8 XXCE
PEOPLE
‘YES, EDUCATION IS
CLOSE TO MY HEART.
AND, INCREASINGLY I
WANT TO PLAY A
GREATER ROLE IN
EDUCATION IN THE
COUNTRY’
— SANJIV GOENKA
S
anjiv Goenka has just scored a hat-
trick. A hat-trick of laurels —
honorary degree of doctor of
philosophy in business
management from Xavier
University, Bhubaneswar (October 2019),
doctor of philosophy, honoris causa, by
Amity University (October 2019) and doctor
of literature, honoris causa, by University of
North Bengal (October 2018). We caught up
with a happy Sanjiv on education, kids,
family and the importance of having a
complete life.
Education is close to your heart. So, did
the honours come as a surprise?
I think any recognition of any form is
pleasing… is welcome. When it comes from
reputed institutions, it becomes that much
more meaningful. Was I expecting it? No,
certainly not… no clue. But I am very happy
that I have got it. To my mind, whereas I am
the representative, it is actually a
recognition of the group’s (RP-SG Group)
efforts in the last few years at having
reinvented itself, at having changed itself.
Yes, education is close to my heart. And,
increasingly I want to play a greater role in
education in the country. I do believe that it
is one of the ways to influence the future.
You know, sometimes the education
standards are not quite up to the
international level. Now that the world is an
integrated society, education is important
for the future of India. So, if you can have
international quality education and
systems, it makes a different life for
students. The idea is to give something that
is top quality.
It is very fascinating when you meet
young, sharp minds and interact with them.
The range is huge.
Is a school in the pipeline?
We are building a school in Alipore. We
have bought the land, the plans are ready
and we are submitting for approval now.
This will be a great school. It is Shivika’s
(daughter-in-law) project. We have three
management institutes now, which is run
under the brand name of IMI (International
Management Institute). This will be our
fourth initiative in the field of education.
Do you wish you studied more?
No. I don’t feel the absence of formal
education in that sense. That is very
relevant in the first five-six-seven years of
your career. After that it is your experience
and your ability that drives you forward.
What was your dad’s (R.P. Goenka) take
on education?
In our family, our parents were very
detached from our education, which is
unlike what Preeti (wife) and I are with
Shashwat (son) and Avarna (daughter). We
were eight cousins growing up together. I
think there wasn’t any great emphasis
given in that sense. You had to do well and if
you didn’t, you’d get beaten up or scolded,
but that was it. I don’t think anyone even
asked me why I chose what I did. There was
Sanjiv Goenka in his office.
Picture: Pabitra Das
Sanjiv’s philosophy…
Whatever you do to
others, it will come back.
A top business
management mantra…
Believe in yourself and
be passionate about
what you do. There are
enough people to try and
pull you down. Don’t let
circumstances or
different views pull you
down.
no discussion.
Our family was a little different.
They believed more in the practical
side of education. They said I should
go to St. Xavier’s which is in their
words, the “most grounded”
institute. They wanted us to be
grounded. So, it was the value
systems which were more
important. It is about how you treat
your elders, cousins, servants.
When Shashwat refers to servants
at home, it is always ‘aap’. I have
seen my parents do it and he has
seen us do it. My parents would
always say ‘socho woh doosra aadmi
kya sochega’. As you grow older, the
importance of that syncs in.
(L-R) Sanjiv Goenka receives his honorary degree of doctor of philosophy in business management from Xavier
University; doctor of philosophy, honoris causa, by Amity University; and doctor of literature, honoris causa,
from University of North Bengal
St. Xavier’s
also… it keeps
you grounded. To us,
this is what we were
taught. Education is not purely
about academics.
So, do you remember the 15
years you spent there?
Vividly. Very strict. Regimented.
But our home was even more
regimented. So, for us, this was a
release.
Your kids were good
students…
We knew they were highly
capable. They both were toppers.
