India highlight the growing recognition of neurological complications in long Covid patients, more focused research on neuroinflammation is needed." Doctors, too, have reported a rise in patients complaining of symptoms that they did not have pre-Covid. "People who never had <keyword id="6465125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asthma" source="Orion">asthma</keyword> in the past, post-Covid, with every viral infection, they get a long cough, shortness of breath and wheezing, which require the use of <keyword id="31257" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inhalers" source="Orion">inhalers</keyword> or nebuliser," senior consultant Dr Neetu Jain, who runs a post-Covid care clinic at Pushpawati Singhania Hospital and Research Institute, New Delhi, said. Dr Arun Garg, chairman, Neurology and Neurosciences, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram, said he was noticing a spike in stroke cases among young patients not suffering from known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. "Similarly, we are seeing more cases of encephalopathy (swelling of the brain) without reason and having a confused state of mind following one or two days of fever. Their MRI scans show no changes. These patients have increased significantly after Covid," he said. In the absence of medical guidelines to diagnose long Covid, doctors are having to resort to broad, non-specific tests and questionnaires to gauge a patient's 'quality of life'. Studies have shown that the fatigue experienced in long Covid is similar to that in cancer patients, with a quality of life similar to patients of Parkinson's disease. "We really do not have any test to diagnose long Covid, even though it is definitely a clinical diagnosis. We diagnose long Covid for people who had at least moderate to severe infection, following which they could never regain the quality of life pre-Covid. Checking for inflammatory markers like C-reactive proteins (CRP) can support the diagnosis," Dr Jain said. "Other than routine blood tests that measure inflammation, we do antibody tests to look for direct markers. In many of these patients, we are finding rare antibodies which are very new to us and were not there pre-Covid," Dr Garg said. Inflammation persisting despite recovery from acute Covid infection is thought to lie at the heart of long Covid. However, tests to measure this specific immune response are lacking, even as researchers have been working in this direction worldwide. One such effort comes from Shiv Nadar University, where a team led by Samanta has developed a fluorescent probe capable of detecting inflammation in brain cells that can arise due to Covid infection. The probe measures nitric oxide levels in brain cells, especially in human microglia cells, where increased NO levels are linked to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Microglia are immune cells in the brain that fight disease and help maintain brain health. Lysosomes within microglia, which help clear foreign disease-causing agents like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, produce nitric oxide as part of an immune response to infection. The probe detects nitric oxide produced in lysosomes in response to infection and thereby allows for a measurement of inflammation levels. This examination method can provide "qualitative information on infection status", said Samanta, corresponding author on the study published in the journal Analytical Chemistry in American Chemical Society. He explained that patients with pre-existing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune disorder) could exhibit prolonged neuroinflammation and loss of brain cells following Covid infection. While the probe has shown efficacy in cell cultures, animal studies would need to be done, before testing it in humans, Samanta said. Looking at the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, the study by Harvard Medical School had found that 587 clinical studies were conducted on long Covid, of which about 53% (312) were testing potential treatments. Most of these were found to be conducted in the US (58), followed by India (55) and Spain (20). The trials looked at interventions including physical exercise, psychotherapy, and pharmacological ones such as paxlovid and fluvoxamine. However, "to date, only 11 of these 312 studies have published their results that were not confirmative," the researchers wrote. The team called for studies to look into sleep disorders which were rarely included in the registered clinical studies. Further, interventions targeting the biological processes responsible for long Covid are needed but currently lacking, they said.

Doctors struggle to treat long Covid patients in India; researchers point to inadequate studies

