Ms. Arunima Sen Chaturvedi (MRM 2005-06) is a development professional. In her 14 year career so far, she had the opportunity to work with various grassroots organizations, Central and various State governments, big corporate like EY and the most coveted UN agencies as well. She has developed an expertise in various fields starting from advisory, strategic planning, implementation, resource mobilization and partnerships management. She also did her Executive MBA from the prestigious Indian School of Business, Hyderabad post IIFM and a few years of work. She is currently posted as Program and Policy officer for Outreach and Gender at UNDP country office in New Delhi, India.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunima-sen-chaturvedi-0451aa14/
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. It has been an unexpected and exhilarating journey. I came from a small town and never had any exposure to academics and professional opportunities other than the traditional ones. Coming to IIFM was, as Robert Frost said….that ‘road less travelled‘ which defined my journey in life ahead. IIFM exposed me to the possibilities of working with the community and in the development, landscape expanding my vision.
After IIFM I joined a poverty alleviation programme in Chhattisgarh which enabled working with some of the most deprived communities in remote pockets of the insurgency-hit State. This was a window to a world I had been till now completely insulated from. This was a critical experience that remains very vivid to date, a reference point I still go back to many times in my life.
It seems now, I moved too quickly away from it after three years when I travelled to Delhi to be part of the UNDP team. While I had very closely worked with the Government at the sub-state level, but it was a completely different world at the Centre. I worked very closely with senior leadership in the bureaucracy and the policymakers. After this stint with the UN and the Government, I joined the corporate sector as part of the Government Advisory team at Ernst and Young (EY). At EY, it was an excellent coming together of the technical know-how and the market-oriented drive which brought a perfect mix for me. It was a different rigour with which work at this extremely fast pace of the place where various collaborations happened along the way. I owe my time at EY for the wide spectrum it offered in terms of cross-sectoral expertise as well as business orientation. Around this time, I also took the conscious decision of investing in skill up-gradation aligned with the need I felt at that stage in my career and went for an MBA at ISB Hyderabad.
After my MBA and the corporate stint, it was time to go back to the development sector and joined the UN fraternity. At UN Women it was the intersection of three critical factors for me – to be able to contribute towards the agenda of equal rights for all, which has been a personal ideal and passion for me; I also got an opportunity to be involved intensely in the works at the grassroots and bringing my business training at use for managing major development programmes. Currently, at UNDP, I am managing the decentralized efforts for expanding its outreach in the country. It is very interesting to develop new programmes while establishing and managing partnerships.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. IIFM itself was a major milestone for me. It gave me the bend in the road that defined my journey ahead. After IIFM, working in Chhattisgarh, was another milestone that further shaped and firmed my resolve to grow in the field and understand what is it that we are working towards.
Working for the corporate sector was an important milestone in terms of my attempt in going out of my comfort zone of a particular area and getting one of the most stimulating learning experiences.
Going back to college (ISB) after more than half a decade of working kept the fire of academic learning burning bright and broke quite a few myths for me. The last semester at ISB coincided with my becoming a mother too. This was the start of conflicting feelings that comes from being a woman and a professional which is common across the globe and I experienced it too at that stage of my life…. the decision to continue and complete my degree and then attending the convocation a month before giving birth in the full bloom of pre-maternity were few tough choices made which also taught me to believe the fact that we possess an innate strength and have the ability to build our own narrative and not be swayed by externalities or our conditioned limitations.
Starting work with the community again at the UN and working very closely with the women of some of the most vulnerable situations has been a milestone for me. The opportunity of being a voice of these women at the 74th United Nations General Assembly at New York; where I chaired a side event, talking about women leaders in the villages of India has been one of the biggest milestones for me.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. The development agenda in the country is unfolding on some amazing lines and it feels wonderful to contribute towards it in some small way through my work. It is most satisfying at the end of the day when it feels that I have been able to play however a tiny part in this huge universe of inclusive development
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. IIFM was the turning point. It was the first platform where I closely interacted with people across geography, cultures, and backgrounds. My discussions with professors on academics and learning from their real-life experiences on the ground were invaluable. Coming together for initiatives and countering challenges of various dynamics while undertaking these, were all precursors to shaping the professional journey that was coming ahead.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A. I have been lucky to meet various people in my life who had a major influence in my academic as well as professional journey till now. From my professor at Masters-Dr. Sahoo- who introduced me to IIFM and even got the form for me, Faculty members at IIFM played a major role in being the Gurus and guides answering our questions and sharing experiences, friends at campus played a major role in shaping the thoughts, views, and approach towards life.
