Aspiring to be an Ecopreneur

Ecopreneur? I dismissed this term as yet another jargon when I heard it for the first time. It took me a little while to look really into the matter. As per Mr. A. Bharadwaj (Executive, Larsen & Toubro Ltd.), It is a way of being! I then took it seriously and searched for the term in a little detail. But its more about understanding then really Googling it. In a way, we must search for it within ourselves more than anywhere else.

By definition, Ecopreneur is the portmanteau of the words "Ecology" and "Enterpreneur". To say, a person who puts People and Planet above the Profit.

It is the way a person thinks or prioritize his objectives in life. It has much to do with Sustainability of the business, of the environment and of the nature that drives this thought. It is very necessary to percolate this thought in a proper way when every Tom, Dick and Harry are talking about so-called "Green Ventures".

Some questions came accross my mind when I try and ponder over these lines. First of all, What really makes the Ecopreneur different from other businessmen? or How can one claim to be an Ecopreneur?

These questions have similar answers. Firstly, it is the approach and attitude that makes the difference. The profit motivation is of course required to do the business. But making the environment sustainability a qualifying requisite is the key. Business beyond compliance is desirable. Next is empathy for the Living beings around us. Its about creating an atmosphere of Co-operation and justice. For an ecopreneur the stakeholders are not just the shareholders and Value-chain members. It is the nature, community, country and the earth.

Well the question then comes, How to achieve it? Well, to this there is no particular answer. But one thing is for sure, Applying and developing the technology in a way that makes no harm to the future is must. It may seem a hypothetical talk to start with. But every Next Best Practice seems so while inception. For our future and present it is essential that we start believing in these dreams and strive to achieve it.