Rahul brings 12+ years of experience in social impact consulting, multi-stakeholder project management, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), and market research. He has worked with a varied set of stakeholders (governments, financial institutions, private philanthropies, corporate philanthropies, bilateral, multilateral, brands, social enterprises, innovators) in multiple sectors including Circular Economy, Sustainability, Financial Inclusion, Gender, MSMEs, Public Health, Livelihood, etc. across Asia and Africa. Rahul currently works as a Manager of Circularity Practice at Intellecap. In his previous roles, he has worked with MSC, CARE, Sambodhi and Lupin Foundation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-chatterjee-06059823
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. The journey has been quite interesting so far, full of pivots- be it in terms of the type of organizations I worked with or the different sectors I had explored.
At IIFM, I was quite clear- I wanted to make my career in the field of Environmental Management. However, as the placement season approached and the recruitment scenario became clearer, realization dawned that my plans are probably going for a toss as very few organizations focusing on climate change/renewable energy (ESG was not that of a buzzword in those days) had visited the campus that year. I finally joined Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation (LHWRF) at Bharatpur, Rajasthan as a Senior Project Coordinator for Health & Education.
My short 9 months stint at LHWRF was difficult yet fulfilling. When I look back at that phase of my career, I realize that it gave me some really solid learning. At LHWRF, I got first-hand experience of almost all the angles of the development sector- agriculture, animal husbandry, skill training, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, health, and education. It also gave me the exposure of how the government system works at the ground level.
My next job at Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd. was my launching pad to the world of social research and Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation (MLE). There, I learned the basics of research by doing it myself- starting from questionnaire development to managing field operations to data analysis. My time at Sambodhi built my technical knowledge, helped me to understand the nuances of managing large scale data collection efforts and taught me important lessons about team management.
After spending close to 1.5 years in Sambodhi, I moved to CARE India and spent around 3.5 years there as a MLE Specialist (and later as State MLE Manager) in one of the largest public health initiative the world has ever seen- the Gates Foundation supported program called Bihar Technical Support Program (it started as a pilot in 2010 and still ongoing in a different avatar). There I led a very large scale household survey (more than 70,000 sample size) and the initiative to tell a data driven story of the program to the Gates Foundation team for three consecutive years. My time at CARE built my technical knowledge on research/MLE/public health, taught me how large scale multi-stakeholder projects are managed, and exposed me to the complexities of systems change initiatives.
In late 2017, I shifted to the social impact consulting space and joined Micro Save Consulting (MSC). My time at MSC broadened my perspective significantly as I worked on multiple assignments across Asia Pacific and Africa with private philanthropies, market builders, bilateral and multilateral agencies, financial institutions, think tanks, and academicians. From the world of public health, I was transported to a world with a wide array of topics – financial inclusion, digital financial services, social benefit transfer schemes, MSMEs, climate adaptation and women’s economic & financial empowerment. At MSC, I got the opportunity to co-create the Gender vertical and establish a new business practice on Financial Diaries research.
After working for fulfilling 6 years at MSC, I have joined Intellecap in 2023 in the circularity team. In my current role, I am working on initiatives aiming at creating circular supply chains, solving the textile and plastic waste problems and creating green livelihoods. I design and execute multi-year multi-stakeholder ecosystem level programs across South Asia. Though I have not completed a full year in my new role yet, it has been a journey full of new experiences and learning so far. I finally started working in the environmental management/sustainability sector after 12 years of my passing out from IIFM; life indeed comes to a full circle.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. My key learnings are:
(i) Building skills is more important than being expert in one subject matter.
(ii) Take the ‘risk’. The most terrible feeling is thinking ‘what if I took that chance’ and knowing that it will never come back.
(iii) Say yes to new experiences. I have made many shifts in my career and each led to where I am today.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. The programs I design and implement as part of the circularity practice at Intellecap are at the intersection of environmental impact, social impact, and economic impact. Our programs are actually solving the three most severe challenges that the planet and the people are facing today- climate change, loss of nature and inequity. And we are doing it by keeping green entrepreneurs at the core of our solutions. Seeing the impact that my work is making, immensely satisfies me.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Absolutely. The curriculum, the field visits, the internships, the events, the extra-curricular, the interactions with faculty/alumni/peers- all of these together:
(i) Built my technical knowledge
(ii) Made me ready for the job market
(iii) Helped me develop a holistic perspective on how to see a problem through the lens of social, economic and environmental angles.
And IIFM gave me an amazing alumni network that I have been leveraging throughout my professional life.
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. IIFM alumni played an important role in shaping my career. I have been fortunate to work in organizations that have been founded by IIFM’ites or where IIFM’ites are in leadership roles. Their guidance and mentorship shaped my career.