Avarna was very mature. She
knew exactly what she wanted
and how to get there. Sorted. Her
aim was to become the head girl
of the school and she became. She
calls me chacha. A day before she
said: ‘Chacha, I am standing for
these elections.’ I asked what are
the chances. She said zero. I
didn’t know she knew she was
winning hands down.
Academically, above 90. I don’t
think she cared whether she got
94 or 96 or 98.
five-and-half (grandson) and two
(granddaughter)… his teachers
have twice told Avarna that let
him take a double promotion. She
has said ‘no’. Her logic is he is
getting used to the taste of
success. If he goes with a batch of
Our family was a little different. They believed
more in the practical side of education. They
said I should go to St. Xavier’s, which is in their
words, the “most grounded” institute. They
wanted us to be grounded. So, it was the value
systems which were more important. It is about
how you treat your elders, cousins, servants.
Education is not purely about academics
kids elder to him, he may still do
well, but he may not lead and she
doesn’t want him to get
complacent to the idea of not
leading. Subconsciously, you are
trying to inculcate a sense of
leadership in not being satisfied
with not leading.
The two-year-old is asking me
since I got the doctorate degree,
will I be giving out medicines!
(Laughs)
What kind of books did you
read while growing up?
I was an avid reader when I was
in school. I used to read at least
I two or three books a week. I
kept telling started off with Enid Blytons…
Shashwat that The Famous Five, The Secret
no one in the family Seven… reread them… Malory
has got an all-India Towers… I would remember
ranking and he was them by heart. Then I went into
capable. When he was Agatha Christie, James Hadley
young, he would say he’d Chase, Alex Haley… then it went
have to study eight hours into biographies. Now I have
more to get those extra stopped reading. Preeti reads for
five marks which will eat two hours every day. I have time,
into his playtime and so but I just find it a strain to read.
it’s not worth it. I told him, Preeti says it’s an excuse!
in one semester make that (Laughs) I still read from time to
extra effort. If you time, but I can’t read for
feel happy, then long stretches, which I
If we can
carry on doing it. could do before and I
If not, you’ll inculcate a would love doing it.
never hear from sense of For me, the biggest
me. Once he did it achievement learning came from my
and he topped in in success, great grandfather’s
every subject and that propels biography… it is not a
he never looked you like published book, but he
back.
nothing else wrote about his life.
There were a lot of
The taste of…
does human lessons. Being
Success. This is the head of the family,
what we wanted to imbibe how he dealt with a large, joint
in our children. And, this family and how important it was
is what I believe we can to not just be equitable but
through our education, optically equitable. I am spending
through our schools. If we time with a person like Harsh
can inculcate a sense of Neotia more than before because
achievement in success, he influences me philosophically.
that propels you like
nothing else does. Each What kind of films do you
person is cut out watch?
differently and not meant I watch virtually every Hindi
for similar things. When I film. I haven’t watched for a
see my grandchildren… while. I am on Hotstar, Netflix,
Amazon Prime. Right now, I am
watching The Family Man. When
you become a producer of movies
(Yoodlee Films, a Saregama
initiative), you see it completely
through a different lens. For me,
it is my grandchildren who are
great de-stressers and movies.
You have explored so much…
It is about having a complete life.
Do you have a favourite?
If I have to choose one, it’ll still be
work. But I am enjoying it all.
Saionee Chakraborty
H U L A
, ANS
FA N K I N D
THROUGH SPECIAL, EVEN AS SH
FANS FEEL
F
ankind, an online platform
that strives to provide fans
with a forum to meet their
favourite celebrities all the
while raising funds for
charity, is the brainchild of Anshula
Kapoor. The 26-year-old effervescent
Anshula — daughter of film producer
Boney Kapoor and sister of actor
Arjun Kapoor — is pulling out all the
stops to make fans “feel as special as
they make their idols”, she says,
through this initiative which
launched a few months ago and is
going from strength to strength.
A t2 chat with Anshula.
How did the idea of Fankind come
about?
