CISD’s programmes aim to educate key stakeholders and build the individual and organisational capabilities required to drive the SDG agenda across all economic and social strata of society.
The Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM), introduced in 2011, is a highly subsidised 12-month modular programme for professionals working in or intending to work in the social sector, including social enterprises, NGOs, foundations, CSR functions of corporate for-profit organisations, and social policy or welfare departments of governments.
BSIEM 2024
SPJIMR CISD successfully concluded the India module of the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme for 2024. SPJIMR is the Indian partner institute for the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme. The programme offers enhanced learning by connecting students with various experiences, situations, problems and opportunities. It encourages them to tackle social problems by adopting sustainable approaches, which may include launching successful business models. The University/Institute partners share their expertise in adopting sustainable approaches and business models in the context of their respective countries. The chosen focus areas are Brazil – Social Innovation, Colombia – Bottom-of-Pyramid/Circular Economy, India – Adopting Sustainability, Russia – Challenges: ESG Agenda in Russia under sanctions, and Mexico – Technology for Social Entrepreneurs.
Role of Women in Building a Sustainable Future
On the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a Literary & Art Contest on “Role of Women in Building a Sustainable Future” was organised. The event followed the culmination of the Abhyudaya visits for the PGDM and PGDM (BM) Batch of 2023-25 and witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 100 Sitaras and their mentors.
Greenovate: Innovating Sustainable Change
SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD), in collaboration with OJAS XVI, SPJIMR’s annual management festival, organised “Greenovate”, a sustainability-related event. The event allowed the participating teams to develop transformative solutions for real-world business challenges, making a tangible impact on our planet and its future. It witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 550 students from various corners of India and embarked on a captivating journey.
Experiential learning for our participants working on ‘Digital Agri Technologies’ project
SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Sumitomo Chemical India Limited (SCIL), organised a field visit to Nasik for participants working on the project on Digital Agri Technologies. SCIL is a leading player in the crop protection and agricultural solutions space, committed to empowering farmers with cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices. Their partnership with CISD, SPJIMR reflects their belief in bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world agricultural needs along with fostering innovation through academia-industry collaboration.
SPJIMR CISD hosts CII Roundtable, “Agri Digital Technology: The Segway to Agricultural Prosperity”
The insightful roundtable brought together key stakeholders from agriculture sector to discuss the integration of digital technology and agriculture, emphasising the importance of talent, capital, technology, and policy alignment. The event highlighted India’s growing agritech startup landscape and the role of the agriculture sector in adopting many more emerging digital solutions.
CISD mangrove visit explores how corporates align people, profits and the planet
Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) recently collaborated with Godrej and Boyce to conduct an informative half-day trip to the Godrej Pirojshanagar Mangrove forest in Vikhroli. Sixty-five participants from SPJIMR visited the 2000-acre green oasis in the heart of Mumbai. The dynamic ecosystem supports 16 species of mangrove, along with 209 birds, 82 butterflies, 81 spiders, 75 other insect species, 32 reptiles, and several mammal species, including the Golden Jackal, Wild Boar, and Indian Mongoose.
Beach Clean-Up Activity
SPJIMR’s Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) regularly organises beach clean-up activities in collaboration with the well-known Afroz Shah Foundation (ASF) on Mumbai’s Versova beach. This Foundation has been removing and recycling an average of 368,404 pieces of plastic and 378,351 kgs of garbage per week through their various beach clean-up drives across Mumbai, including Borivali forest, Mithi river, Dana Pani Beach, Versova Beach, and remote islands.
Greenovate: Innovating Sustainable Change
SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) and Tata Power partnered exclusively for the first edition of “Greenovate,” a special Sustainability Challenge. The objective of this challenge was to find innovative business solutions aimed at advancing the sustainability agenda of the company, which is now a major player in the field of renewable energy. More than 550 college students across India participated in “Greenovate.”
Experiential learning with SPJIMR CISD
For participants working on agricultural technology initiatives involving blockchain and IoT as well as drones, greenhouses, and multispectral imaging (MSI), SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) organised a trip to Vadgaon village near Nasik.
Ehsaas
Ehsaas is a NGO mela organised by SPJIMR DoCC to celebrate the spirit of economic self-sufficiency achieved through the perseverance of artisans, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and NGOs.
