Lalit Bhandari (PFM 2001-2003), Senior Environmental and Social Development Specialist at IFC – International Finance Corporation.

Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?

A. I will use the bragging rights throughout this interview. It has been a long 19 years journey, since the time our batch passed out in 2003. I had two job offers at the time of campus placement- the newly created Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (MPSBB), or a more mature Rajiv Gandhi Mission for Watershed Management (RGMWM). Both were close to my heart, and I had completed one elective in Watershed Management with a Net Grade Point (NGP) of 4.0, and the other elective in GIS and Remote Sensing with an NGP of 4.13. I mentioned the NGP here because these were the only two courses in addition to Basic Computing and Data Handling (NGP 4.26) where I scored more than 4. So, I was very excited about the prospects and considered myself very lucky. For me the selection between the two became clear at the interview for MPSBB, when (i) I was asked about GIS and its practical application in biodiversity conservation; and (ii) I came to know that MPSBB was the first such board in the country to have been constituted under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002. I used all the technical knowledge I had from my BSc-Biology (Delhi University), the lessons in Ecosystem Management from Dr. Suparva Patnaik, and the best in class application oriented teaching from Dr. Chinmay Rathore.

So, I joined the MPSBB as a Research Associate in May 2003 and worked there till December 2005. The board was less than one year old, being constituted in late 2002, to implement the Biological Diversity Act of 2002. Since it was a new board, we were just two employees reporting to the Member Secretary- Conservator of Forest (CF) rank IFS officer. The board was funded partially by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and partially by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and the shortage of funds was a real issue at the beginning of every financial year. Hence, we were also writing proposals for international funding (which we never got). Being a new Department, the role of member secretary was also an additional charge. The two of us started with literally setting up the office from scratch, including buying desktop computers and books for the library, since it was a research-based role.

During my 2.5 years tenor at the board, we did a lot of pioneering work and it was a great learning exercise. This included review of ethnobotany related research work undertaken by the State universities, (I personally read around 70 PhD thesis at university libraries to understand the already existing knowledge and research base- Rewa, Sagar, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Indore, etc.), and creating a network of NGOs and research institutes working on ethnobotany, which started off as a state level affair and then went across states (mainly Karnataka and Maharashtra), and international (we collaborated with Zoo outreach organization (Dr. Sally Walker) and local chapters of IUCN (Dr. B A Daniel)) for various workshops and knowledge sharing exercises. We collaborated and did workshops with Dr. Madhav Gadgil on the famous people’s biodiversity register (PBR) process. We tested and calibrated the PBR process for the state of Madhya Pradesh. PBR was both a process and a tool which went to the grassroot level to understand and showcase the socio-ecology of livelihood and its sustenance. PBR was a repository of indigenous traditional knowledge related to biodiversity of the different states of India. Another noteworthy learning was from the knowledge sharing process with Dr. P V Sateesh founded Deccan Development Society (DDS), Hyderabad which was already doing amazing work on sustainable and participative development especially on green schools, community radio, and women in media. Towards the second year we prepared the blueprint of a GIS based state level biodiversity information system in collaboration with IIFM, but the project could not take off because of a lack of fund. The board was housed inside the office of Forest Deptt., so the boundary between board and forest deptt. was always fuzzy and I indirectly got several chances to work with the forest deptt. of MP, reviewing the working plans, paid numerous visits to the Satpura Bhavan, drafted white papers on sports medicine, neem (Azadirachta indica) strategy, ecotourism workshop at Bandhavagarh National Park (high point was dinner with Shri. Digvijay Singh, the then CM of the state), and environment and biodiversity sensitization workshops, and interestingly one lecture each at PMB Gujrati Science College, Indore, and Nutan College, Bhopal (Yes, I didn’t realize it was a girl’s college till I entered the campus).

We also evaluated and funded several research projects during this period and two of those which were finally approved for funding were standout research projects. One undertaken by School of Ethnobiology, Jiwaji University on Biodiversity of Chambal region, and the second one by Envirosearch on Critically endangered forest Owlet in Madhya Pradesh. I also guided one OT project from IIFM during my second year at MPSBB.

