Is “conscious, socially responsible business” just a fairytale?

narayan k murthy

These days, I sleep less and dream more.   I dream about building a business that will be profitable and scalable, but built upon the concepts of positive value creation in the domains of people and planet.

Well, many see this message has already been diluted beyond recognition.  Plenty of businesses and their promoters trumpet going green and being socially responsible, but most of those produce and promote products that are unhealthy both for the people and the environment.

So, what do I mean by ‘conscious’?  I believe whatever the business produces – be it a product, service or waste, it is not harmful to the environment and is enriching as well.

And by the phrase “socially responsible”, I feel organizations should positively impact the health and livelihoods of all their key stakeholders – customers, suppliers and employees.

Today, just a handful of for-profit organizations around the world are generating overall…

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Is Living Healthily an Expensive Proposition?

narayan k murthy

The other day, I was meeting a supplier who brought with him a few organic food product samples.  We were meeting in a crowded coffee shop in Secunderabad on a rainy evening.

Very soon we realized that our conversation and the table filled with organic product samples was catching the attention of people in the adjoining table.   Unable to contain his curiosity, a middle-aged gentleman from the next table got up and came over to have a conversation –

“Sir, can you tell me, why these organic food items are 2 to 3 times expensive?”

And without waiting for my answer, immediately followed it up with, “I am diabetic, can you tell me if eating organic food help me?”

I keep getting such questions all the time and feel like I am getting better in answering such questions every time, but the other person probably leaves still unconvinced.

Yes, to…

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How can we decide for our children, if we can’t do it for ourselves?

narayan k murthy

Returning from my morning jog, I ran into my neighbor who was walking back after sending off her kids to school.  She seemed unusually stressed, unsuited for a beautiful Bangalore morning.  As we exchanged our pleasantries, I could not ignore her worried demeanor and quizzed her.

“Oh boy, my son’s exams have started.  He has to do well, you know”, she said.

“Mmm.  What class is he in?”, I asked.

“In 9^th standard.  It is a rat race out there!  In a year he will be writing his board exams.  He should start doing well from now on”, she replied.

Is this it?  Is this even the right attitude for parents?  Why are exam scores valued more than a child’s all-around abilities?

Einstein’s famous quote came to my mind –
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created…

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