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Has delved in both Practice and Academics, in livelihood promotion. Has worked at grassroots promoting cooperatives and risen to become MD of a fairly large development Company. Have taught in IRMA, IIMA, Azim Premji University. Have been a member of Planning Commission Task Force drafting 12th FYP. Have experience in South Asian and African countries. |
 Contact Sankar Datta
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Area of Expertise: |
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Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural, Urban
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Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
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Director, CEO, COP, President
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Professional Experience: |
Have closely been associated with Promotion of Rural Livelihoods both as a Practitioner:
1. I was in-charge of operations while setting up the BASIX Group of Social Enterprises.
2. Had initiated and headed the first livelihood project of PRADAN, a reputed NGO in India today;
3. Was Team-Leader of the Spearhead Team responsible for promotion of soybean cultivation and formation of producer cooperatives in Madhya Pradesh;
I have had considerable experience as an Academic with some of the premier institutions:
1. Retired as the Professor, leading the Livelihood Initiatives, Azim Premji University
2. Was the Dean of the Livelihood School; later renamed as the Institute of Livelihood Research and Training (ILRT)
3. Was a member of the faculty in Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and Ravi Mathai Centre for Educational Innovation (RM-CEI) of IIM, Ahmedabad
My other professional engagements include:
1. Served on the Board of several institutions including Indian Grameen Services, Sarvodaya Nano Finance Ltd. Village Financial Services Ltd., IndusTree Crafts Ltd. Bharatiya Krishi Samruddhi Ltd.
2. Was Member of the Advisory Committee of Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA) of the IIM-Ahmedabad
3. Was Member of the Livelihood Advisory Group of the Sustainable Livelihoods India Initiative.
4. Member of the Planning Commission Working Group for drafting the 12th Five-Year Plan.
5. Member of the Chhattisgarh Planning Commission Working Group on Poverty Alleviation
6. MDFPL-Agri Value Chain Finance Strategy Plan, for IFC, with BASIX Consulting;
7. Training of Trainers for UNCDF Staff engaged in agro-value chain finance in Nepal and several other training programs on agro value chain finance
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Education: |
My school education in Santiniketan, West Bengal in late 60’s and early 70’s influenced my young mind, chose to work for development of the rural India for more than three decades and completed my Rural Management post-graduation from IRMA, after my basic training in Agriculture (B Sc Ag & AH) from GB Pant University, and did my Doctoral dissertation (Ph.D) on `Factors Affecting Performance of Village Level Organisations’ focusing on the institutional aspects of their performance, in the area of Economics from Sardar Patel University. He also pursued higher studies in Agri-Business Management from the Cornell University. And has been engaged in implementing livelihood in initiatives for the poor, in less endowed areas.
My education, which has primarily focused on livelihoods in the rural areas, has equipped my to handle their Production issues, Market & Finance issues and Institutional issues.
My doctoral research basically establishes that the social institutional fabric of an area greatly influences the economic and cultural performance of the habitants of that area. In other words, the economic functioning of an area and the community that live there, is limited by the institutional boundaries.
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Years of Experience:
More than 20 years |
Highest Qualification:
Doctorate |
Languages:
English, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati |
Nationality:
Indian
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