102 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RAJAN SANKAR

A Day in the Life of Rajan Sankar Program Direcor for Nutiton, Tata Truss

Mr Ratan N Tata, Chairman of the Tata Trusts, has made nu- trition a priority for our organization. India has enjoyed strong economic growth in recent times, and has produced many great intellectual, scientifc and technical achievements. This progress has not been refected in the nutritional status of the population as a whole, however. Malnourishment still exists on a wide scale, afecting woman and children in particular. It is too early to re- port concrete results, but we are forging important partnerships in the fght against malnutrition, especially with governmental agencies, and the early signs of progress are promising.

“We are forging important partnerships in the fght against malnutrition, and the early signs of progress are promising” Dr R Sankar, Nutrition Symposium, Delhi

SAL: Could you tell us something about the history of Tata Trusts, Sight and Life (SAL): Dr Sankar, you are Program Director and about the organization’s current focus? for Nutrition, Tata Trusts. What are your key responsibilities in this role? RS: Tata Trusts is one of India’s oldest philanthropic organiza- tions, with a history of over 125 years of service to humanity. Rajan Sankar (RS): My role involves providing technical and Its origins date back to the illustrious Jamsetji Nusserwan- operational guidance to the Trusts within the famework of the ji Tata, an Indian industrialist and philanthropist who made organization’s nutrition portfolio. I direct a small team that is his fortune in cotton and in 1879 set up Empress Mills in what responsible for converting nutrition strategy into action, making was then called Bombay ( today). Empress Mills set use of the learnings provided by other, larger programs. very high standards in worker benefits and welfare at a time Spread over 17 states and 172 districts in India, Tata Trusts when humanitarian concern for workers was unheard of, even are focused on seven strategic work areas: health; water; edu- in the west. cation; urban poverty alleviation; rural uplifment; energy; and In 1912, became the frst company to introduce arts, crafs & culture. Programs supported by the Trusts reach pioneering labor welfare policies such as fee medical aid; out to millions of households through an efcient network of the formation of a Works Committee for handling complaints more than 450 partner organizations. concerning service conditions and grievances; paid leave; a SIGHT AND LIFE | VOL. 31(2) | 2017 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RAJAN SANKAR 103

During a feld survey in Sikkim

worker’s provident fnd scheme; and a workmen’s accident SAL: Prior to joining Tata Trusts, you worked for GAIN, UNICEF, compensation scheme. In 1919 – the year afer the death of Sir the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), and the Indian Army Medical – the Sir Ratan Tata Trust was set up, in accordance Corps. Could you tell us how your career evolved? with his will. founded the , which comprises RS: I am a medical doctor by training. I joined the Indian Army marquee global enterprises such as Tata Steel, Medical Corps in 1976, working initially in a big tertiary hospi- (including ), and Tata Consultancy Services. tal in Mumbai. Afer some time in this position, I was posted to Tata Trusts holds 66% of the equity of , the principal Sikkim, a state in north-east India, as a medical expert. I found investment holding company of the group. Tata Trusts’ returns myself working in a tiny hospital in an impoverished region, with fom this holding are entirely devoted to philanthropy. As the little but a stethoscope by way of medical equipment. fourth Chairman of the Tata group, JRD Tata, memorably said, "What came fom the people has gone back to the people many times over.” Our Chairman, Mr Ratan N Tata, who led the Tata group fom 1991 to 2012, believes that to augment the impact of our work, we must pursue important causes that are good for India as a whole.

“A large share of the profts made by Tata is ploughed back into society via philanthropic Dr Sankar (dark suit, center) with Board Members of initiatives” GAIN in Andhra Pradesh, India 104 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RAJAN SANKAR

Launch of a fortifed wheat four program in Rajasthan, India. Marc Van Ameringen (right), formerly Executive Director of GAIN, and Dr Gupta, Director of the Institute of Health Management Research, Rajasthan (lef).