<ul><li><keyword id="44903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shiv-nadar" source="Orion">Shiv Nadar</keyword> made donations worth ₹1,161 crore during FY22, which comes up to ₹3 crore per day.</li><li>Wipro’s <keyword id="6419840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="azim-premji" source="Orion">Azim Premji</keyword> slips to the second spot with an annual donation of ₹484 crore as his contribution towards philanthropy has fallen by 95% year-on-year.</li><li>Overall, contributions towards philanthropy have fallen in FY22 because of the pandemic impact.</li><li>The top 10 list cumulatively donated ₹3,378 crore in FY22, as against a combined donation of ₹12,785 crore last year.</li></ul>Shiv Nadar, the founder and chairman of HCL Technologies, is India’s most generous, with donations of ₹3 crore per day, even as contributions towards philanthropy continue to moderate after the pandemic. With an annual contribution of ₹1,161 crore in fiscal 2022, Shiv Nadar has displaced Wipro’s Azim Premji as the most generous Indian, according to the EdelGive <keyword id="3606268" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hurun-india-philanthropy-list" source="Orion">Hurun India Philanthropy List</keyword> 2022. The top 10 list cumulatively donated ₹3,378 crore in FY22, as against a combined donation of ₹12,785 crore last year. The good news is that the list has seen 19 new additions, with total donations by these new entrants adding up to ₹832 crore. Also, six women have featured on the list this year. The youngest philanthropist on the list is 36-year-old Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha. Clearly, the young entrepreneurs are beginning their philanthropic journey early on unlike many others from corporate India. Nadar’s philanthropic efforts have mainly focussed on education. Overall, contributions towards philanthropy have fallen in FY22 because of the pandemic impact. Nadar’s donation too is down 8% in the fiscal year 2021-22, as per the list. Wipro’s Azim Premji slipped to the second spot with an annual donation of ₹484 crore as his contribution towards philanthropy has fallen by 95% year-on-year due to the exceptional share buy-back in 2021, says the report. Billionaire <keyword id="3820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mukesh-ambani" source="Orion">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, the chairman of Reliance Industries, is third on the list with contributions totalling ₹411 crore. Ambani’s contribution fell 29% compared to last year. Kumar Mangalam Birla was fourth on the list with a contribution of ₹242 crore. Couples Susmita &amp; Subroto Bagchi and Radha &amp; NS Parthasarathy from Mindtree’s management debuted on the list with a combined donation of ₹426 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and also entered the top 10 and were ranked fifth. Both Subroto and Parthasarathy are co-founders of Mindtree. With a donation of ₹190 crore, <keyword id="111343" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gautam-adani" source="Orion">Gautam Adani</keyword> &amp; family ranks seventh on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022. Next in line is Anil Agarwal &amp; family of Vedanta whose contribution increased by 27% from last year to ₹165 crore. Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani are ranked ninth and eleventh, respectively, in the list and are active philanthropists. Larsen &amp; Toubro’s group executive chairman AM Naik is ranked tenth with a donation of ₹142 crore in FY22. While many billionaires of the past have turned generous later in life, some new-age tech entrepreneurs are giving away much earlier. <keyword id="1430802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nithin-kamath" source="Orion">Nithin Kamath</keyword> and Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha increased their donation by a whopping 300% to ₹100 crore during the year. At 36 years, Nikhil Kamath is the youngest philanthropist on the Hurun list. Another surprise entrant this year has been Rakesh Gangwal, the co-promoter of InterGlobe Aviation (company that owns Indigo Airlines). Gangwal debuted this year with a personal contribution of ₹100 crore to the School of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT, Kanpur. “EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List aims at chronicling the Indian philanthropy landscape and so far the transformation is encouraging. For instance, over the last 5 years, (the) number of donors who have given more than ₹100 crore have grown from 2 to 15, and over ₹50 crore have grown from 5 to 20. Considering the wealth creation potential of India and assuming that the billionaires keep up with philanthropy, I expect these numbers to at least double over the next 5 years,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and chief researcher at Hurun India. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Top 10 philanthropists </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Donation (in ₹ crore) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Primary Cause </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shiv Nadar &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,161 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Education </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HCL Technologies </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Azim Premji &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">484 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Education </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Wipro </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mukesh Ambani &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">411 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Education </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Reliance Industries </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kumar Mangalam Birla &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">242 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Aditya Birla </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Susmita and Subroto Bagchi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">213 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mindtree </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Radha and NS Parthasarathy </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">213 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mindtree </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Gautam Adani &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">190 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Disaster Relief </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Adani </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Anil Agarwal &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">165 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Disaster Relief </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Vedanta </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nandan Nilekani </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">159 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Societal Thinking </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Infosys </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">AM Naik </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">142 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Larsen &amp; Toubro </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-transmission-bags-project-from-best-to-install-over-1-million-smart-meters-in-mumbai/articleshow/94982223.cms">Adani Transmission bags project from BEST to install over 1 million smart meters in Mumbai</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tracxn-technologies-lists-at-3-7-premium/articleshow/94978323.cms">Tracxn Technologies lists at 3.7% premium</a>

Shiv Nadar tops philanthropy list, even as India’s most generous cut back after the pandemic

