Investing in the human spirit
These trying times have taught us that wellness, sustainability and hope are the best way forward
In these troubling times, public sentiment has shifted expectations for businesses, even from within. It isn’t that we expect more: we expect a lot better from each other and from ourselves. We expect — and certainly deserve — more empathy, more humanity and more sustainability.
As a person who identifies as a global citizen, I believe that investing in people, ideas and causes is the way forward for conscientious entrepreneurship. I’m committed to the impactful work at the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation that has positively affected people, learning, cultural expression and academic research. I’ve also invested in the eco-friendly Soneva Resorts, which in turn focuses on sustainable luxury and supports meaningful endeavours at the Soneva Foundation.
I was named after my grandfather, Indoo Shivdasani, a noted philanthropist with a clear vision and considerable compassion. His words have never seemed more apt than they are today:
“Why are you born?
What have you achieved?
What good have you done to your fellow man?
How do you propose to serve God in this world where he has given you the mind and the choice to be of use to yourself and others?
This line of thinking is very creative and in my case has also been very rewarding. I am conscious of my duties and I am always conscious that I owe a debt to this world and to the Creator.”
Indoo Shivdasani
1915–1979
My grandfather was an entrepreneur. After graduating from Clare College, Cambridge, he carved his own cultural and professional path, trading in West Africa and investing in agro-allied industries in Nigeria, India and France. He ardently endorsed higher education overseas for young Indians to hone their abilities and to equip them to meaningfully contribute toward society and communities.
If I’ve inherited even a fraction of my grandfather’s foresight and compassion, I’d count myself very fortunate. In 1976, my grandfather set up a charity, the Inlaks Foundation, registered in Liechtenstein as a Charitable Trust. It was eventually renamed the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. I have the honour of serving on the board of the Foundation. We have to date granted over a thousand scholarships, grants and awards, equipping promising Indian scholars, artists, and academics to take part in professional, scientific, artistic and cultural activities overseas, as well as in India through the Inlaks India Foundation. Our candidates are diverse, the subject matter is eclectic and often unparalleled among other fund-giving entities, and many participants have emerged as clear leaders in their chosen fields.
The focus is on recognizing the unusual, honouring individual talents, and striving to encourage candidates to acquire a world-class education and global reach. The Foundation is a keen supporter of the arts and offers a Fine Arts Award, exhibits, and an annual Curatorial Lab, along with partnerships that have included scholarships and other opportunities with King’s College London’s King’s India Institute, the British Museum, Goldsmith’s, Imperial, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), the Royal College of Art (RCA) and the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS).
In support of conservation and biodiversity, the Inlaks Ravi Sankaran (RS) programme awards outstanding students with resources to pursue master’s degrees internationally, to acquire internships overseas, and to help research or implement projects in India. The Foundation provides Inlaks Research and Travel Grants to students pursuing PhD degrees at Indian universities for short-term international visits to visit facilities, obtain materials and meet with experts.
There are a range of residencies for artists, curators, dancers and choreographers in India and abroad, along with scholarships at Indian universities in fine arts, theatre, music,film studies and sports. The Foundation has also aided hospitals in the Indian cities of Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai.
My objective in supporting health, wellness and sustainability extends to investing in brands and businesses that echo this spirit. Soneva Resorts is one such investment, founded by members of my own family. Its eco-friendly ethos invokes a strong sense of appreciation for one’s natural environment.
The hospitality brand supports a charity, the Soneva Foundation that supports projects with ecological and socioeconomic benefits to communities along with interacting with global leaders to help shape more positive policy. This includes reducing carbon emissions, working directly to uplift communities, setting up a water recycling centre, managing waste and promoting recycling, minimising single-use plastics, and promoting natural ventilation, sustainable materials, renewable resources, and local ingredients. Key achievements include tree plantation drives in Thailand, energy-efficient stoves in Darfur and Myanmar, oceanic swimming instruction for children in the Maldives, and providing safe drinking water to an estimated 750,000 people.
All this falls in line with the world around us today that has paused during a deadly pandemic and reevaluated its priorities. I find that sustainability, wellness, and the gift of giving increasingly powers much of our thoughts, our words, and our actions to create a more hopeful tomorrow.
