Madhavan Ati ( PFM 94-96 ) is working as an International Advisor for Women’s Economic Empowerment Rural Development in Kabul, Afghanistan. WEE-RDP is a national program funded by the World Bank that empowers rural Afghan women to mobilize into self-help groups and come together to change their lives for the better.
He began his career with Aga Khan Rural Support Program as a Program Organiser and then worked in various organizations across sectors like commercial banks, microfinance institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and funding agencies.
He has comprehensive experience in the areas of micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) finance; and agricultural/rural banking of over 20 years in the international development finance sector in South/Central Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
I was probably one of the first IIFM’ites to enter the world of ‘financial inclusion or ‘inclusive finance’. BTW, back in the day (at the end of the last millennium), we used a less pompous sounding term – microfinance. In my early days, I worked with some of the pioneering microfinance institutions and banks in India like Basix, SKS Microfinance and Axis (then called UTI) Bank. Was lucky enough to work with pioneers like Vijay Mahajan (Basix), Vijay Kumar (NRLM), and Vikram Akula (Founder of SKS), among others. I was mesmerized by these true stalwarts, and am eternally indebted to these “gurus” in the true spirit of the millennia-old Indian tradition of the Guru-Shishya parampara. I have worked for many years in Afghanistan, but I have also done some work in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria and Ethiopia). The best part of my stay in Afghanistan is that I get to meet some interesting people – Pulitzer Prize-winning war photographers, ex-US Marines-turned-development workers/journalists, war correspondents/reporters who jump from one conflict zone to the other and are comfortable in living and working in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, etc. Plus, I got to travel in Humvees, Black Hawk choppers, and MRAPs (for the uninitiated, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles. Apparently, this is how development is done in a war zone! One of the perks of working in difficult places is that you have “interesting” experiences to say the least. For instance, I got to visit the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia (volcanoes with lava lakes are very rare – there are only eight in the world). And in my case, I don’t know if I follow war or war follows me. I passed through the Tigray region in Ethiopia to visit the volcano, and now it’s an active war zone.
Madhavan in US Air Force Chopper
- What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
I worked in the inclusive finance sector in India for about a decade, before deciding to take the plunge into the international development/ inclusive finance sector. Literally, on the spur of the moment, I gave up my comfy job at the UTI Bank’s Headquarters in Mumbai, and packed my backs and moved to Kabul. As they say, the rest is history, and I have never regretted my decision despite all the challenges (and sundry suicide bombings, and rocket explosions along the way). Just a few days before I decided to move to Afghanistan, a fellow Hyderabadi, who was working for a telecom company in Afghanistan, was “beheaded” by the Taliban. And due to the prevalence and popularity of the 24×7 news channels, the story was front and centre in the Indian media for a week or so. To be honest, I did have the last-minute jitters, but being somewhat of a natural risk-taker, I plunged headlong into my Afghan adventure.
The time I first arrived in Afghanistan in 2006 was when the post-US invasion ‘honeymoon period’ was ending, and the Taliban was regrouping and started mounting a serious insurgency against the government and foreign military forces from 30 NATO alliance countries. Fast forward 15+ years, and the Taliban is literally now at the gates of Kabul, and might overrun the city any time!
A lesson in management that is probably not taught (or at least not emphasized enough) in any business school is that: “While financial resources, and a deep pocket do matter, probably, what matters even more in the end is the passion (or junoon) that one brings to the job”. Please don’t get me wrong, and I am not lionizing anybody, but on one side is (or was, technically speaking) the mightiest and the most sophisticated military machine in the world (NATO Alliance) that spent over $2 Trillion (yes, Trillion with a capital T) plus…And on the other side is a ragtag army that fights in chappals and kurta pyjamas, and drives worn out motorcycles. Of course, this is too simplistic an analysis of a highly complex real-life and evolving situation, but I hope you know what I mean.
Madhavan on an American Forward Operating Base with MRAPs in the background
- What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
The project is funded by the World Bank, and we work to empower economically nearly half a million poor rural Afghan women. Our project is inspired by the World Bank-supported National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in India and has been adapted to the unique conditions in Afghanistan. We promote Self Help Groups (SHGs) and provide them with financial resources to promote and support the livelihoods of their members. The rural Afghan women live in a very difficult environment, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a minuscule difference in their already quite difficult lives (As so-called development professionals, we often overestimate our impact on the world, and I am guilty of the same at times, and personally I feel that we need to be much more modest about our contributions!). But in the same breath, I would like to add that despite working in an extremely challenging environment, our project was recently selected as one of the best projects in the South Asia Region’s portfolio of the World Bank.
- Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
While I do gratefully acknowledge the theoretical grounding that I got at IIFM, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that most of the learning in my life has been ‘experiential’ in nature. And, probably this is the case with almost all alumni of the institute. But having said that, I would like to add that IIFM did cultivate in me the passion for the development sector and how to use the mainstream management tools to apply to the development sector. And, to be honest, I would not have taken the “path less travelled” had it not been for the IIFM!
- 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?
For those interested in the international development sector, keep looking for opportunities, and jump at the first one you come across. Also, having worked with fellow development professionals from across the world, and from some of the best global universities, I would like to say that Indians and IIFMites, in particular, are no less; we can match, if not beat, the best out there. I am sure many of the alumni would echo my sentiment. Those of us who have slogged in the field in India in the initial years of our career have a really strong foundation, and that always stands you in good stead wherever you chose to work in the world. And, of course, over time, you pick up the other ‘tricks of the trade’!
Madhavan exploring some army gadgets!
- What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
Too many to list here, the two years spent on the “IIFM Hill” are forever etched in my memory, and these memories will remain with me until I leave this tiny rock called Planet Earth.
- The best friends / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.
Nearly a quarter-century ago, we (a couple of friends from our batch) spent a particularly dark and moonless night on a “machaan” in the Chandrapur forest as part of our Field Visit. The best or worst part (depending on your perspective!) was that while we could hear a lot of animals making ‘distress calls’, we were not sure how close or far the predator was. So, in a manner of speaking, we were ‘on the edge’ the whole night, not knowing what’s coming next! When I look back, it’s a lot like the challenging circumstances I am working in currently. But, maybe, another thing that I learnt at IIFM is how to “thrive on chaos”, and I am putting that skill to good use now, for the ‘real world’ always tends towards more “entropy” (or disorder/chaos) according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics And to the extent possible, I try to live by the philosophy ‘keep calm and carry on”.
- As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
Focus on doing your best, and learn as much as possible. There is no “standard formula”, but please note that formal classroom teaching is just one of the many components of the ‘holistic IIFM experience’. And read as widely as possible, and leverage the excellent library resources. Post-IIFM, if possible, consider going ‘back to school’ for a mid-career program, as it is a great opportunity to reflect and contemplate, and reassess your priorities in life. I did go to Carnegie Mellon University for a mid-career program in Public Management, and I found it to be useful.
- What is your typical day at the office? (We want to know what your day job looks like)
These days most of the time is spent in designing risk mitigation strategies, given the fact that over 50% of our project area is under the control of the Taliban, BUT we have to keep the project going. I also spend a lot of time interacting with the World Bank and other donors and government ministries.
- And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add
I try to chill on weekends by reading and partying. Surprise, surprise – yes, there is a tiny party scene in Kabul, we usually meet Thursday evenings (Friday is the weekly off) and try to have a good time. And the conversations usually revolve around stories of conflict.
- Favorite Books, movies, authors.
I have an eclectic taste, and I read on issues from geopolitics to astronomy and everything in between. I find the books of Ahmad Rashid, a Pakistani journalist, who is an expert on Afghanistan, quite fascinating. And I am currently reading – “Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State” by Husain Haqqani. Another interesting book that I read recently that I would highly recommend to this audience is the “Tyranny of Merit” by the Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel.
- IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
If asked to, I would be more than happy to share my ‘life gyaan’ with the current students, for whatever it is worth!
- 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?
There is apparently some tension and balancing to do between ‘quantity (with a vastly expanded batch size) and ‘quality’, but I think it’s important to manage both at the same time for the institute to make a real difference, as there is always a trade-off in everything we do. It goes without saying that sustainability or sustainable development is top of the mind for everyone – from heads of governments to policymakers to corporate leaders, and if IIFM gets its act right, it can play a very significant role for the decades to come in this really (and increasingly) important space.
- Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
Many of my batch mates have done some tremendous and inspiring work, and have had interesting career journeys. In no particular order – Bishwadeep Ghose, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, Seema Joshi, Rohit Jindal, Vikas Nath, Archana Sharma, Prabhat Labh, Mohammad Hasnain, Tanmay Chetan (Class of ‘97) just to name a few. Of course, many of our seniors and juniors have an interesting life and career stories too. So, I guess there is a huge queue building up.