Since I was living a bachelor’s life in Bhopal, I had a lot of free time to engage with others, at academic and personal level. It was this personal time, which I feel I invested well and made some real good friends of which two ended up being key influencers in my life. One Mr. Lakendra Thakkar (popular as Loken sir) who was PS to the Executive Director at Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation (EPCO) and who later on completed M.Phil. from IIFM in 2008, and Dr Ghayur Alam (husband of my colleague at MPSBB) who is currently Professor of Business Laws & IPR Chair and Dean of Under-Graduate Studies at National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal. From both these two amazing personalities, I learnt a lot and we used to meet for tea and dinners from time to time. During these meetings and discussions, I got interested in law and also came to know about ongoing projects at EPCO.

By late 2005, I started feeling a bit stagnated due to political interference in day-to-day work, office politics and whims of senior bureaucrats and I really needed a break. So, when I got an offer from Loken sir to join a DFID funded project, I didn’t think twice and resigned from MPSBB on 31st December 2005 and started my second inning at EPCO from January 1st, 2006 as an associate consultant hired by ERM UK- who was the Project Management consultant for the DFID funded project. I was forewarned that the project was only six month assignment with no guarantee of any extension, but I wanted to take it for two reasons. One, I was convinced that working personally with Loken sir would be a learning exercise no matter what, and second, I was feeling home sick and wanted to take a breather and then come back to Delhi to my parents (who were already searching for an alliance for me!). EPCO was the advisor to the state govt on environmental matters and contemporary knowledge from across the globe. Here again, it was a great learning exercise which taught me how to navigate office politics, be a good project manager and not only a technical advisor, hiring people, managing the expectations of scientists most of whom had work experience equal to my age at that time. The project was to Reposition and strengthen EPCO in the Environment Sector and was related to change management and organizational behavior. The IIFM courses related to Communication Methods, Understanding Behavior, Project Management, Strategic Management, and Planning and Control- all came to good application in this second inning of mine. While I knew the theories, it became clear that practical application was quite different, especially when it came to understanding and managing behavior. The work environment at EPCO had got toxic and untrustful, due to lack of funds, no promotions in past 15 odd years, no new research undertaken, and an impending closure of the institute. The only hope was a successful completion of the change management project funded by DFID which was also been considered for an early closure due to lack of progress. Loken sir was single handedly managing the project and had already done indepth analysis of the issues but needed an external consultant to provide inputs. So, it was a strategic planning to turn things around in the six month time I together with other senior staff from ERM provided the external support to Loken sir and we were able to get extension from DFID for the full life term of the project. What started with a six month assignment, continued till March 2007, and was destined to become a longer affair when I got offer from ERM UK to join its India office in Gurgaon. While this direct offer was based on the good performance on DFID funded project, it was no less than a dream come true for me as I wanted to go back to Delhi. During this 15 month tenure I was directly working with two senior IAS officers one of whom (Mr. Hari Ranjan Rao– currently at PMO- GoI) turned out to the third influencer, primarily due to his humility, polite yet assertive way of doing things, his resolve and follow through- which I badly missed in the IFS officers I worked with at MPSBB. There was a clear distinction between the two bureaucratic pedigrees. Rao sir (as I used to call him) became a very good friend during those days, though we lost touch afterwards. During this tenure, I even guided one M.Phil. candidate in her thesis on Human Resources Management. I also presented a guest talk on “Global warming, energy scenario and biodiesel” and guest talk on “Biodiversity and livelihoods” on All India Radio-Bhopal both in February 2006.

So, my journey from being an associate consultant for ERM working on DFID project to a full time consultant at ERM India was seamless as I joined their Gurgaon office in March 2007 and worked till May 2011. ERM, is the world’s largest pure play sustainability consultancy and ranks in top three ESG consultancies globally (used to be #1 then).