I have been fortunate enough to be the
conduit through which Arjun
bhaiya’s (Kapoor) fans would speak to
him in the initial years when he had
just become an actor. He wasn’t on
social media and they wanted to
connect with him… they found me
online and I became the carrier pigeon
(laughs), so to speak, giving him all
the messages and the love from his
fans. We kind of created a relationship
with his fans and they have gone out
of their way to make me feel special on
my birthday… if I was sad on some
days, they would invariably cheer me
up. I always felt that it was ek tarfa
pyaar (laughs) because we were not
doing anything to give them back…
there was no gratification. I always
knew I wanted to do something for
them.
The entire idea and intent kind of
went into overdrive during Sonam’s
(Kapoor, Anshula’s cousin)
wedding… the love that came in from
fans was not only for Sonam and
Anand (Ahuja, husband) but for the
entire family. It was so heartwarming,
given that we are living in a world
where everyone gets trolled for just
breathing! (Laughs) We just got
introduced to this whole community
of strangers who turned out to be our
well wishers and they didn’t demand
anything in return. That’s when I felt
that, ‘Ab toh kuch karna hi padega’
because I felt that this needed to be
reciprocated… I wanted to make them
feel as special as they had made me
and my family feel.
I think the whole kindness aspect,
the need to give back feeling comes
from my mother (Mona Kapoor) who
always taught us that whatever we
have, some of it needs to be given back
because everyone needs to grow
together. You can’t be selfish and you
can’t be prospering when there are
people who need help. The germ
originated from there and putting the
two ideas together is how Fankind
came into existence.
The idea of giving fans a chance to
get up-close with their favourite
celebrity while fundraising for a
charity has been seen in some
other initiatives in the past. What
sets Fankind apart?
Yes, there are foundations like Make-
A-Wish but that operates differently…
they function in fulfilling the wishes
of terminally ill children, which may
or may not involve a meet-and-greet
with a celebrity. What sets Fankind
apart is that, firstly, we are online and
THE TELEGRAPH MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2019 9
O M AKE
STRIV I N G T
K A P O O R I S H A RITY
S F O R C
UND
E R A I S E S F
with government mandates or
legal mandates. It’s been a slow
and steady process of trying to
understand all of that. I am
learning about how to interact
with celebrities on a professional
basis and also gauging how the
entire NGO ecosystem works. I’ve
also learnt how big-hearted
celebrities can be.
How much has your experience
working at Google helped you
in running Fankind?
Google is probably the best
training ground anyone can have.
That was my first job straight out
of college and whatever work ethic
I have today is because of Google.
Their motto is ‘Don’t be evil’ and
they don’t charge people for most
of their services. That kind of
FANKIND FUN:Varun Dhawan magnanimity is ingrained in the
and Janhvi Kapoor at a paintball Google culture and employees
session withVarun’s fan imbibe that. Google teaches you
Amitesh and his sister Asawari life skills and working there gave
The Fankind experie me that extra shot of life energy
nce is not just limite that I needed to believe in myself.
which the fan meets d to the two or three
the celebrity, but the hours in Approaching a problem from a
it has to be all heart overall experience.
… if it isn’t, then it do For me, 360-degree perspective is
esn’t make sense do something I learnt from working
ing it
that means there is no barrier to at Google.
where you come from… it’s as Can you talk about some of the
simple as having a phone and going other fan experiences you have amount, we hope to help 30 villages You’ve spoken about Janhvi.
online and participating. We will fly rolled out so far? in Maharashtra which have been What’s the support from the
you down, no matter where you are. The fan experience with Sonakshi experiencing scarce rainfall. rest of the Kapoor family been
Also, this initiative is (Sinha) is live on the like?