Aasra
SPJIMR DoCC’s annual event Aasra is an inclusive sport and cultural fest for differently-abled individuals.
Abhyudaya
The Abhyudaya initiative started in 2008, works to empower underprivileged communities from lower-income neighbourhoods in Mumbai’s ‘K-Ward’ around the SPJIMR campus. Abhyudaya provides mentoring, enrichment activities, and financial support to underprivileged students (fondly called ‘Sitaras’ or ‘stars’), their families and schools.
The Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC) initiative, started in the 1990s, engages with hundreds of NGOs through mandatory student internships, fairs, and discussion forums that provide market access and learning opportunities to NGOs and through awards that recognise innovation in the social sector. Over the years, the SPJIMR community has engaged with 500+ social sector organisations across 26 Indian states and international agencies across Bangladesh and Nepal through the DoCC initiative.
Research on Agri-based Livelihoods Initiative
CISD research affiliates, who are also SPJIMR faculty members specialising in multiple disciplines, are pursuing various research opportunities, including academic research and case studies/policy papers on the social exemplar, Lakhpati Kisan. The Lakhpati Kisan programme has been implemented amongst small and marginal farmer households in tribal districts of Central India by Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods (CInL). It has successfully alleviated the participating farmers irreversibly out of poverty.
Social Impact Awards
Social Impact Awards is an annual event organised by SPJIMR DoCC which recognises and celebrates the contribution of exemplary social sector organisations and enterprises.
Social Impact Grants
SPJIMR Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC), in partnership with M3M Foundation, awards substantial grants to partner organisations influencing social impact in geographies and communities where they work. The grants will be awarded to select organisations that have partnered with DoCC for rural internship projects.
Regunath Research Fellowship in Social Citizenship and Management
The fellowship is an initiative of SPJIMR’s DoCC. It is funded by Mr. Deepak Regunath, SPJIMR alumni and is in memory of his late father, Mr. Regunath Ganesan.
BSIEM
SPJIMR is the Indian partner institute for the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme. The programme offers enhanced learning by connecting students with a variety of experiences, situations, problems and opportunities. It encourages them to tackle social problems by adopting sustainable approaches, which may include launching successful business models. The University/Institute partners share their expertise in adopting sustainable approaches and business models in the context of their respective countries. The chosen focus areas are Brazil – Social Innovation, Colombia – Bottom-of-Pyramid/Circular Economy, India – Adopting Sustainability, Russia – Challenges: ESG Agenda in Russia under sanctions, and Mexico – Technology for Social Entrepreneurs.
PRME
Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) is a learning community of business schools committed to weaving its six core principles into business and management. SPJIMR DoCC hosts the PRME India Chapter event every year. Chandrika Parmar, Director DoCC, is the current chair of the UN PRME India Chapter.
Conceptual framework of factors enhancing sustainability-oriented innovations
Alpana Taneja, Vinay Goyal & Kunjana Malik Know moreRole of ESG and private equity on environmental degradation: a nexus of opportunity and responsibility for developing and developed countries
Kunjana Malik & Sakshi Sharma Know moreThe impact of renewable energy on inflation in G7 economies: Evidence from artificial neural networks and machine learning methods
Long Zhang, Hemachandra Padhan, Sanjay Kumar Singh & Monika Gupta Know moreInterest subvention for crop loans in India: Win-win or win-lose?
Disha Bhanot, Vivek Farias & Deeksha Sinha Know moreSustainable leadership: Navigating the green transformation in modern business
Ashneet Kaur & Sudhanshu Maheshwari Know moreAsude’s digital social innovation for improving learning outcomes
Alka Agarwal & Jyoti Jagasia Know moreIncreasing adoption of biofertilizers in India: problems faced by Indian farmers
V Shankar & Ashish Gupta (PGDM participant) Know moreTrendy fashion is not always great for the planet, but circular fashion choices can help
Prabhat Pani & Sunita Chandak Know moreBAEL: Can pivoting to blockchain help the early-stage agritech startup in India?
