A Fistful of Rice
"A Fistful of Rice”written by Vikram Akula and published by Harvard Business Review Press, has the blurb “My unexpected Quest to End Poverty Through Profitability”.
Vikram Akula is one of the unsung Indians who have done India proud. His parents migrated to US when he was just 2 years old. Brought up in the luxuries of Western life that his successful surgeon father could provide for him, his heart yet beat for the impoverished Indians. Watching a poor lady picking up each grain of rice that fell on the floor, he understood the immense gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. And he decided to do something about it.
He has pioneered micro-finance in the “for-profit” mode, channelizing millions of dollars for the welfare of the poorest of rural Indians – and made them pay back rich dividends to the investors, while significantly improving their economic status.
Vikram braved through reams of red-tape, faced violent attacks from extremists, survived the trauma of being labelled a Christian-converter, and lived in a barren room in desolate surroundings, with no door, no toilet, and well water a good ten minute walk away. This, despite having proven himself in the world of Academics through an MA from Yale, a Ph.D. from University of Chicago, and having held a lucrative job in McKinsey.
Vikram lives in Hyderabad, heading his SKS Microfinance, reaching out to millions of poverty stricken Indians in different parts of the country. He keeps coming out with innovations to provide the poor with products of daily use, insurance, banking. He has proven to the world what he has always believed in – that the poorest of the poor, given simple opportunities, can not only rise up to a better quality of life, but can also provide dividends to those who invested in them.
Vikram Akula is one of the unsung Indians who have done India proud. His parents migrated to US when he was just 2 years old. Brought up in the luxuries of Western life that his successful surgeon father could provide for him, his heart yet beat for the impoverished Indians. Watching a poor lady picking up each grain of rice that fell on the floor, he understood the immense gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. And he decided to do something about it.
He has pioneered micro-finance in the “for-profit” mode, channelizing millions of dollars for the welfare of the poorest of rural Indians – and made them pay back rich dividends to the investors, while significantly improving their economic status.
Vikram braved through reams of red-tape, faced violent attacks from extremists, survived the trauma of being labelled a Christian-converter, and lived in a barren room in desolate surroundings, with no door, no toilet, and well water a good ten minute walk away. This, despite having proven himself in the world of Academics through an MA from Yale, a Ph.D. from University of Chicago, and having held a lucrative job in McKinsey.
Vikram lives in Hyderabad, heading his SKS Microfinance, reaching out to millions of poverty stricken Indians in different parts of the country. He keeps coming out with innovations to provide the poor with products of daily use, insurance, banking. He has proven to the world what he has always believed in – that the poorest of the poor, given simple opportunities, can not only rise up to a better quality of life, but can also provide dividends to those who invested in them.
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