'You don't have to be Premji to be a philanthropist'

When senior corporate executive Zhooben Bhiwandiwala was on a business trip in Bangalore some years back, a friend pulled him into an unusual meeting by chance.

- Namita.Devidayal timesgroup.com

The group comprised professionals like him but, instead of debating the state of the economy, they were animatedly discussing rural children’s education. The passion was clearly contagious. Within few days, Bhiwandiwala joined the Mumbai chapter of Social Venture Partners (SVP), a worldwide movement that enables engaged philanthropy.

“We’ve all been passively writing cheques for causes, but this was the first time I was seeing such emotional engagement.” says Bhiwandiwala, 62, who was then heading the Mahindra group’s legal division and overseeing new ventures. “Here, you actively participate with your time and expertise.” He now heads the SVP Mumbai Grants Committee, which evaluates applications from non-profit organisations, almost mimicking the venture capital process.