A computer engineer from Varanasi, Abhinav changed track after working for a year at HCL Infosystems in Mumbai. That’s when he chose to do an MBA in an area that was related to rural development, “unlike the usual management courses”.
“The concept of working in rural areas really excited me. The foundation for this was laid at the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, where the major focus is on development,” says Abhinav, one of the many MBAs working with SKS Microfinance. His on-job training with Care India in Tamil Nadu and experience of living with villagers during the stint at the Corbett National Park further intensified his desire.
The son of a bank officer, Abhinav was lucky to start working with SKS on his home turf near Varanasi before shifting to Ahmedabad as one of the area managers focusing on rural areas in the vicinity. “Once I pack my bag, I am on the go for five days a week, interacting with self-help groups in different villages. When we go to central meetings, I realise how even small loans of Rs 12,000-15,000 can help,” he states.
He points out that most of the alumni of IIFM work for rural development. The young management graduate says hardly 30 per cent of the theoretical knowledge gained in college is applicable in an environment where new challenges are presented “not just from day to day but sometimes from moment to moment”.
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