NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

C K Prahlad shares his views on how Indian companies can take centrestage in the global economy

He believes in ?fortune at the bottom of the pyramid?. Management guru C K Prahlad?s message for Indian companies has always been to concentrate on the economic needs of the society they operate in. At the just concluded Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organised by Teri, the world renowned expert spoke about corporates? increasing role in fulfilling the needs of the poor. So, how do we wed together a commercial approach and needs of the poor for utilities like water and energy? ...

Source

Financial Express (link opens in a new window)

The perception of corporate social responsibility, once and for long, as an extra effort made by a company, is now undergoing a sea change. The realisation came up prominently at the recent World Economic Forum at Davos. All those present at the forum realised their responsibility towards core basic universal problems like water, air, climate change and health issues like HIV/AIDS. These problems don?t see borders. The progress all over the world ? whether we talk about poverty, healt...

Source

Financial Express (link opens in a new window)

DSDS 2006 focussed on innovative partnerships and governance to achieve MDGs

The recently culminated Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2006 (DSDS 2006) organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) focussed on ?Linking across MDGs: towards innovative partnerships and governance.? The three-day summit interlinked economy and environment on topics like poverty and hunger, agriculture, water, sanitation, health, environmental threats and climate change and energy. The summit was attended by eminent thinkers on the subjects, besides heads of state, min...

Source

Financial Express (link opens in a new window)

OGA, I?ve heard of micro- credit,? said this sugar-cane seller in Hausa, on a recent NTA Channel 10 programme on MICRO-CREDIT and Poverty Alleviation, ?but I don?t really know anything about it. Now, this sugar cane that I sell; I buy a bundle of it at between N550.00, and N600.00 from the wholesale seller on credit. Then I cut it up and begin to sell. After selling half of the lot, I go pay something out of what I owe, and I pay the rest when I?ve sold the entire bundle. This way, the who...

Source

Vangaurd Online (link opens in a new window)

FMS , Delhi organized a seminar on the concept pioneered by Prof C K Prahlad - The Bottom of the Pyramid- on ?Local Entrepreneurship and Global Markets: Corporate Outreach to the Small Entrepreneur.? in association with the Centre for Civil Society. The panel comprised of Mr. Pradeep Kashyap, Managing Director, Marketing And Research Team (MART) Architect of ’Project Shakti’ of HLL; Mr. Arjun Uppal, Consultant ICICI (Ex-MD, Mother Dairy); Mr. William Bissell, CEO, FabIndia and Mr. Shara...

Source

PaGaLGuY.com (link opens in a new window)

Metro Water Board goes all out to deliver at the doorstep

Child and Police Project and Heritage Livelihood Services Provider are the partners Community free to manage distribution Water board’s revenue too will go up Programme to be implemented in slums. HYDERABAD: Brand new water tanks, one each for two streets, a community enterprise comprising households that decides on individual timings and equitable distribution of drinking water among themselves and the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) reaching out to an area...

Source

The Hindu (link opens in a new window)

Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge Award Recipient Workshop February 7-9, 2006, Rome, Italy CGAP and IFAD will co-sponsor a three-day workshop for a select group of former Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge (PPIC) grant winners in Rome, February 7-9, 2006. The PPIC program funds smaller institutions (those that fall below the donor radar screen) that demonstrate effective models and methodologies for deepening outreach and impact, while working toward sustainability. The ...

Inventors innovate to meet the need’s of the world’s poorest.

David Hume wrote in 1742 that legislators and founders of states had to be ranked as superior to inventors in terms of their benefit to humanity; the inventor’s work might increase the commodities and enjoyments of life, but without sound government this would mean little. Hume might have wished to reconsider had he lived to see some modern-day legislatures - or certain of today’s inventors, particularly those who apply brilliant pragmatism to improvin...

Source

International Herald Tribune (link opens in a new window)