KC Shyam, Sushmita Srivastava, & Lijo John Know moreCharting the path toward a greener world: A review of facilitating and inhibiting factors for carbon neutrality
Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Adeel Luqman, Jaya Gupta & Ritika Gugnani Know morePaani Foundation: A gamified approach to water crisis in rural India
Pallavi Mody, Sushmita Srivastava & Shyam KC Know moreAnalyzing the food waste reduction intentions of UK households. A Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theory perspective
Muhammad Danish Habib, Puneet Kaur, Veenu Sharma & Shalini Talwar Know moreResistance of multiple stakeholders to e-health innovations: Integration of fundamental insights and guiding research paths
Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Nazrul Islam, Puneet Kaur & Ahlam Almusharraf Know moreDifferent strokes for different folks: Comparative analysis of 3D printing in large, medium and small firms
Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar, Nazrul Islam, Rasha Alghafes, & Saeed Badghish Know moreDisruptive digital innovations in healthcare: Knowing the past and anticipating the future
Umesh Bamel, Shalini Talwar, Vijay Pereira, Laura Corazza & Amandeep Dhir Know moreLakhpati Kisan programme: Boosting the income of marginal farmers through women empowerment
Mihir Ajgaonkar & Tanvi Mankodi Know moreBiodiversity: The next sustainability frontier for Indian business
Prabhat Pani Know moreTackling plastic pollution: For-profits, non-profits and citizens does matter!
Prabhat Pani Know moreThe ever-growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans
Prabhat Pani & Sunita Chandak Know moreWhy India should lead the millet revolution
Prabhat Pani & Akshita Agrawal (PGDM participant) Know moreCan better water management lead to an increase in agricultural income? Inferences from the Lakhpati Kisan Program of Tata Trusts
Sushmita Srivastava, Amit Kumar Singh (PGDM-BM participant) & Yash Kamdar (PGDM-BM participant) Know moreShree Anna, the superfood: India's millet mission for healthier, sustainable future
V Shankar Know moreWake up, India – but, wash your face with limited water!
Prabhat Pani Know moreEmpowered rural women as silent change agents: Learnings from the Lakhpati Kisan Program of Tata Trust
Sushmita Srivastava & Harshita Mallareddy (PGDM-BM participant) Know moreSDG-embeddedness in business school operations: State-of-the-art literature, ground realities, and measurement parameters
Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Arun Madanaguli & Peter Ractham Know moreThe great melting and eventual sinking: Have we reached the point of no return?
Shalini Talwar & Aryan Sugla (PGDM participant ) Know moreTransformation of supply chain management to green supply chain management: Certain investigations for research and applications
Neha Saini, Kunjana Malik, & Sakshi Sharma Know moreSurvival and sustenance strategy of primary agricultural cooperative credit societies in India: a fuzzy interpretive structural modelling approach
Debadutta Kumar Panda, Kaushik Bhattacharjee, Debmallya Chatterjee, Sankarshan Basu Know moreThe relationship between international trade in industry 4.0 products and national-level sustainability performance: An empirical Investigation
Arindam Das Know moreElephants are also your business if you are in the plantation industry in India
Prabhat Pani Know moreMitigating Climate Change Requires Innovative Solutions
Prabhat Pani Know moreEmotions and food waste behavior: Do habit and facilitating conditions matter?
Fauzia Jabeen, Amandeep Dhir, Nazrul Islam, Shalini Talwar, & Armando Papa Know moreExploring the effects of import diversification on energy efficiency: Evidence from the OECD economies
Buhari Dogan, Diogo Ferraz, Monika Gupta, Toan Luu Duc Huynh & Irum Shahzadi Know moreDigital transformation of healthcare sector. What is impeding adoption and continued usage of technology-driven innovations by end-users?