At ERM, I met and worked with multitude of experts from social specialists, environmental specialists, EHS, M&A, corporate compliance assurance services etc. I worked with then Impact Assessment and Planning (IAP) deptt. and worked on numerous industrial and social infrastructure projects primarily on assessment, and mitigation of environmental and social impacts of those projects on society and the environment. This was a golden period for me, as I got the depth and breadth of experience that was impossible to get in a short duration if it were not for ERM. Some industrial sectors I worked on includes, power generation (coal, solar, wind), transmission and distribution, roads and highways, pipelines, iron and steel, mining (coal, bauxite, minor minerals), cement, sugar, paper, pharmaceuticals, and financial intermediaries (Equator Principles signatory banks, PE funds, and Development finance institutions- like DEG, FMO, Proparco, IFC, World Bank, and ADB). I worked on almost all major international frameworks and standards related to ESG risk management such as the World Bank, ADB and the IFC. Among these, I just fell in love with the Performance Standards of IFC and ended up conducting numerous due-diligence assessments of industrial projects benchmarking them to the IFC standards. In a way while working at ERM, I specialized on IFC Performance Standards. Having said that there were numerous ups and downs in those 4.5 years, and I witnessed office politics, rivalry, competition, backstabbing, bias, and discrimination, lack of rigour and quality at times, but survived all of that. Even at ERM I tried to innovate the way reports were being written. I always challenged myself, wherever possible by writing in a new style or presenting the information and facts in more interesting/appealing manner- but such opportunities were limited as there were set templates and client expectations. I travelled a lot during my career at ERM, worked late hours, worked on weekends, even on holidays, but I enjoyed all that grind as I was learning new concepts and was getting the much needed exposure on professional front. I also led the low carbon enterprise fund (LCEF) project (India chapter) which was a corporate philanthropy initiative to identify and provide small funding to initiatives around clear energy, innovative products, and low carbon intensive investments. My wife was the most potent support I had at that time as she never complained about my busy schedule or travel.

Couple of interesting anecdotes: On one project for a large O&G company, I presented the social impacts of the company’s operations directly in the first draft while the client was expecting a very different tone of the report. I was not agreeable to change the facts, so I escalated it and the technical director agreed. The fallout of this, client rejected the report and said that it would sue ERM if we didn’t return the mobilization advance, we had taken. It didn’t happen though, but the project was closed from our side. On another project, with another international O&G major, which was doing exploration work in West Bengal, we were doing impact assessment for them. I was asked by the technical director to lead the project, but I rejected citing lack of experience, but l lead the social impact assessment part. Just before going for the site visits, I read the proposal and terms and conditions and found cross references to client’s H&S protocol. When I read that, I highlighted specific requirements that applied on consultants and pointed them to the project manager. The whole team was shocked that we did not read it well and that if we were to meet the protocol, we would incur loss on the project. There were specific requirements related to road safety, time of work, safety of passengers, use of compliant vehicles etc. We somehow managed to complete it but it was an eye opener for ERM, and I was touted as the contract specialist for ERM. In the same project I had an argument with a very senior university professor on the use of satellite imageries (he wanted false color composites imageries, whereas we were happy using the Google imageries). I was the only one in the team with forestry background, so I was pushed to deal with him, and we argued and argued for good 30 mins. He was with his two graduate fellows. I held my stand that FCC cannot be arranged on the site, and it would take time and for now we could do the assessment in field using google imageries, but he did not budge and was on the verge of walking away. I was also angry and sat in the car. The project manager requested me to handle the situation. So, I went and talked with him for another 10 mins. He agreed to work on one condition that someone else would have to do the ground truthing of ecology and forest types on ground. I said fine we will arrange that later in next visit. We completed the task, and I came back to office after a week on the site, only to be requested to go back to site and do the ground truthing since I was the only one who understood forestry or ecology (ERM used to hire ecologists for specific assignments in those days). So, I did that and, in the process, learnt a lot, then got the same mapped on GIS platform at the WWF’s GIS lab. There are several other such stories which are etched in my memory forever, like crossing the river Satluj sitting in rope trolley and pulling oneself to the other side of 30 meter wide crossing. The basket would swing vigorously in the middle of the river sending chills down the spine, and then coming back on the same trolley. This was a greenfield hydropower project in Mandi district.

Then, the big moment came in September 2010, when I saw this vacancy at International Finance Corporation (IFC) and it sounded like a moment of calling for me. I applied and went through a seven rounds of interviews, followed by reference checks and security checks all of which went for seven months till I got my appointment letter in April 2011 then finally joined IFC in May 2011. Interestingly, my first interview and last interview at IFC were at two different offices since IFC was moving its office then. My first official visit at IFC was to the headquarters in Washington DC as we used to have knowledge sharing week in May-June every year.

