Follow the Buddha

Is this old wine being put in new bottles or a path-breaking venture only time will tell, but a keen eye needs to be kept on the Confederation of Indian Industries’ new initiative in the south — Village Buddha. Launched last fortnight in Attibele village, on the outskirts of Bangalore, it has companies such as TVS, Tata, Godrej and Kirloskar involved. The idea is to skill teams that will conceive, plan and execute village improvement projects along with the state and central governments. Alongside, the companies will explore new business opportunities in the villages that will, in turn, generate jobs locally.