Shilpa Iyannaa, Puneet Kaur, Peter Ractham, Shalini Talwar & A.K.M.Najmul Islam Know moreBalancing food waste and sustainability goals in online food delivery: Towards a comprehensive conceptual framework
Amit Shankar, Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar Nazrul Islam & Piyush Sharma Know moreVirtual reality tourism to satisfy wanderlust without wandering: An unconventional innovation to promote sustainability
Shalini Talwar, Puneet Kaurb, Octavio Escoba & SaiLane Know moreGreen supply chain management in manufacturing firms: A resource-based viewpoint
Mehmood Khan, Mian M. Ajmal, Fauzia Jabeen, Shalini Talwar & Amandeep Dhir Know moreDiving into the uncertainties of open innovation: A systematic review of risks to uncover pertinent typologies and unexplored horizons
Arun Madanaguli, Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar, Thomas Clauss, Sascha Kraus, Puneet Kaur Know moreChapter 5: The labor participation of persons with disabilities in India: journey from the old to the new act (1995-2016)
Amit Jain & Shreyashi Chakraborty Know moreGreen offering: More the centrality, greater the scepticism
ShabbirHusain R.V. Know moreTata Power CSR: The paradigm shift for sustainability
Bikramjit Ray Chaudhuri, Preeta George, Nirja Mattoo & Jeenal Shah Know moreAssessing blockchain-based innovation for the “Right to Education” using MCDA approach of value-focused thinking and fuzzy cognitive maps
Sarah Ashok Sonje, Rohan Sanjay Pawar, Shekhar ShuklaNational Education Policy 2020- Enhancing social cohesion and sustainable development
Nirja Mattoo Know moreDanone: Leading change by rejigging purpose?
Tulsi Jayakumar & Surya Tahora Know moreUnderstanding consumer preference between bundled and unbundled green offering
ShabbirHusain R.V., Sanjeev Varshney, Pingali Venugopal & Munish Thakur Know moreLeveraging blockchain technology for Indian healthcare system: An assessment using value-focused thinking approach
Rashmi G. Shukla, Anuja Agarwa & Vidhu Shekhar Know moreSPJIMR student wins Tata social enterprise challenge
Prabhat Pani Know moreMigration, trade and investment: Towards a new common concern of humankind
Thomas Cottier, Anirudh Shingal Know moreSerum Institute of India: COVID-19 vaccine pricing
Malay Krishna & Sunny Arora Know moreFood subsidy distribution system through blockchain technology: A value focused thinking approach for prototype development
Rohan Sanjay Pawar, Sarah Ashok Sonje, & Shekhar Shukla Know moreAssessing the effectiveness of total foreign aid and foreign energy aid inflows on environmental quality in India
Mantu Kumar Mahalik, Muhammed Ashiq Villanthenkodath, Hrushikesh Mallick & Monika Gupta Know moreThe role of humanity in healthcare
Jagdish Rattanani Know moreITC Hotels: Is responsible luxury sustainable?
Malay Krishna & Pooja Mhapsekar Know moreReview of literature on green consumer behaviour over 25 years (1994-2018)
ShabbirHusain R.V. Know moreDemonetization and digital payments in India: Perception and reality
Manisha Chakrabarty, Ashutosh Jha & Partha Ray Know moreFactors affecting quality of schools in India
Bishwaroop Ghosh, Goutam Panigrahi & Debmallya Chatterjee Know moreSustainability policies for the fashion industry: A comparative study of Asian and European brands
Anupama Gupta Know moreThe Muktangan story (Part A): An organizational study; and The Muktangan story (Part B): Winds of Change
Mihir Ajgaonkar & Keith D'Souza Know moreLivelihoods for women: Multi-agency models in India
K G Karmakar, Nirja Mattoo, & M.Suresh Rao Know moreGiving is a Very Serious Business
Prabhat Pani Know more'SPJIMR student wins Tata social enterprise challenge’
Circularity in the age of technology
Abhinav Khetarpal, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreAI: A powerful ally in the fight against climate change
Abhishek Kumar, PGDM 2023-25 Know more“Sustainable” fast fashion decoded
Nupur Gulati, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreSustainable practices in small-scale farming
Rhea Verma, PGDM-BM 2023-25 Know moreCan India's traditional crafts inspire sustainable choices?
Aakriti Khurania, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreEating for the Earth: A sustainable approach to food choices
Abhinav Shukla, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreDrowning in imports: Can India find a way out of its edible oil deficit?
Vaibhav Singh, PGDM (BM) 2023-25 Know moreHealthy tomorrow, sustainable healthcare today
Krishnendra, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreMiyawaki Forests – The Answer to India’s Urban Environment Crises?
Eesh Jain, PGDM (BM) 2023-25 Know moreWomen’s Livelihoods and India@100: How did women fare in the first Amrit Kaal Budget?
