Page 10 - Seniors Today - July 2021 Issue
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a North Indian diet, so you can actually period of time, it will improve because it’s
consult the dietitian and tell them what getting demanded by all the stakeholders
type of food you wish to eat and they’ll and that’s the most positive side to it. No
help you fine-tune it. It has to fit into your amount of laws will make the change that
lifestyle ; you cannot just have a diet for one stakeholders can, starting from your own
or two months as that is not sustainable. shareholders, foreign institutions, investors
Your lifestyle has to change. So we are and your own employees. The first thing
trying to change the lifestyle by bringing youngsters who go to campuses will ask is:
awareness of the need for exercising, what is the governance? If you’re selecting
having the right habits, having the right a new member to the board of directors,
food. And I believe that if all Indians lead they all ask what is the governance and
a far more disciplined life, there will be how good is the governance? Because of
fewer obesity, diabetes or cardio issues, and this, governance scores are improving, but
our need for hospitalisation itself will go if you ask me to give an overall corporate
down dramatically. I think our endeavour governance score in India, I would say four
is to actually educate people in these areas, on a scale of 10.
whether it’s mental health, or right lifestyle
habits. Q: Just 4-5 on 10?
A: It’s a long way to go. I’m sorry to say
Q: And there’s a big connect with mental this but I think the problem lies with most
health and lifestyle. promoters. They think that the company is
A: Yeah, but these are done completely theirs. If you’re running a public company,
separately. Saffola’s Heart Foundation has you may be a majority shareholder, you
started 20 years back. We do lots of things are not the owner of the company. You
– on World Heart Day we have done camps, may have 60 per cent and the balance
we do cholesterol check-ups, etc. 40 per cent is with others; you can’t say
this is my own company. And because
Q: Good governance is another area that of that mindset, I will have related party
you said you feel very strongly about. transactions, I will ensure that my son
A: Yes, and in fact, Crisil recently came out succeeds after me – that’s not right.
with an ESG (Environmental, Social and
Governance Support) study, and among Q: Which means you’re obviously in the
the FMCG companies, we are the top in minority right?
terms of ranking on ESG. High scorers are A: You are in the system, you have to be
mainly banks and financial institutions aware that it is not your own company,
because they don’t have any factories so but most promoters say this is my own
they don’t emit any waste into the system, company. It’s wrong. If it is a completely
and and hence have very high scores on private limited company I understand, no
environment. issue at all.
Q: What’s your view on governance levels Q: From being a family run group to
in corporate India? one run by professionals, how has the
A: A long way to go. It’s evolving. Over a transition been?
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