So, my third phase of career started in IFC and is still going on strong. In fact, I just realized that my 11^th anniversary at IFC was on 26^th May 2022. At IFC I picked from where I left ERM. This time I found myself on the other side of the table, reviewing the reports that ERM prepared and approving investments based on that. Completely different feeling. I questioned all the shortcoming I used to point out when I was in ERM, and I believe I played a big role in improving the quality of work product (atleast those that went through my desk). At IFC, I lead the E&S risk management and compliance for private sector financial intermediaries across South Asia. My client list includes, full commercial banks, small finance banks, distressed assets funds, private equity funds, debt funds, venture funds, tech funds, fintech, asset finance companies, insurance, microfinance institutions, and other NBFCs. I cover India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and parts of Maldives. I have several pan-Asia clients and funds which invest across geographies, hence have exposures in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. So basically, at IFC I have assessed and reviewed E&S risks in various sectors like, food and beverages, retail and commercial assets, supermarket chains, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, roads and highways, shipping, airport and ports, agribusiness and agrochemicals, cement, mining, iron and steel, tourism, forestry etc.

At IFC, we are now embarking on the climate change and Paris alignment assessments in our investments. The frameworks were in design for past year and half, and we would soon start pilot testing the same in our current portfolio and new business. In parallel our global team has already blueprinted an AI and ML tool which we are currently feeding our database for supervised and unsupervised learning and testing. I believe in next 6-12 months it would be ready for use.

The work culture in IFC is very open and transparent and one can explore the institution and find their right niche or place in the whole setup. The system allows for this flexibility if you have a record of good performance. You feel empowered to speak up, put your point of view on the table without thinking of the hierarchy (there is minimal hierarchy). I could escalate to my manager, or I could also go to the director of our deptt. The system pretty much works well though at times the bureaucracy is visible, especially when we respond to queries from our Board of 25 Executive Directors. (Comprising representations from the Ministry of Finance or External Affairs or equivalent deptts. of member countries like the US, China, UK, Germany, France, India and many more totaling 186 member countries through constituency arrangements).

So the journey has been very eventful for me.

Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?

A. Every job profile taught me something.

The stint with MPSBB gave insights into how govt. deptts work, the meetings with under-secretaries and additional secretaries were an eye opener. I learnt writing note sheets (green color file sheets used for internal official correspondence for proposing and approving matters) in Hindi and understood the power that even the lowest government functionary can wield in smaller, remote, rural and tribal areas.

At EPCO, I learnt more about the administrative style of Indian civil servants, had first experience of working on a foreign funded project and learnt new style of communication and interpersonal relationship.

ERM taught me that no matter how much you know, the learning never ceases. ERM prepared me for the grill and turned me into a workhorse. I grew from a brash young consultant to a mature advisor.

IFC taught me the virtues of continual learning, being patient, taking brief pauses, understanding the importance of protocols, speaking up, and showing compassion and empathy.

If I were to summarize the key takeaways from the four clear stints I had in my career, I would say the following:

First stint: 2.5 years, slogging, learning, reading, and traveling.

Second stint: 15 months- taking calculated risk, trusting your instincts, showing trust in others, believing in owns abilities, serious work, and more learning.

Third stint: 4.5 years- learning new art, slogging, listening, adjusting, traveling, and demanding your space.

Fourth stint: 11 years and going- learning new art, traveling, understanding behavior, exploring, giving back.

Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?

A. Freedom to innovate solutions for clients. While there are policy guidelines that need to be followed, there are always opportunities to work out a solution which is fit for purpose in that specific scenario. One could think laterally as well. Then, there is freedom to define your style of work, pull in global resources on a project as and when needed, empowerment to push back, or halt a process, say no, negotiate, and escalate. Talking to CXOs of financial institutions, and corporate MNCs, convincing them to modify and adjust current way of looking at, and managing ESG risks of their operations or even in many cases to upgrade their HR policies. You would be surprised to know the level and extent of legal non-compliances that exist in several aspects of a company’s operations. The role also gives flexibility of identifying and provisioning of advisory support to our clients to bring them up the curve on ESG matters. At a wider level it offers you a vast playground, instill confidence and encourages you to speak up. I quoted Mahatma Gandhi at one of the global financial institutions knowledge event where I was representing my deptt. I was the last one to speak and once I got down the podium the chair of event (a Perivuan national) said that, there could not have been a better closing remark than quoting Gandhi in modern time. He later came to me and said he was an ardent follower of Gandhi who was one of the history’s greatest. The point I wanted to drive home is that speaking up, relevant and in the context, will positively surprise you in ways you never contemplated.

What is also equally satisfying is to see most of these conversations are not just limited to the board room discussions, but get financially budgeted for and implemented on ground, be it upgrading the life and fire safety systems, or changing policies around overtime wages, supply chain improvements, installing a pollution control equipment, or implementing a stakeholder engagement system.