Prabhat Pani & Mitali Nikore Know moreDark data and green computing
Rohit Roy, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreSustainable Futures: India’s development journey, coupled with sustainability
Anand Choudhury, PGDM 2023-25 Know moreDisruptive digital innovation in healthcare: Understanding and overcoming the resistance
Shalini Talwar & Urmila Girish Know moreLeveraging the Union Budget 2023-24: Opportunities for India’s social sector
Shalini Talwar, Sukriti Anand & Mitali Nikore Know moreThe Indian perspective – An emerging nation’s take on carbon neutrality
Prakhar Malik , PGDM 2022 – 2024 Know moreSustainable development and ChatGPT: Some meaningful conversations
Shalini Talwar Know moreInnovative Ways in Which India is Tackling Plastic Pollution!
Pooja Jagadish Ugale, PGDM 2022 – 2024 Know moreForest Fires Disrupting Ecosystems
Kishan Dhanrajani, PGDM-2022 - 2024 Know moreFeeding India Sustainably: Overcoming the Next Set of Challenges in Agriculture
Manan Dhanuka, PGDM-2022 - 2024 Know moreAchieving 2030 Agenda: Need to balance the Janus Face of Innovation
Shalini Talwar Know moreGlobal Risks and Innovation: Is it time to account for the dark side?
Shalini Talwar Know moreDecoding Sustainable Financing
Anahita Patange, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreThe inspirational story of mangrove conservation
Sharveya Baxi, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreAre electric vehicles really green?
Ashish Samanta, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know moreThe ‘Bad Taste’ of Good Food
Dhruvin Zaveri, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreDLF: India’s attempt at Green Real-estate
Anuvrat Anand, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreBiodiesel is the future fuel for automobiles!
Kshitij Puniyani, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know moreGreen Supply Chains: Accelerating Decarbonization through Data & Digital Tech
Debrup Poddar, PGDM 2021-23 Know moreIndia’s energy policy: Balancing the energy mix in India
Tushar Goel, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know moreHappiness Through Sustainability
Ravi Bhai Patel, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreCommunity-led problem solving: A solution to the Maharashtra water crisis
Pranav Bharti, PGDM 2022-24 Know moreBenefits of digitisation and fund-raising possibilities for small/medium NGOs
Prabhat Pani Know more
SPJIMR Centre of Innovation and Sustainable Development (CISD) prepared this report to help social sector organisations evaluate the impact of the Union Budget 2023-24 and harness government support.
The fourth edition of the Social Sector Samvaad webinar series on storytelling hosted by the Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) was designed for people working in the social sector. It focused on teaching them how to tell stories effectively to bring about positive changes in people's behaviour. Participants learned practical strategies and skills to use storytelling as a powerful tool for communication in the social sector. The workshop aimed to show that good communication through storytelling is crucial for making a real impact on social causes.
SPJIMR's "Centre of Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD)" launched “Social Sector Samvaad”, its first series of webinars to disseminate relevant knowledge and skills to help build the capacity of NGOs. The series presents insightful conversations with social sector experts about new developments, wise innovation practices, and challenges in the social sector, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized NGOs.
The launch episode of “Social Sector Samvaad” on “Why NGOs should have a digital presence, and how digitisation could help them in fund-raising” featured Chet Jainn, Founder, Crowdera Foundation, and was hosted by Prof. Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, CISD, SPJIMR.
In our new episode of the Podcast Series ‘Sustainable Futures’ Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, CISD, is in conversation with Anil G. Verma, Executive Director & CEO of Godrej & Boyce. In this thought-provoking podcast episode, we delve into the topic of India’s privately owned mangroves and the efforts to preserve them. Tune in now and be part of the conversation.
Listen to Us On
Very few corporates worldwide can claim to sequester ten times the carbon they generate in their operations. From zero depletion of groundwater in their operations, mitigating human-elephant conflict to digitally tagging its coffee bushes and scientifically assessing climate change for itself and the coffee-growing community, Tata Coffee has walked the talk on corporate sustainability. In the first episode, Mr Chacko Thomas, MD and CEO of Tata Coffee, in conversation with Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD), discusses how Tata Coffee has raised the bar on sustainability initiatives by corporates. The series is brought to you by SPJIMR’s Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD).