Talking about internal drivers, I would like to mention one point- I always love to take up new initiatives and new roles. It gives me great satisfaction to build something from scratch and own it. It always paid me off in my career.
My advice to those who would like to make a career in social impact consulting or MLE is: always look for the practical usage of any technical knowledge or any new framework that you are learning. Your understanding is complete only when you can use your knowledge to solve a real life problem. Secondly, get into the habit of having a general understanding of a subject but be ready to delve deep into it if need arises. Understanding a new topic quickly through secondary research is an important skill for any knowledge based industry.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. There are so many- the cultural events, trek to the caves, visiting Sanchi/Bhedaghat, going out to MP Nagar for dinner, community viewing of films screened by Movie Club (in 119 as well as in the hostel premise). I was the coordinator of the Literary Club and loved organizing the club events. And of course, the memorable field trips to the mountains of Uttarakhand, forests of Nilgiris and the backwaters of Kerala.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. My time at IIFM helped me tremendously to grow both as a professional and as a person. IIFM gets you classmates from all over India each coming from different culture and background- that teaches you to embrace diversity and make it a part of your own culture. It also takes you through a rigorous academic process including quiz, exams, assignments and presentations- that makes you ready to perform under pressure and grasp new subjects in a short period of time. And last but not the least, it sensitizes you to the development and sustainability sector. If you believe in a cause, you can make a real impact.
Q. The best friends / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.
A. Pulak (my IIFM roommate as well as the elder brother I never had), Kunal, Karthick are few of my closest friends and I am in regular touch with them. Amit Darak from the senior batch was like a friend-philosopher-guide to me during the IIFM days as well as in the early part of my career. Indrajit Sir played a pivotal role in my career by mentoring me on how to be an impactful professional, how to be an empathetic leader and how to manage a team effectively. I also owe Akhand Sir, Santosh Sir, Kultar Sir, and Swapnil Sir big time- all played (and still playing) instrumental roles in shaping my career. I got the opportunity to recruit, work and be friends with a few junior batch students- Shashi and Gaurav from 2015 batch, Kunal from 2020 batch. The faculty members were there whenever I needed help- Advait Sir, Ujjal Sir, Amitabh Pandey Sir were some of my favorite faculty members.
Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. Be flexible and open to the subjects being taught and concepts being introduced. Most of it will come handy in your professional life in one way or another- especially the general courses on research, marketing, strategy, statistics, and organizational behavior. Try to make the most of your internships(SI & Project Work), identify your interest areas, follow the latest trends in your interest areas, and be in touch with the alumni network. Enjoy the campus life at the fullest. And last but not the least, it might happen that your actual career might be in a completely different trajectory compared to what you dreamt during your IIFM days and that is completely alright.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. I have to travel for 5-6 days each month to different project locations. When I am in office, a typical day means series of virtual and in-person meetings with my team, the leadership, and external stakeholders to review progress, identify new solutions, debottleneck on-ground challenges, coordinate with partners, identify and codify learning, and explore new opportunities. I also have to put a good amount of time on maintaining client relationship, developing concept notes & proposals, and writing reports.
Q. How about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add?
A. Weekends are mostly spent with my family- shopping, cooking, small outings or just sitting on the couch and speaking our heart out. I also try to keep some time to check out the latest movies or OTT shows or a new book
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors.
A. There are so many that its difficult to choose and name a few. I like books authored by Frederick Forsyth (The Day of The Jackal, The Odessa File, The Deceiver), Ashwin Sanghi (The Bharat Series). The Harry Potter series has been a favorite since my childhood. I am a Christopher Nolan fan and I love all his movies with a bias towards The Dark Knight. I keep an eye for the new shows coming out in OTT platforms.
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 will be very happy to help the students in any way I can. Circularity as a concept is getting a lot of traction globally and I firmly believe that IIFM’ites can contribute greatly in this field. I will be happy to interact with the students and share my experience and learning about career opportunities and skillset requirements in the fields of circularity, social impact consulting, and Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation (MLE).
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. With the steady increase in focus on sustainability at the industry level, the course on sustainability management is definitely a much needed step to create a niche for us in the market. I find the current batches being much more involved with the alumni network. I am sure the formal and structured Alumni Association played an import role along with the motivation of the students.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. From the senior batches, I would suggest to interview Indrajit Chaudhuri (PFM 2002), Kultar Singh/Swapnil Shekhar (PFM 2000), Akhand Jyoti Tiwari (PFM 2006), and Nitish Narain (PFM 2009). From my batch (PFM 2012), I would suggest Pulak Kumar, Arun Sreekumar and S. Deepak Kumar.