I won’t say advise but more as thoughts for the IIFM graduates. I would emphasise on having as much connection as possible with the grassroot level and going for as many field experiences as possible where you can leverage on the learnings, free from preconceived notions and imbibe the realities of the ground and learn. Also keep working towards upgrading your skills and knowledge through formal as well as informal modes. In these times of Coursera, Agoda, etc., and the investments each company is making towards the L&D of employees every opportunity should be seized, utilize all resources at your disposal in enhancing your knowledge. Try not to limit yourself at the workplace with definitions of the profile, I have found that each job is also an opportunity of being paid to learn.
Q. What are your favourite memories during your IIFM days?
A. So many. . . performing the skit directed by Nitin and the whole gang of MRM as performers….Badminton every day with various practices we had for the National forest meet, sometimes way far at the BHEL court and then all of us coming back on the winter nights…the late evening literary committee meetings to prepare for some activity or the other… organizing the treasure hunt and running all over the nooks and corner of the ground hiding the clues ….the morning nashta that I never missed which also was the most peaceful and meditative part of the day . … exploring the library and apart from excellent academic journals stumbling upon the White Mughal and Bacchan’s Madhushala . . . the Christmas celebration . . going for the national science seminar ……the long trudge down the hill to Nehru Nagar and woefully eyeing all vehicles zooming past…the weekly visits to New Market….. the feverish studying in the TV room day before exams . . and various walk through the academic block after hours when you truly appreciated the silent beauty and peace of the celebrated architecture.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. The biggest value add of IIFM was first of all being part of an institution that has a unique multi-dimensional approach. The intersection of science, social science and business studies that the curriculum offered, helped me build upon my natural science background and link with a broader area of applied studies with a management approach. Faculty, alumni, and friends are the critical parts of the institution that continue to be an integral part of our personal and professional lives till today.
But one thing that makes this ecosystem of IIFM unique and the biggest contribution in the life of people who have been part of this ecosystem is the opportunity and power to draw your own narrative. This place provides that unique coming together of different disciplines, excellent academicians and practitioners as faculty and exposes to such wide-ranging landscapes that an individual can pick and choose his/her elements and chart a path of their own.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. I was fortunate to have a large circle of friends across the MRM and both PFM 2006 and PFM 2007 batches, friendships that still continues. In the MRM batch, it was a small warm group. Swathi K. and Indu were my buds with whom I spent the max time, and there were the badminton pals, the literary committee friends, and more friends! I think I made some of my most enduring friendships at the place… many in touch, quite some with whom worked together, most of the links very strong….. and one getting married to….
Q. As an alumna, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. Make the most of it. Do manage your time so that you can balance your OGPA and everything else the place has to offer. The experience and education are not complete if you keep it uni-dimensional. Be it studies, long discussions with faculty and colleagues, sports, be it nature, be it the institutional exchanges, the fests, and the people. You have to experience them all, invest in them, and maintain those relations for life.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. It is quite mixed. In the current times of confinement of the past year, it has been a closed room working with blurring lines between the personal and the professional timelines. But typically, on average, my work has been of extensive travel, with in-between days of a typical office time.
In the BC (before corona) era travel took 25-50% of the time. With institutional meets and field visits to project locations in some of the most interesting and far-flung areas.
Q. How about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add?
A. With an office in the working week consuming the majority of the waking hours, the weekend is the time to make up for the family. Saturday still is catching up on personal interests and commitments while Sunday is been kept consciously unstructured to enjoy the weekend feel as much.
Having been a voracious reader of fiction, now I have turned to non-fiction and I am making attempts to study and understand various subjects of interest better. I read multiple books at a time and so right now it is Yuval Harari’s Sapiens and the semi-fic Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Prothom Aalo and Shei din. But of course, some fiction is like comfort food on rainy days….nothing can replace a Sherlock Holmes…a Tintin . . a Harry Potter, or the old classics as works of Bronte sisters and Alexander Dumas. Give an Uttam Kumar/ Tom Hanks movie any day ….. some films as Jatiswar, Bhooter Bhobishyot, and Gully boy are some of my newer favs.
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. Would be happy to support in any way that aligns with the need of the IIFM family and where I can add value.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A. It’s been a while that I have been at the campus. But the last time I was there I could see more construction, while it is a need, the innate greenery and pristine landscape of the hill is unique and striking the fine the balance between verdant originality and a safe and comfortable space is difficult but important.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Suneel Padale, Swathi K., Indu Kumari, Meghana Kshirsagar, Shobhana Boyle.