Listen to Us On
Director, Abhyudaya
Member Board of Trustees, Aroehan
Visiting Faculty, SPJIMR
Co-Founder & Director, iVolunteer
CEO and Research Director, NEERMAN
Volunteer and Mentor, Community FootPrints
Founder and Managing Director, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication
Prabhat Pani is the Executive Director of the Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD). He was the head of the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) earlier. Prabhat possesses almost 40 years of experience in handling positions of responsibility in for-profit organisations in FMCG, Telecom, and Hospitality spaces, as well as in philanthropy. He holds a management degree from IIM Ahmedabad.
Tanojkumar heads the PGPDM programme and is an Associate Professor, Public Policy, Department of General Management at SPJIMR. Tanoj is a public policy, education, and development professional and researcher with over 20 years of experience in government, academia, and the social sector. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Policy from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, USA, and has a Master’s in Public Management and Policy from IIM Ahmedabad.
Arati is the Director, Abhyudaya at SPJIMR. An educationist with over 30 years of experience, Arati’s expertise lies in leveraging technology to develop innovative learning programmes. In the past she has worked with global companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Uber. In her previous role as Principal of Purkal Youth Development Society in Dehradun, she was recognised for redesigning the curriculum, implementing new teaching methodologies and raising funds.
Talwar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance and Economics, and also the Research Lead, CISD at SPJIMR. With a Ph.D. in Management Studies and MBA in Finance & Marketing, Shalini has a cumulative work experience of 25 years in industry and academia. Her professional interests span three key domains – teaching, research, and editorial responsibilities. A researcher committed to cross-functional and multi-disciplinary studies, Shalini’s published and ongoing work focuses on contemporary areas including but not limited to sustainability, innovation, pro-environmental behaviour, investor and firm behaviour, and digital disruptions.
V Shankar is Executive in Residence, CISD. He possesses 45 years of rich industry experience including long stints in Unilever and in the Tata Group. Shankar’s previous role was the MD and CEO of Rallis India, post which he helped establish a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Excellence as a Tata Group initiative. He is a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, Company Secretary, Law Graduate, and alumnus of IMD Lausanne, Switzerland.
Chandrika Parmar holds a Ph.D. from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, UK, with a specialisation in Management Research. She is an enthusiastic educator with a deep interest in research areas specific to social sciences. She has 30 years of overall experience, wherein she has been engaged with leading academic institutions and research organisations in leadership roles. At SPJIMR, Chandrika is an Associate Professor, General Management and Director, Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC).
Assistant Professor
Department of Operations, Supply Chain Management & Quantitative Methods, SPJIMR
Assistant Professor
Department of Operations, Supply Chain Management & Quantitative Methods, SPJIMR
Associate Professor
Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR
Associate Professor
Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR
Assistant Professor
Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR, and
Lead, Teaching Excellence & Teaching Development, SPJIMR
Anjali Kanitkar is an Associate Professor at the College of Social Work, Mumbai. She teaches graduate and post-graduate courses in Community Organisation, Social Policy and Planning and Ecology. She was a Director of Social Audit in the Government of Maharashtra till 2020. She has completed her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Mumbai and M.A. in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Veera Dikshit has over 28 years of experience in the corporate sector across a wide range of sales and marketing disciplines, including partner and alliance management for enterprise clients in India/ Asia. In her last assignment at Thomson Reuters, Veera led business development for the corporate segment in India/ South Asia and was part of the leadership team at Thomson Reuters.
Nishit Kumar is the Founder and MD at Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBC3), a section 8 non-profit public company and India’s first non-profit dedicated to integrating SBCC methods with interventions.
Shalabh Sahai began his journey by co-founding iVolunteer in 2001 and continues to lead it today as the largest social enterprise for formal volunteering in India, counting marquee corporate names as its partners. He is also credited with creating iVolunteer Awards, India’s only awards that inspire and establish new benchmarks in volunteering.
He is currently working as CEO and Research Director at NEERMAN, an independent non-profit organisation that provides engineering, economics and policy solutions in the environment and health sectors. He has also worked with the Water and Sanitation Program at the World Bank as Co-Principal and Investigator for the health impact evaluation of total sanitation campaigns.