The institution takes excellent care of its employees in every possible way, whether it is the regular medical support or emergency like COVID or while working in conflict areas. For example, after the Istanbul bombing in 2016, staff who travel for work received security training. I received a security training in Durban in 2017 which covered scenarios and actual simulations like gun attack, abduction and hostage, handling of firearm (not allowed to fire) etc.

Good performance at IFC never goes unnoticed. E.G., In past 11 years, I received 13 performance awards at IFC. Then, if one is interested in learning, IFC offers the best reading material and incisive insights into financial analyses and it can further add to one’s knowledge base and sharpens the general understanding about the financial modeling and projections, the concepts of debt, equity, and returns, risks and credit analysis. I learnt most of these through self-reading of plethora of material available at IFC which is produced as part of the investment IFC makes. These readings have atleast provided me the basic understanding and now the board room discussions around some of these terms do not look alien to me anymore. I can also engage in EBIDTA discussion with CFOs more easily now, or understand how financial health parameters may sometime be shortsighted or how the indicators could change in near future with new emerging risk areas.

Working in the financial institutions group in IFC, gives unique insights into the country’s economy, how private players respond to policy shifts, and the sectoral highs and lows pull or skew growth in a particular direction. Financial institutions serve as a correlation indicator of industry sentiments and there can’t be a better feeling than being able to make sense of the financial events, than just being assuming why those happened. Ofcourse some are catastrophic events and unprecedented, but largely the waves can be sensed.

IFC backs private sector businesses from almost all segments and sizes that one can think of. We have a lot of things that we do not like and exclude those. We have stopped financing, started exiting, as well as reducing current exposure to fossil fuels. We support innovative technologies in almost all sectors from health tech, fintech, consumer tech, agritech etc., to name a few. Where we cannot invest directly due to small size, we support them through financial intermediaries and have some exceptional cases in our portfolio.

To be working in an institution which is continuously evolving and improving is a great feeling. On most of the innovative or novel strategic thinking, or policy matters, IFC has a direct imprint or a linkage somehow. With the work that IFC does on almost all contemporary subjects, be it gender based violence, financing women owned businesses, disruptive technology, ESG reporting frameworks, climate change strategic thinking, Paris alignment methodology or aligning with the technological advancements like artificial intelligence and machine learning, one can only feel as working at the best and most relevant global institution in private sector financing. As part of my role, I get involved in every transaction IFC does through financial intermediaries. Further, as part of a community of ESG specialists at various DFIs we have easy access to each other across time zones.

Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?

A. After 19 years it may be hard to attribute current behavior to something I learnt specifically at IIFM. I don’t think learning can be isolated into silos; it will always be a continuum. I came to IIFM with certain values system and behavior traits. IIFM proved to be the first human laboratory where my traits were put to test, and it resulted in further strengthening of my belief in those value systems and traits. It was tested in a multicultural potpourri where friends from across India and ASEAN countries learnt to live and interact with each other over a period of two years. Each one of them brought something unique. Someone’s sense of humor, someone’s daredevil attitude, someone’s experience of hostel life, someone’s caring outlook etc. So, there was a subtle value add that IIFM made, but it was incremental to what I brought with me. IIFM was my first hostel life experience and I only gained from it. It turned out to be a valuable brand at the start of my career which provided the right impetus. I learnt multitasking, but I could never identify with the classical definition of a manager (the key product of any MBA program). The beauty of this campus life was that I came out of it uncorrupted and a wiser version of myself. IIFM also equipped me with the right knowledge and theories, the conceptual understanding, the confidence to make informed decisions, and asking for choices when needed.

The channelizing of these learnings into the right direction with right intensity, a clear concept of process vs outcome and the circumstances in which one outweighs the other came through the hand on experiences during my professional career. Hence, overall, I see my current approach as a function of incremental growth and learning over the years and IIFM will always have a special place in my life. The value systems and traits also continue to this day.

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 mentioned both the external influencers in my life- Loken sir and Ghayur bhai. My internal drivers are the behavior traits and value systems which can be summed into three phrases- (i) stand for what is right- it might be the weakest in the room, and speak up; (ii) there is no right time for a change, in the right direction- even if you are 60 year old; and (iii) to see your real growth, your comparison should be with yourself. Comparing yourself with anybody else (your parent, siblings, spouse, friends …. anybody) is a fatal concept. You can take inspiration from others, but do never compare, you will be a lot happier.