New Delhi, May 1 () Shiv Nadar University on Friday said it has made three key appointments, roping in Bibek Banerjee, Suneet Tuli and Sandeep Sen as its faculty members. Shiv Nadar University (SNU) is a multidisciplinary, research-focused university that was set up in 2011 by the Shiv Nadar Foundation, the philanthropic foundation established by HCL founder Shiv Nadar. "The university is strengthening the institutional leadership as it charts its journey to emerge as a strong Indian contender in the rankings of best global universities," it said in a statement. Banerjee, an acclaimed academician and a former IIM Ahmedabad professor, is joining the university as the Senior Dean and Head of Strategic Initiatives, and the Director of School of Management and Entrepreneurship (SME). He has worked closely with the industry, and has successfully incubated companies in education and technology. "He, along with the university's leadership team, will look at strengthening SNU as an outstanding research-driven, multidisciplinary institution, and also be host to a world-class management school," the statement said. Sandeep Sen, a renowned computer scientist, joined the university recently as Director of School of Engineering &amp; Professor, Computer Science and Engineering. He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and also of the Indian National Science Academy. Suneet Tuli recently joined the University as Director of Research &amp; Faculty Affairs, and is working towards promoting inter- and multi-disciplinary research at the university, and manages externally-funded research, within the framework of the University's mission and strategic direction. He has been a visiting researcher in UK and France and has over 34 years experience in the education industry. "The Shiv Nadar University, today is at an important juncture as it makes significant investments in research, infrastructure, technology and people to deliver on its vision of becoming the best research-based, multidisciplinary university of global stature and impact. We will continue to look for faculty who share our vision and push the frontiers of knowledge through innovative research," Shikhar Malhotra, pro-chancellor at Shiv Nadar University, said. SR HRS

Shiv Nadar University makes 3 key appointments

Completely irked and rattled by her homework to write a speech, a girl asked her mother, ‘Why is public speaking so important for me? It's not like I aspire to become Darren Tay one day’. Keeping her calm, the mother chuckled at the little girl’s innocence and said, “How would countries gain great leaders in the absence of great speeches? How would the global and social issues draw attention if no one voiced them out? If speeches aren’t important, why are TED talks watched by millions? Think about it!” I bet, the little girl in this introduction is not the only human alive who questioned the importance of public speaking. You, too, might have found yourself asking the same questions. A lot of us tend to look at public speaking as a burden more than an opportunity, but clearly, it is a necessary life-skill. Communication is the one thing that helps us connect with others, and persuade and motivate them. A world without communication is unimaginable. To share ideas, emotions and establish connect with fellow humans, communications skills are necessary. Public speaking is a much feared form of communication, but a vital skill to have and hone. We need this skill to be effective in classrooms, in meetings and even in building interpersonal relationships. With the passage of time, civilizations have risen and fallen, kings have come and gone, politicians have made promises and disappeared but there is one thing that has remained faithful to mankind’s success – Public Speaking. Be it the great emperors of yore, the business leaders of today, your favourite professor in class, or <keyword id="6399841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meryl-Streep">Meryl Streep</keyword> delivering a speech at the <keyword id="3554" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Golden-Globe-Awards">Golden Globe Awards</keyword>, public speaking has continued to help us influence, inform and connect with people at social, mental and emotional levels. Not only in the past or present, but till posterity, public speaking will be an indeed significant, valued and useful skill in all domains of life. Though speaking in front of an audience can get palms sweaty, knees buckling under pressure and heartbeats frantically faster, it is one of the most essential parts of the working world. Some people are born public speakers, but it is also a skill you can develop; the more you do it, the more you master it. What <keyword id="360433" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Robert-Brown">Robert Brown</keyword> says in undeniably true, “If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change lives.” Do you think <keyword id="1412479" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malala">Malala</keyword> would have been who she actually is if she hadn’t boldly raised her voice? As she stood up, she influenced people, and brought about winds of change for those young girls. While, the world today is bombarded with over millions of social media sites, the significance of public speaking remains completely unique; it is the only tool in this world that gives us the power to change the way one person views an idea or situation based on a mere ten-minute speech or conversation. In this 365/24/7 dialogue of life, one’s ability at engaging and influencing a mass of people can go a long way in determining his or her future. (The article has been authored by <keyword id="4676892" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipsa-yadav">Ipsa Yadav</keyword>, a class 10th student of Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon)