Swapan Garain is a social entrepreneur, social scientist, social work educator, trainer, social business mentor, and non-profit manager. With more than four decades of service to society, he has been engaged in helping set up and manage foundations and family trusts, guiding corporate for their social responsibility initiatives, facilitating government policy-making, appraising projects for funding, teaching university students, training change agents, doing field action research, writing, consulting, networking among social sector stakeholders, and promoting of social entrepreneurship.
Sunita the key administrator of CISD has worked for more than 11 years in diverse sectors including education, media and events. She is a commerce graduate from the University of Calcutta.
CISD has partnered with Vijasu Ecotec, a Mumbai-based ESG-focused organisation dedicated to ‘Sustainable Agriculture.’ Vijasu Ecotec specializes in developing technology and products through extensive research, positively impacting farm productivity and soil health. In collaboration, students are working on a project to establish an online marketplace for DPV Bio Stimulants. The project’s key objectives include competitor analysis, market segmentation, demand analysis, marketplace expansion assessment, traction evaluation, and SEO enhancement. This partnership aims to explore market dynamics, assess online sales potential, and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable future.
SPJIMR’s CISD has entered an innovative collaboration with Dvara E-Registry, a key player working with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and their member farmers in rural India. Dvara E-Registry, an AgFinTech start-up utilises a range of technologies such as Remote Sensing, AI, and ML to deliver invaluable, farm-specific current and historical data through advanced analytics. This facilitates farmer financing and empowers organisations like FPOs to make well-informed business decisions. Through this collaboration, the students get the opportunity to explore the possibilities and potential for Farmer Producer Companies to leverage social media and e-commerce platforms leveraging Dvara’s offering.
As part of the CISD committee at SPJIMR, students are being mentored by Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd, a leading provider of crop protection, grain fumigation, rodent control, bio pesticides, environmental health, professional pest control, and feed additives. The mentorship focuses on addressing key challenges such as chatbot fluency, news access, and the digital divide across communities. The goal is to discover solutions that enhance technology and communication for all.
We have partnered with Syngenta Foundation India (SFI) to study and research their flagship initiative Agri-Entrepreneurship (AE) programme. The AE Model aims to develop and anchor self-sustainable Agri-Entrepreneurs to provide agriculture services to smallholder farmers, generating rural employment, improving agricultural incomes and practices, and furthering environmental sustainability. CISD will investigate the initiative to generate teaching-learning material, knowledge production, and policy issues for advocacy in the public interest. A research is underway to assess the efficacy of the AE training programme, particularly with regard to women. The focus is to understand how the AE training programme contributes to the development of an entrepreneurial attitude.
SPJIMR’s CISD has partnered with Ivy Cap ventures and Ivy Camp to provide students with exposure on evaluating startups for investment in the Agritech space. The engagement involves activities including an interactive session to discuss investment criteria, evaluation of startups in the Agritech space, and discussions with Agritech startup founders to understand key factors that affect technology-related decisions in the Agritech space.
In collaboration with CInI, an organisation dedicated to working closely with the tribal and rural communities in Central India to meet their aspirations, our partnership focuses on providing students with the chance to assess the value proposition and market potential of biofertilizers and bio-slurry from the waste to energy to agriculture perspective, along with examining policies to promote their adoption. These analyses contribute to the broader implementation of CInI’s Sustain+ approach, along with understanding the community perspectives for adoption and scale —an open-source platform for sustainable energy access in poverty alleviation initiatives in India.
CISD has established a collaboration with Mahindra and Mahindra Limited to partner on activities focused on agri-business technologies, and entrepreneurship. In the first engagement, Mahindra and Mahindra has commissioned two projects for SPJIMR students to learn about Business Process Evaluation of agri models in the Agri-tech space, as well as evaluation of technologies used by Agri-tech Startups.
CISD has collaborated with the Pune Knowledge Cluster Foundation (PKCF) towards the aim of making the SPJIMR campus carbon neutral. The engagement started with formation of ‘Carbon Neutral Campus (CNC)’ team within SPJIMR, and initial orientation/training to work towards establishing the baseline status of the SPJIMR campus on carbon neutrality.
Sustainable Resolutions for 2024
CISD presents an insightful guide to eco-friendly living and conscious choices for a sustainable 2024.
World Ozone Day
On this World Ozone Day this vlog presents key insights from our PGDM 2022-24, participant Kishan Dhanrajani’s blog that delves into the pressing issue of forest fires and their far-reaching impact on the ozone layer and our environment.