My advice would be to invest your two years well. Not everyone will be as lucky as some of your batchmates would turn out to be. I believe in one thing: ‘nothing that you learn will ever go waste’. You may not realize it today, but you will surely face this reality several times in your lifetime. Do not worry, there is no dearth of opportunities outside. Each one of you will find their rightful place only some will get it sooner than others. Do not panic- you need to realize that IIFM is at a certain level and has a certain pedigree which is very unique- take pride in that. I believe that next few years will be golden years for any graduate who pass out from IIFM as well as for the working alumni who are looking at the next phase of their career. You just need to keep your eyes and ears open.

If you want to grow at a faster pace, you will need to supplement your learning. Understand or read about the application part of what is taught.

Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?

A. So many of them: some standout ones, (i) during the second year, I hardly had breakfast at the mess, since I used to get up late. My roommate Jagdish would wake me up (probably second time) while going to the mess for breakfast. I would barely get up, get ready and head straight for the classroom and Jagdish would then pass on the packed breakfast to me, and I would have it there. I will always be thankful to him for that gesture. (ii) again, during the second year I participated in the annual sports competition (open to all current batches, faculty and staff). I wanted to test myself and therefore I participated in almost all event where I could, e,g., a short run from Van Vihar to our hostel compound, where I came second by 50 meters (the first spot was won by a staff member who used to represent IIFM in sports meet); the chess competition, where again I stood second losing to Soumya Guha of junior batch. These two podium finishes underlined something uncommon, that I was both physically and mentally at my high. The added spice to that was I beat Alark Saxena in the run, who I always considered the fittest amongst our batchmates- and I guess even to this day.

Other memories include the bambusa parties, walks to Nehru Nagar, the dahi smosa, the movies at new market theater (Rangmahal I guess), sitting at the sunset point, watching cricket matches in the common room or gallery etc. I never smoked or boozed till the final placement started, but I always attended the parties and I (not sure why) used to keep a packet of cigarettes in my pocket or in the room and would happily dish out to anybody who asked for it.

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. I would say every credit course taught at IIFM was a handpicked and unique- very balanced. You need some conceptual understanding of all of those to get a well-rounded personality. I believe a generalist has more chances of survival than a specialist. Faculty at IIFM was top class even in my times. We probably did not have the right attitude to imbibe everything, and understandably so. With all due respect to my batchmates, there was hardly any Rancho in our batch but so many of Rajus and Farhans (the three idiot characters without the extremes), if I were to categorize ourselves as those three characters.

Library was more of a place to be seen, during the first year and later to block the books at exam times. Friends were also exam buddies who helped in explaining the concepts even on the eve of exams and in determining which chapter of the book or section of the chapter won’t come in the exams. Some friends were more than that and continued to be well-wishers even today.

In my professional life, at IFC, I got a chance to interact with some of the alumni, of whom Sachin Bansal and Sasidhar T were in IFC for a couple of years. Then, I learnt a lot from Sameer Kumar Singh during my initial days at IFC, and I consider him as one of the best in ESG risk management space within the whole World Bank Group. He is a silent workhorse, no-nonsense guy currently settled in Singapore.

Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?

A. Best buddies: We were a core gang of five to seven: Jagdish Upadhyay, Arvind, Ravi, Deepak Nag, Stephen Kujur, Sanjay Bala, and me.

Excellent Faculty: CSR sir, Suparva ma’am, Debashish Debnath sir, Amitabh Pandey sir, CVRS Vijay Kumar sir, Parul Rishi Ma’am.

Tremendous seniors: Rakesh Soami, Rishu Garg, Aparajita ma’am, Deepa Dasila Ma’am.

The most memorable part was the ragging by seniors. Second was spending time with Rishu sir at the hostel gym. He was the one who coaxed as well as inspired me to spend some time on personal health, though my visits to gym stopped the moment he graduated.

Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?

A. I would suggest them to learn two things: Communication skills, and ethics. If possible, shun the ‘chalta hai attitude’. Stand for what is right. Rest the life will teach you. Two years at IIFM will equip you with all the knowledge you need to survive the initial years in your career- getting a job, having the skillset to perform reasonably well, and the desire to grow. If ever you need to compare yourself with someone- then compare yourself with your own self. While it will be a natural process, but do make a few friends for life and remain in touch with them. This social equity will provide you emotional support and strength in your lows.