Fear public speaking? Here's why it's a vital skill to have and own

<ul><li>HCL Technologies' founder Shiv Nadar's only daughter, <keyword id="44904" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshni-Nadar">Roshni Nadar</keyword> Malhotra, is the richest <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/who-is-roshni-nadar-the-first-woman-to-head-a-listed-indian-it-firm/article32120536.ece%20">woman in India</a> </li><li>On July 17, 2020, Roshni Nadar took over from her father as the first woman chairperson of the <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/who-is-roshni-nadar-the-first-woman-to-head-a-listed-indian-it-firm/article32120536.ece">$8.9 billion HCL Corporation</a> </li><li>According to the Hurun Rich, Roshni Nadar has a net worth of Rs 36,800 crores, which she inherits from her billionaire father </li></ul> Becoming the first woman to head HCL Technologies, the listed IT company on July 17, Roshni Nadar has inherited the entrepreneurial venture founded by her father Shiv Nadar. The highly coveted chairperson position of HCL Corporation puts her at the helm of the $8.9 billion enterprise, which is the holding company for the group businesses under the banner. The entities in the HCL group include HCL Technologies, HCL Infosystem, and HCL Healthcare. Here are a few interesting <keyword id="9627581" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facts-about-Roshni-Nadar">facts about Roshni Nadar</keyword>, who has made her way into the latest Hurun Rich List with her net worth of Rs. 36,800 crore. Journey with HCL Roshni Nadar joined the firm, HCL in 2009. At the age of 27, and within a year of her entry into the firm, she was promoted to the post of executive director and CEO. In 2013, she came on the board of HCL Technologies. And on July 17, 2020, Roshni took over the mantle as the chairperson of the prestigious HCL Corporation - succeeding her father Shiv Nadar. Early career Before getting inducted into HCL, Roshni worked as a news producer first for Sky News UK. She has also worked at CNBC and CNN America. Roshni’s education Roshni did her schooling in Vasant Valley School, Delhi, and then pursued her graduation course at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, majoring in communication with a special focus on radio, TV, and film. She also holds an MBA degree from Kellogg School of Management. Marriage and kids In 2010, Roshni married Shikhar Malhotra, the Vice Chairman of HCL Healthcare. The couple has two sons - Armaan and Jahaan. Working for environmental cause and education In 2018, Roshni created The Habitats Trust that works to protect the natural habitats of India and the indigenous species of the land. Through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, where she is a trustee, Roshni is driving some transformational changes in the educational sector in India. Listed among the most powerful women In 2019, Roshni Nadar ranked 54th in the Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women List. She had figured in this list in the preceding two years as well (2017 &amp; 2018). Awards and recognitions Roshni was presented with the Lewis Institute Community Changemaker Award by Babson College in 2017. Horasis, an internationally renowned think tank, recognized her as the Indian Business Leader of the Year 2019. Roshni is an alumnus of the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL, 2014-19), which is a versatile community and an initiative of the World Economic Forum that works to produce the next generation leaders of the world. Roshni is also a talented classical singer. See Also - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/top-10-richest-people-in-the-world/articleshow/74415117.cms">Top 10 richest people in the world</a>