ongoing… it’s not a one- website right now. I am How do you zero in on these Every member of my family —
of-a-kind event that will very excited about her fans? Arjun bhaiya, Sonam, Rhea,
be done sporadically. We experience because it I have no say in the matter. We Janhvi, my dad (Boney), Anil
are looking at churning involves arcade games have a third-party website that chachu, Anand — has been
out at least two and bowling. Anyone exports all the entries into the involved in different stages of
experiences every who’s ever spent a website and then picks a winner Fankind. I don’t have a dearth of
month… we plan to do at minute with Sona will without any bearing on how much people, whether it’s to bounce off
least 30 a year. A know she’s very money a particular person has put ideas or if I need any kind of
majority of our proceeds competitive (laughs), so in. It’s the virtual version of having support. When we launched, they
go to charity. We are it will be a lot of fun. this ginormous fish bowl with went all out to support me on
trying to open up the With that experience, we 10,000 chits in it which are social media, and in the real world
platform internationally. are raising money for randomly picked up. I have zero say as well. Since I live with Arjun
This will be a first-of-its- the treatment of in who the winner is. The whole bhaiya and I work out of home, he
kind initiative because children in Tamil Nadu process is very democratised. sees me in work mode more than
people living outside who have been born anyone else. He’s always there,
India haven’t been given with congenital heart It’s early days yet, but what are lending an ear whenever needed.
a platform like this defect. Janhvi (Kapoor, the challenges like and what Every member of my family is just
before where they can fly Anshula’s sister) came have the learnings been so far? a phone call away.
down to Bombay and to give me a hug the day Every start-up has its own teething
meet a celebrity they like we were shooting the problems and its set of challenges. What’s the way forward for
and idolise. experience with Varun I am looking at everything as a Fankind?
We’ve just completed I would like to pick because she knew I was learning opportunity. There have I want to branch out beyond
an experience with Ratan Tata’s brains very, very nervous been the usual challenges like Bollywood and include verticals
Varun (Dhawan) where for a bit. I am (smiles). She was like, people not taking me seriously, but like musicians, sportstars, people
his fan called Amitesh obsessed with ‘Dude, you are in I have overcome that hurdle to from the south Indian film
was flown down from Maroon 5… huge control!’ (Laughs) And present myself as a serious industry…. The whole definition of
Hyderabad with his fan! I will do because Janhvi is as entrepreneur and not just someone being a fan is fluid and I want to
sister. This was the first anything to breathe amazing as she is, we got who has come out to play. Also, this explore that in the next year. I
time he set foot in an the same air as her in to chat with is one of a kind with no precedent to want to expand Fankind to fulfil
airplane, the first time he Varun’s fan and play fall back upon, whether it’s to do the dreams of more than one fan
Adam Levine
came to Bombay… the paintball and it kind of per experience and creating an
entire experience that we became an enhanced ecosystem where fans get as much
gave him is obviously experience for the fan. love as they give celebrities. I want
what I will be doing with everyone. We plan to have a separate to create an ecosystem where fans
It’s a kind of role reversal, so to experience with Janhvi later. For will always come first.
speak. When celebrities travel Varun’s experience, we raised
outside Bombay, they are welcomed about Rs 8.95 lacs and I am grateful If you could use Fankind to
with open arms, whether it’s the to all his fans for the amount, with meet a celebrity, who would you
hotel, the airport… this is what I am Varun also pitching in. With the pick?
giving to their fans. The Fankind If it’s someone in India, then Ratan
experience is not just limited to the Tata, for sure. I would like to pick
two or three hours in which the fan I am looking at everything as his brains for a bit (laughs). I
meets the celebrity, but the overall a learning opportunity. There would love to spend a day with
experience. Like there was a special have been the usual Hrithik (Roshan)… I am obsessed
welcome for them at the airport, challenges like people not with him! Internationally,
there was a buggy to escort them in, taking me seriously, but I Michelle Obama, Malala… and
the hotel prepared a welcome… I am have overcome that hurdle to Adam Levine! I am obsessed with
trying to make it as special as I can. Maroon 5… huge fan! I will do
present myself as a serious
We are going over and above an anything to breathe the same air
average fan experience. For me, it
entrepreneur and not just as Adam Levine.
has to be all heart… if it isn’t, then it someone who has come out
doesn’t make sense doing it. to play Anshula Kapoor Priyanka Roy