I noticed signs of iodine defciency in the local population, government established a thyroid research center for Sikkim, whose local diet was lacking in naturally occurring sources of along with a salt iodization program. In the ensuing decade, this iodine (Sikkim is landlocked, and the nearest source of salt is defciency was eliminated in the local population. 2,000 km away). This lack of iodine in the diet manifested itself I then moved on to diferent felds – frst radiation biology, in terms of goiter and neurological defciencies. Having taken and then clinical thyroidology – and eventually lef the army, specialist advice in the matter, I conducted a 9-month epidemio- initially to do a six-month course in nutrition policy at Tufs Uni- logical survey of the local population, which ascertained that 56% versity in Medford, MA, USA and then to a role with Canada’s had goiter, with a cretinism rate of 5%, as well as other physical Micronutrient Initiative, where I held the position of Senior symptoms, such as deafness and muteness. The link between io- Technical Adviser South Asia. This involved frther work in the dine defciency and the health status of the population had not feld of micronutrition, with a focus especially on anemia and been understood before, but this research made it clear. vitamin A defciency, and I became responsible for a number of When the results were published, the authorities were very food fortifcation programs in Nepal and India. supportive. The army extended my tenure by two years, and the I moved on to UNICEF for a year, and was then ofered a po- sition with GAIN (the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), which was under the directorship of Marc Van Ameringen at the time. As the Regional Representative for South Asia, I es- tablished ofces in India and Bangladesh, but I also worked in Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, focusing on the fortifcation of staple foods including edible oil, milk and wheat four – 40 products across 22 countries, in fact. This was a very rich and re- warding experience for me. On reaching retirement age, I want- ed to return to clinical practice. An opportunity presented itself at Tata Trusts, which before too long developed into my current fll-time role. I feel very privileged to have this position – and I still do some clinical work in the feld of thyroidology. The fght against iodine defciency has always been impor- In an Anganwadi Center (community center) in Rajasthan tant to me, and I am now focusing on children who are born without a thyroid gland (congenital hypothyroidism). Less than SIGHT AND LIFE | VOL. 31(2) | 2017 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RAJAN SANKAR 105

10% of babies with this condition are detected in the frst month afer birth, and less than 35% in the frst three months. Every day “It is markets that counts, however! And so I’m now involved setting up a network to encourage screening for signs of iodine defciency by hospi- must help to solve the problem tals and mothers across India. of malnutrition”

SAL: As an Indian concerned with the wellbeing of some of the less advantaged sections of society, what is your view of the SAL: Could you tell us something about your working day? Do you concept of the “Base of the Pyramid” as formulated by have such a thing as a “normal” working day? And what are the C K Prahalad in 2004? things that you most enjoy about your work today?

RS: Big business today is very successfl at reaching the higher RS: I usually have an idea of how my day should go, but it rarely echelons of society, but is still failing to meet the needs of the works out according to plan! There is so much to do on so many people who live at the base of the economic pyramid. Although fonts. I’m fortunate in being able to work with many well in- they are individually poor, however, these sections of society formed young people who are passionate about what they do, have considerable collective purchasing power. I think that busi- and I also very much enjoy the travel that my work entails, which nesses should pay more attention to the Base of the Pyramid, always ofers new ideas and insights. My shif fom pure clinical and look on opportunities to meet these people’s needs as a win/ practice into public health gives me the chance to touch the lives win situation. of millions. I sometimes feel that I should be volunteering for the Companies can only be really successfl if society as a whole work I do, rather than getting paid for it! is healthy, and much more could and should be done in this area. We’ve come a long way in the past ten years, with growing ur- SAL: Many thanks, Dr Sankar, and good luck banization and more and more women in the workforce, and the with all your new ventures. private sector plays an increasingly important part in our lives. It is markets that must help to solve the problem of malnutrition RS: Thank you. – markets that deliver afordable food with improved nutritional content for the poorest and more vulnerable sections of society. Dr Rajan Sankar was interviewed by Jonathan Stefen

At the Micronutrient Forum 2016 – Elevator Pitch Contest Participants and Jury