Interesting facts about Roshni Nadar you must not miss out on

<ul><li><keyword id="111343" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gautam-adani" source="Orion">Gautam Adani</keyword>, India’s richest man, has pledged to donate ₹60,000 crore towards charity. </li><li>The charitable efforts will be under the trusteeship of the <keyword id="2542614" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="adani-foundation" source="Orion">Adani Foundation</keyword>, and the group says it will enlist sectoral experts to take its efforts forward. </li><li><keyword id="6419840" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="azim-premji" source="Orion">Azim Premji</keyword>, one of the most philanthropic persons in India, praised <keyword id="76451" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="adani" source="Orion">Adani</keyword> for his efforts. </li></ul>Gautam Adani, the richest Indian man, has pledged ₹60,000 crore towards charity. That’s a tenth of his total net worth. This pledge was made on Adani’s 60th birthday, and will be used for a range of social causes. The group said that the corpus will be used towards healthcare, education and skill development – all of which are tax-deductible. The Adani Foundation will be holding this corpus as a trustee, and is likely to be partly funded by transferring the stake of promoters in the seven listed companies of the Adani group. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes, Gautam Adani’s networth is around $93-95 billion. Adani received praise from Azim Premji, the founder chairman of Wipro and the Czar of Indian IT. A noted philanthropist himself, Premji praised Adani for pledging his wealth at the “peak of business success”, pointing at the substantial contribution to charity by the Adani group. “The challenges and possibilities of our country demand that we work together as one, cutting across all divides of wealth, region, religion, caste, and more. I wish Gautam Adani and his Foundation the very best in this important national endeavour,” Premji added. Philanthropy is an effort to help and support social welfare causes by way of donations – in money and kind. Most of Indian CSR and charity causes are guided towards education for underprivileged children, the health and development of women and children from backward areas and communities, and skill building amongst youth. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="91829090" title="Understanding Gautam Adani’s rise: a story on how to generate wealth via hope, equity and of course debt" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Premji is also the Czar of charity" comment="subhead" text="Premji is also the Czar of charity">Premji is also the Czar of charity</cmsannotation> For the last two decades, Azim Premji has made a large contribution towards various causes that need attention, in India. He set up the <keyword id="120063" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="azim-premji-foundation" source="Orion">Azim Premji Foundation</keyword> back in 2001, and has since worked with over 3.5 lakh schools across the country. Premji has also been the biggest philanthropist in India by far, despite not being the richest Indian. In the last two years, he donated over ₹17,600 crore (approx. $2.25 billion at today’s rates) – ₹9,713 crore in 2021 and ₹7,904 crore in 2020. It also made a dent into his personal wealth over the year, in spite of being the head of one of India’s largest IT companies, Wipro. For comparison, in 2021, HCL Tech’s Shiv Nadar donated ₹1,263 crore while Mukesh Ambani donated ₹577 crore. Gautam Adani could follow in the footsteps of Premji in his philanthropy efforts, stated a report by the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/adani-family-pledges-60000-crore-towards-charity/articleshow/92422992.cms">Economic Times</a>, quoting an unnamed source, without going into detail as to how exactly this will be done. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indias-crypto-players-bullish-on-hiring-say-crash-is-just-a-phase/articleshow/92425464.cms">India’s crypto players bullish on hiring; say crash is just a phase</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-kept-the-rupee-exceptionally-stable-so-far-and-the-tide-could-turn-for-the-better-say-experts/articleshow/92414356.cms">RBI kept the rupee ‘exceptionally’ stable so far, and the tide could turn for the better say experts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tatas-to-ambanis-adanis-and-birlas-fortunes-of-these-high-debt-companies-could-change-after-rate-hikes/articleshow/92126846.cms">Tatas to Ambanis, Adanis and Birlas – fortunes of these high debt companies could change after rate hikes</a>

Gautam Adani gives a tenth of his networth to charity, Azim Premji is impressed

New Delhi, Mar 5 () Tech firm Salesken on Thursday said it has raised USD 8 million in series A funding led by Sequoia India. "The funding round was led by Sequoia India and also featured a secondary with investors such as Unitus Ventures and Michael and Susan Dell Foundation making partial exit," a statement said. The transaction was facilitated by Masterkey Holdings, it added. The funds will be used for further development of Salesken's artificial intelligence-based conversation intelligence platform (Salesken.ai) and for expansion across the Asia Pacific and North America markets, a statement said. Salesken helps companies with real-time intelligence during their sales conversations to help them win more deals. Sales teams using Salesken.ai receive intelligence on various aspects of the sales pitch, from lead qualification to navigating pricing discussions. They can also gauge the sentiments of their customers during the conversation.** * *Callido Learning raises seed funding from Education Catalyst Fund*Edu-tech firm Callido Learning on Thursday said it has raised seed funding from Education Catalyst Fund (ECF). While the amount of funding raised was not disclosed, the company said the proceeds will be used to strengthen the technology underpinning its products, fuel growth for its recently launched skills assessment and launch its first retail offering. In India, Callido counts schools such as The Shri Ram School, Shiv Nadar Schools, Cathedral &amp; John Connon School, and The Dhirubhai Ambani International School amongst its clients. Internationally, Callido works with schools in 18 countries."We intend to use the funds for product upgrades and to scale our presence in India and overseas. We also plan to foray into the B2C segment," Sriram Subramanian, CEO at Callido Learning, said. ****TCS HOBS helps Airtel streamline product portfolio*IT services major Tata Consultancy Services on Thursday said it has implemented its HOBS Product Portfolio Management (PPM) solution for Airtel to help the telecom giant to create personalised offers and make them available in the market instantly."Airtel partnered with TCS to implement a single enterprise-wide product catalog for all marketing and sales channels in India. TCS HOBS PPM has streamlined the company's product lifecycle processes, rationalizing its large product portfolio by 80 per cent," a statement said.It empowers Airtel's business teams to manage the product portfolio on their own, and significantly automates new product rollouts across business and IT operations, eliminating inefficiencies and reducing time to market by 90 per cent, it added. SR SR MRMR