International Plastic Bag Free Day
The video presents insights shared by its Executive Director Prabhat Pani in his article, “Tackling plastic pollution: For-profits, non-profits and citizens does matter!” to commemorate the International Plastic Bag Free Day.
World Food Safety Day
This video presents salient points from our PGDM 2022-24 participant, Manan Dhanuka’s blog, “Feeding India sustainably: Overcoming the next set of challenges in agriculture”. In his blog, Manan notes agriculture’s critical role in safeguarding food safety for everyone.
World Environment Day 2023
On World Environment Day, CISD presents this video to highlight the insights shared by our PGDM participant Pooja Ugale in her blog, “Innovative ways in which India is tackling plastic pollution!”.
Insights on climate change by participant Raj Desai
On Earth Day, this vlog presented highlights from our PGDM 2024 participant Raj Desai’s blog on the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on public health, exploring solutions to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and supporting sustainable practices.
World Biodiversity Day Video
On World Biodiversity Day, this vlog presents insights about the human-wildlife conflict and how Tata Coffee (TCL) manages the continuing elephant menace at its coffee plantations spanning across 19 states with its well-implemented strategies to coexist in harmony with nature. The article written by SPJIMR CISD Executive Director, Prabhat Pani was published in Forbes India.
On World Health Day, this vlog presents unsustainable agricultural practices, the negative impact of the meat and dairy industry and possible solutions to enhance both human health and the environment highlighted by our PGDM 2024, participant Dhruvin Zaveri in his blog, The ‘Bad Taste’ of good food.
On World Water Day, this vlog highlights the serious water issues and the possible solutions elaborated by our PGDM 2024, participant Pranav Bharti
Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John
Agriculture based interventions directed towards sustainable income and livelihood have been of utmost importance for governments, policy makers and farmer communities across the world. Lakhpati Kisan Smart village programme undertaken by Tata Trusts with its nodal agency CInI, in India, has covered more than a lakh household in the Tribal belts of India. It has substantially improved incomes to cross INR 100,000 per annum (and therefore lakhpati) for more than 50% of the farmer households. This paper seeks to study how LKP operationalized this multi-pronged approach resulting in increase in the house-hold income and to arrive at a holistic understanding of the programme. This study has been done with extensive interactions with various LKP stakeholders in the State of Gujarat, India. The paper has been accepted for presentation at an international conference shortly.
Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John
Although India has over 8000 FPCs- an Apex community-led intervention of farmers, only 3% are Women FPCs. This despite the fact that 85% of agricultural farmers in India are women and they contribute significantly to the rural economy of the country, mostly as farm labourers. Mainstreaming women farmers into institutions like the FPC is more likely to lead to better utilization of resources that would contribute to livelihood. This study focuses on how LKP has facilitated the women to play a critical role in FPCs in achieving sustainable livelihood – not only in increasing agricultural income but also improving the quality of life through improved agricultural and livestock practices. Some of the outcomes would be centred around the critical underlying factors in identifying role of women in low income Agri-communities for creating sustainable and inclusive growth through formal institutions such as FPCs.
Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John
This paper is based on a comparative study of two States, Gujarat and Jharkhand in India, where the Lakhpati Kisan programme has been introduced to achieve sustainable income and break poverty traps. It seeks to answer the question of how the same programme with same operational capability has varied outcomes in different geographies. The paper also delves into the softer aspects of regional economic variations such as socio, economic, cultural and political factors, amongst others.
Mihir Ajgaonkar and Tanvi Mankodi
Tata Trusts and CINI have focused on the development of the marginal farmers from the tribal belt in India, with an objective to uplift their livelihood under the programme” Lakhpati Kisan”.
The programme leaders of the “Lakhpati Kisan” have designed various interventions for the improvement in the economic status of these farmers through women empowerment. This teaching case study explores the sustainability of leadership dimensions of these interventions in the context of the overall social objectives of the “Lakhpati Kisan” programme.
The data for this teaching case have been collected through in-depth qualitative interviews and through secondary sources from the records of CINI and the public domain. This case is in progress.
The teaching case would be useful for teaching leadership frameworks in the Organizational Behaviour courses in the Master of Business Administration and other post-graduate management and executive education programmes.
