Social Entrepreneurship - How to create value and money with social impact.

Uday Nanda, MBA (Grassroutes Journeys Ltd. & Ujivanna Life Resorts Ltd., Mumbai)

On December 3, 2013, in the framework of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series, the Entrepreneurial School® took pleasure in welcoming a very special businessman from India. Uday Nanda gave a presentation on his companies and spoke of the stony path he had had to tread to set up his own business. It is the story of a successful bank manager who “converted” to social entrepreneurship.

Today the young Indian is running a socially compatible tourism project, which offers stressed-out city dwellers (and others) an opportunity to restore their energies amidst the simple life of rural India. At the same time, the scheme is designed to bring economic benefits to the local people without disrupting their way of life.

Uday is also about to launch a new and revolutionary housing project for the elderly and especially those living isolated lives. The goal of this project is to establish and maintain homes designed for the elderly and handicapped in his home town of Mumbai.

But what triggered this conversion? What persuaded the bank manager to take the first step? The young and dynamic entrepreneur Uday explains that his earlier job with the bank was lacking in terms of sustainability, whereas his projects permit him to create sustainability and help people in the long term. “That’s something I find very important, especially in my daily work,” says the MBA from Mumbai.

The event was chaired by Professor Siegfried Walch.