Salesken raises $8 mn led by Sequoia India

The Indian IT sector is going through one of its toughest phases ever, with less appraisals and innumerable layoffs being announced by almost every major IT company. This rough patch is also going to have its impact on the number of students hired from college campuses across the country. The placement season is about to begin in a few months, but colleges in tier-2 and 3 cities of the country are afraid that this year, companies might not come with a purpose of bulk hiring, like always. However, premium engineering colleges and B-schools are said to be safe from the impact of IT sector slowdown. The fact that IT companies are also stepping up their game to hire freshers in the US is also worrying non-premium colleges in the country. "One thing has emerged very clearly: jobs in the lower end of the value chain will not be outsourced. More skill-oriented ones will be outsourced, which in effect will mean only colleges with a better name, better teaching pedagogy and better knowledge capital can survive," Pinaki Dasgupta, dean-placement and corporate relations at <keyword id="480921" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="International-Management-Institute">International Management Institute</keyword> told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/bulk-hiring-by-it-companies-at-tier-2-3-engineering-colleges-and-b-schools-may-hit-hard/articleshow/58831474.cms">ET</a>. Placement heads across several colleges are keeping an eye on layoffs, visa issues, etc, while making sure that students are aware of the developments. "We are encouraging more students to go for higher studies," said Susanta Pramanik, head, training and placement at <keyword id="785220" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="NIT-Durgapur">NIT Durgapur</keyword>. "There are only jobs for the top-of-the-pyramid students; none for those at the bottom," said Rupamanjari Ghosh, vice chancellor, Shiv Nadar University.

No more bulk hiring by IT companies from tier-2 & 3 colleges

Three months are left for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=RBI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Reserve Bank of India</a> (<keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword>) Governor <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=raghuram+rajan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Raghuram Rajan</a>’s tenure to get over and speculations are rife that his term may be extended. 
 
Rajan, whose term ends on September 4, says he should be asked about it in the first place. 
 
"That question, I can't answer. First I have to be asked, 'Do you want to continue?' Then, I can answer," said Rajan. 
 
Rajan’s policies have been lauded by various economists and it may get difficult for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=prime+minister+narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">PM Narendra Modi-led Indian government</a> to let go of him. 
 
But, what if his term is not extended? 
 
"I love teaching. I will go back to academia once I am done with my work here," said Rajan, while attending the convocation of Shiv Nadar University. 
 
Recently, CLSA’s Christopher Wood had said if Rajan was not given a second term, it would be a risk to the Indian bond and currency market. 
 "He (Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>) must recognise the constructive role played by RBI under Rajan in both imposing a tighter NPL (non-performing loan) system on banks, carrying out a stress test on banks and putting pressure on them to go after defaulting creditors," Wood had written. 
 
Rajan was a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

RBI’s Raghuram Rajan keeps mum about second term but reveals his backup plan

Founders of Indian start-ups who have tasted success early in their respective ventures and making money are now taking up philanthropy and using their skills and resources to upskill people and transform society. 
 Many entrepreneurs like Naveen Tewari, founder of In-Mobi, his former chief revenue officer Atul Satija, Phanindra Sama of <keyword id="6359128" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Redbus">redBus</keyword>, and <keyword id="1622254" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Satyen-Kothari">Satyen Kothari</keyword>, founder of Citrus Pay are using personal skills, time and resources that had helped them build their disruptive businesses. 
 
Economic Times reported that 37-year-old Tewari got together 100 alumni from his alma mater Harvard Business School ten years ago and mobilised about Rs 32 lakh to impart education in a village near Mathura. Currently, the village has three schools, proper roads and electricity. 
 
Now, apart from Wipro's Azim Premji and HCL founder Shiv Nadar, poster boys of start-ups are also getting on the social side. 
 
