The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Next Bharat Ventures, a venture investing arm of the automotive major Suzuki, signed an agreement today at
the IRMA campus to foster collaboration, facilitation, and growth of the
entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Umakant Dash, Director of IRMA, and Mr. Vipul
Nath Jindal, Managing Director & CEO of Next Bharat Ventures, in the presence of
Mr. Kinji Saito, Councilor and Chief of Global Marketing at Suzuki Motor
Corporation, and Dr. Rakesh Arrawatia, Professor at IRMA and Managing Director of
the IRMA ISEED Foundation.
The agreement seeks to mentor high-quality startups and impactful entrepreneurs
addressing critical societal challenges while bringing improvements in the livelihoods
of the underserved section of the society across domains as varied as agriculture,
rural supply chain, financial inclusion, waste management, etc. It also aims to
establish long-term strategic relationships to energize the impact entrepreneurship
and innovation ecosystem as a whole.
On the occasion, Dr. Dash spoke about the incredible potential of rural India and
the transformative power of innovative entrepreneurship that the country has
witnessed over the last two decades. Defining impact entrepreneurs as individuals
who create businesses that prioritize social, environmental, and economic impacts
alongside financial returns, he said that the collaboration between IRMA and Next
Bharat Ventures would be crucial in identifying and nurturing impact entrepreneurs
who embody the spirit of innovation, resilience, and inclusivity that is essential for
India’s progress. Citing the examples of start-ups nurtured by IRMA’s incubator, the
IRMA ISEED Foundation, Dr. Dash expressed his hope that the latest collaboration
will create changemakers who would lead the way for a brighter and more inclusive
Bharat.
Vipul Nath Jindal, CEO and Managing Director of Next Bharat Ventures, commented,
“We embark on this journey to cultivate an impact entrepreneurship ecosystem that
is deeply community oriented. Our long-term ambition is to collaborate closely with
stakeholders within the ecosystem, building compounded synergies. Our partnership
with IRMA will empower and nurture Impact Entrepreneurs with access to the IRMA
and Next Bharat ecosystems.”
About IRMA
IRMA was founded by Dr. Verghese Kurien – fondly known as the father of the White
Revolution in India – in 1979. His professional management and governance were
the key contributors for the success of the White Revolution, and IRMA was set up
to replicate these skills for the underserved sector by nurturing rural managers
through its academic programmes, viz. the flagship Post Graduate Diploma in
Management (Rural Management) and the Fellow Programme in Management (Rural
Management). Over 45 years, IRMA has nurtured nearly 5000 changemaker alumni.
About Next Bharat Ventures
Next Bharat Ventures is an Impact Fund founded with a mission to address global
income disparities by improving the income levels in rural and informal sectors (India
2 & India 3), which constitute more than 2/3rd of India’s population. Next Bharat
supports impact entrepreneurs focused on enhancing incomes in these sectors of
India, fostering a community of cause-driven entrepreneurs dedicated to societal
contributions and community building. The fund is sector-agnostic with a primary
focus on areas such as agriculture, rural supply chain, financial inclusion, and rural
mobility.
