BENEX: Business Effectiveness - the Next Level: Being Served by the Poor, as Partners

John Paul — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 10:06:47 -0500

Session Title:
Pre-conditions, Limitations & New Models

Date of talk or publication:
2005

Speaker Name / Title:
Kapil Marwaha, Anil Kulkarni, J. Mukophadyay & S. Sivakumar

Organization:
S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research & ITC Ltd.

Description:
Creation of a progressive, equitable society has been a central concern of thought leaders from every field. A recent proposition in this direction, “Serving the Poor, Profitably,” aims to propel business growth in a manner that alleviates poverty by advocating that businesses should make their goods and services affordable by the poor. This, it suggests, would increase the capacity of the poor to consume while enhancing the market for business. But selling goods and services to those enmeshed in poverty is, per se, a weak business proposition, and many instances of selling goods and services “to the poor” are instances of selling to low-income segments and not to those enmeshed in poverty. Such low-income segments can constitute viable markets for business, but claims that such engagement directly alleviates “poverty” are debatable.

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BENEX: Business Effectiveness - the Next Level: Being Served by the Poor, as Partners