"For me, whether I have money or not, it is far more important that there is an intent behind a cause that's pure and can change the lives of certain people. If that's there, then you will be able to get all the resources required,” Tewari told the financial daily. 
 
Tewari's colleague Atul Satija, 39, quit InMobi in April to launch a non-profit organisation, Nudge Foundation, sinking in Rs 1.27 crore ($200,000) of his personal money to help upskill people. 
 
"Poverty alleviation is close to my heart. In my 20s, I decided I would get into social side at 60. By early 30s things were going okay in my career and I thought I could do it in my 40s," Satija, who previously was the head of wireless business for Japan and Asia-Pacific at Google, told ET. 
 
Satija said Nudge will work with illiterate and unskilled people and help them get jobs. "We want to take them out of the cycle they grew up in and make them semiliterate, skilled with a majority of focus being on life skills," Satija told ET. 
 
Sama, who was running bus ticketing firm redBus, left him with no mental bandwidth for much else. 
 After selling it to Ibibo Group in 2013 for about Rs 800 crore, he teamed up with Raju Reddy, former board member at redBus, to replicate the Sandbox model adopted by Hubli's <keyword id="6691921" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Deshpande-Foundation">Deshpande Foundation</keyword>, in their home-town Nizamabad in Telangana. The model brings principles of entrepreneurship to social causes, thereby fostering innovation. 
 
"I had no mindshare on the topic of social impact and I wanted that - it makes you a balanced human being," Sama told ET, unwilling to disclose personal resources he's parted with. 
 
ET reported that Nizamabad Sandbox has implemented 200 projects in the past year, each with about 20 people involved, translating to over 2,000 changemakers and two semi-companies. 
 
And for those like Kothari of Citrus Pay, who is still wired into their ventures full-time, the desire to give back is no less. 
The financial daily reported the emergence of peer-to-peer lending platforms such as Milaap and Kivah has created new credible avenues for the socially sensitive. 
 
Kothari has been active on Milaap since February last year, and lent about Rs 50,000 so far. 
 
"There is pride with this form of lending - it's not a handout for borrowers who feel they have to work hard towards paying it back. For lenders like me it creates a continuous exponential cycle of goodness because after 6-12 months I get the money back, which can be used to give out another loan,” Kothari told ET. 
 
Many (including primary schools teachers) gave him grants and loans to pursue a computer science degree at Stanford. "It's a question of strangers helping strangers and that's the big motivating factor," he said. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Poster boys of Indian start-ups are now taking up philanthropy

December 2016 marked 15 years since the designation of <keyword id="4497764" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="International-Volunteer-Day">International Volunteer Day</keyword> by the <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword>. The feeling of optimism, community spirit, and happiness in service that the act of volunteering evokes is in stark contrast to unfortunate reminders of hate and carnage that we witness across the world today. 
 
As Abraham Lincoln, arguably America’s most famous President said, “He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” While philanthropy typically is associated with monetary actions, volunteerism symbolizes social responsibility. It is perhaps the oldest form of personal giving and cuts across societal and economic barriers. Manifestations of the spirit of volunteerism can be found in human society whenever there was a country forming or heightened human suffering. For example, in the U.S., it could be traced to the times when the west was being conquered. From the need to produce food to adjusting to new climate and combat diseases, community volunteerism was vital. What is impressive is that the wonderful community spirit continued to exist in the American society, thereafter. 
 
In 1736, Benjamin Franklin founded the first volunteer firehouse in the U.S. To this day, many small towns and cities have a volunteer fire department or more than 70% of firefighters in America are volunteers. Data presented in September 2015 showed that 62.2 million Americans, across all demographics and educational attainment had served as volunteers during the previous year. Many were engaged in food distribution; 9.2% in tutoring and teaching; a similar fraction in coaching and supervising in sports activities and helping in local hospitals in small communities. These volunteers are professors, doctors, small-shop owners, tradesmen, judges who come from all walks of life. The point is volunteerism is pervasive in all aspects of community life in the U.S. It is worth noting that volunteering work while at high school is a metric in most American college admissions. It is also a metric to go tuition free at some state community colleges. With such encouragement, there is a good chance that the volunteerism will continue to shape American society for ever. 
 In India, a much older and complex civilization, renunciation and charity are two highly venerated values of life. Volunteerism is an outcome of this and has therefore been more shaped by traditions and value systems rooted in the religion and cultural interactions. The tradition of shramdaan, offering to work in the service of humanity continues to be practiced by millions of Indians and thereby continues to create social capital. To cite some notable examples, Swami Vivekananda and his followers created the Ramakrishna Mission served by a new order of <keyword id="6470263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-workers">social workers</keyword> to address the issues of poverty, disease, and ignorance that were widely prevalent. Later during the freedom movement, the unique leadership of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar and many others was instrumental largely in creating greater awareness about the role of voluntary or selfless service. They laid great emphasis on the role of voluntary social workers in nation building. 
 
