Renowned Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate, social entrepreneur, economist, banker, civil society leader and the founder of microcredit pioneering Grameen Bank, Mohd Yunus interacted with the students of the IIM Calcutta and shared with them his business visions.
Yunus passed on valuable knowledge to students while delivering the Arijit Mukherji Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, August 29, 2017. He talked about the world of three zeroes i.e. zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero carbon emissions that can help human race in the fast-changing world.
He also told the students of IIM Calcutta that the capitalist engine had broken down and that let to severe environmental destruction, inequality and massive unemployment. A more realistic economic system that focuses on the welfare of humans and the environment is needed, he added.
He encourages the students to start business to solve problems rather than focusing on profits. Citing the example of the 50 companies he started, he said that these firms are dedicated to either provide services or solutions for resolving social issues.
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Supporting his idea of doing business without profits, he said that business also means exchanging money between consumers and producers in a sustainable manner. He also added that making money is happiness but helping people who need assistance is superior happiness.
Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Yunus also talked about Grameen Shakti, the solar energy project that he started, and said that the project helped in providing electricity to the Bangladeshi villages that were deprived of electricity due to their rural locations. He added that Grameen Shakti currently powers 1.8 million homes with solar energy.
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Dean of new initiatives and external relations at IIM Calcutta, Prof Uttam Kumar Sarkar, said that it was an honour for the institute to learn about sustainable economic growth from Nobel Laureate Mohd Yunus.