Q. What is your typical day at the office?  (We want to know what your day job looks like)

A. My typical day in office has no fixed schedule. There is a general mix of things which includes team meetings, project work, client meetings, conference calls during the Asia time and then some departmental meetings, learning sessions, team leads meetings in the US time zone. Prioritizing and responding to emails is a common activity every day. I spend a considerable time on brainstorming and discussing E&S issues with my colleagues in the office. That way I learn quite a bit every day. I always try to provide a practical solution to any question or concern brought in by a colleague or a client. A lot of people including colleagues, acquaintances and friends of friends check in for personal and career related advice, which I happily give out.

I personally believe that to complete a task one doesn’t need to be always physically available in office. A face time in office or mandatory greetings /pleasantries is not needed.

Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add

A. Weekends are generally busy. Spending time with family- my wife and two kids, or catching up with friends, and relatives. We live in a joint family with my parents, and my two younger brothers live in the same housing society with their families. So, we catch up on regular basis. Other stuff that keeps me engaged is buying groceries, occasionally cleaning the house, and on some weekends I cook too. I make sure that we pay at least one visit to our ancestral home in Uttarakhand every year- to stay connected to our roots. I love long drives (hate city driving), so we go all the 400km in our car and it takes around 10 hours of driving (including the most picturesque 120 km leg of driving in the hills). That’s one time-off that entire family looks forward to.

Hobbies these days are restricted to watching movies mostly and I choose to watch south Indian dubbed movies if I get a chance. The Malayalam suspense drama, the larger than life portrayal of male leads, the mind-blowing screenplay which turns a simple story into a thriller   I can recognize almost all the famous stars now (Arvind Swamy, Mohan Lal, Vijay (Sethupati as well as Joseph), Dhanush, Mammootty, Allu, Vishal, Ajith Kumar. Among the Female leads nobody compares to Nithya Menen and Rinku Rajguru. Earlier I used to play gully cricket.

Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors

A. Books: Made in Japan (Akio Morita) the first book I read cover to cover, The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, (Fritjof Capra whose The Systems View of Life is on my list). Shesh Prashn (Sharatchand Chatopadhyay), Dozakhnama (Rabisankar Bal).

Movies: I watch them a lot, so the list is huge. But some of the impactful movies I want to mention are Sahib Biwi aur Gulam (Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari starrer- still gives goosebumps), Abhiman (Amitabh- Jaya), Ek Ruka hua failsa (remake of 12 angry men), Ek Doctor ki Maut (Pankaj Kapoor), Do Aankhe Barah Haath, Bombay, Satya, Sairat (for Rinku Rajguru), Awe (for Nithya), Choti si Baat, and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye.

Hollywood: 42, Moneyball, No Man’s Land, Memento, Vertigo, Rope, Dial M for Murder, The Rear Window, The King’s Speech, Intouchables, The Banker, Cast Away, Angle and Demons, Finch, The Circle, Mark Felt.

Authors: no specific author to mention.

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. I would be happy to mentor or give advice to freshers or those who are in early stage of their career. For the institute, I would be happy to contribute as and when it needs a lateral thinking. In near future, there might be some opportunities of internship/ placement offers for IIFM students and freshers.

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. I have not been in touch with the status of IIFM or how it has changed over the years, so won’t be able to contribute much here. I believe changes are inevitable and what we need to see is whether the change is dramatic or just on the periphery. A lot of institutions face the existential challenge at least once in a 20 year timeframe. Private sectors witness this cycle of change much faster and they either adapt or perish. The advancement in technology is also making this timeframe shorter. Hence, the character and behavior of the institute also needs to change or at least adapt and adopt. The sad part is that we embark on a change management journey but with a lot of baggage and bias on our shoulders. If this is taken care of, then half the battle will be won.

Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?

A. Every Alumini is worth profiling, so I do not want to sound biased here. For one I would recommend my entire batch to be interviewed. Ours is a batch with most humble, empathetic, and helpful Alumini you would ever meet. I would mention a few who inspired me or who became best buddies. Lokendra Thakkar, Jagadish Upadhyay, Sudipto Ghosh, Pradipto Halder (My first OT partner), R K Arvind, Arif Hussein, Rishu Garg, Sameer Kumar Singh, Vijay Pratap Aditya.

Among juniors, I would highly recommend covering Sachin Bansal, Karamveer Rathore, Niraj Bansod (all 2002-04). Sachin’s career path (and his hostel exploits!!), Karam’s entrepreneurship, and Niraj’s focus (he is an IAS officer now), will inspire the students in many ways.