Institutionalising volunteerism 
According to a global Gallup survey of 2010 that measured volunteerism across countries, India ranked a not very flattering 28 on a civic engagement score, much below the US that was ranked at the top with a civic engagement score of 60. The score was calculated on three parameters including ‘donation of money’, ‘volunteered time’ and ‘helping a stranger’ where the allocation for India was 28%, 18% &amp; 39% respectively. Our neighbours including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh ranked much higher than India (with scores of 51, 42, 35 and 32 respectively). China however had a score of only 20, ranking it among the lower quadrant of nations. 
 
Corporate volunteerism has slowly emerged as a relevant and viable form of ‘giving’ and has emerged as an integral form of corporate CSR. In India a trend that began with MNCs has increasingly been replicated by Indian companies. While Indian laws have made a 2% contribution of profits to charity by corporates above a certain size mandatory, employee volunteerism is over and above that. For corporates, offering their most valuable asset counts for more than just financial support to needy communities. By giving back, businesses can drive social change and employ their skills, resources and manpower to support organizations and working in the social sector. Benefits that companies can reap through corporate volunteer programs go beyond creating positive social and environmental impact. Volunteer programs also not only help organizations attract the best talent but also keep them engaged through causes and initiatives that they may be personally invested in. A transformative relationship between the organisation and the community ultimately helps enhance the triple bottom line that is framed on social, environmental and financial indicators. 
 
Volunteerism and the National Skills Development Mission Another important consideration is that around 60% of India’s population will be in the working age group by 2020. Can we see corporate volunteerism create enduring partnerships with the National Skills Development Mission to help meet the government’s target to skill and employ 500 million people by 2022? Given that <keyword id="46431" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Inc">India Inc</keyword>’s biggest concern is creating a funnel for skilled manpower, perhaps a new roadmap to addresses this requirement can be considered. I see volunteerism addressing this need very effectively. While the states have some aspirational targets, there is serious doubt about if they are doing everything required to succeed. Efforts to realign this can help develop a fool-proof institutional and delivery model that can screen and evaluate the rapidly scaling programmes at the state level. This convergence of engagement will utilise technical and non-technical manpower that India Inc is best equipped to provide (in combination with academic institutions). The network would thereby integrate universities and vocational training centres and India Inc along with the 30 industry-led sector skills councils (SSCs). These SSCs would then link up district head-quarters with state capitals and metros (where representatives of India Inc are located) and leverage or set-up e-learning centres to engage with relevant youth in need of these initiatives. 
 
Conclusion 
Volunteerism at the individual level needs to be encouraged and inculcated as a structured approach right from school and then through university and finally at the workplace to become an institutionalised and integral part of an individual’s life. HR professionals, should consider volunteerism as an important element while finalizing their selection of the candidate. There exists a huge opportunity for professionals across the value chain to volunteer their time and services – not just limited to doctors and teachers but also lawyers, architects, ad-professionals, engineers, scientists and several others. Due to healthier lifestyle, people live longer but the retirement age has not changed much; a lot of men and women have plenty to offer or volunteer to their community after retirement. The true potential of volunteerism can only be leveraged when it is recognised as an intrinsic part living in a community of people and of bringing about positive social change. India may be one the fastest growing economies but also has glaring disparities in terms of human development when looked at indicators of income, health, education and opportunity. Volunteerism, both institutional and individual can play an inexpensive and rewarding role in helping reduce some of these disparities. 
 
References 
• <a href="http://charity.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Volunteerism_in_America">History of Volunteerism in America</a> 
• <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/145589/civic-engagement-highest-developed-countries.aspx">Civic Engagement Highest in Developed Countries</a> 
 
(Image Credits: Flickr) 
 
(About the Author: This article has been contributed by S.N. Balakrishnan – Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University)

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