“As my degree progressed, I increasingly realized the dramatic impact that businesses can have on driving positive change in the world and on improving lives.”
Varun Banthia, a recent graduate from the Sauder School of Business, UBC, wants to use his degree in Commerce to drive positive change in the world. “During my BCom, I was able to explore this idea in a variety of ways,” explains Banthia, who has spent a significant amount of time researching business and its various avenues in multiple countries. “I started at Sauder in 2012, just a few months after that year’s Libor Scandal and Occupy Wall Street protests.
I, like many others at that time, questioned the ability of businesses to operate ethically, let alone in a manner that would actually lead to mass benefit.” But with his in-depth academic experiences and interaction with global corporations, he was able to map out practices with the help of which he would be able contribute to a wider society. “Commerce is undoubtedly the best mechanism to drive positive social change.”
In India, he had the opportunity of interning with Reliance Industries. In Banthia’s words, the internship allowed him “to see how international businesses were motivated to innovate and tailor their products to the markets they served in order to create greater value for local consumers.” At home in Canada, he was chosen to be a member of the school’s exclusive Commerce Scholars Program. Here he undertook academic research exploring the socio-economic reasons behind excessive alcohol consumption. He continued his research on alcohol consumption and wine management in his exchange program to France. With UBC’s Social Enterprise Club, Banthia worked with entrepreneurs and studied about social issues. “As my degree progressed, I increasingly realized the dramatic impact that businesses can have on driving positive change in the world and on improving lives.”
Born and raised in Vancouver, Banthia has lived in Singapore, Belgium, Japan, France and India for extended periods of time. Amongst the several projects that Banthia has been part of, he describes his research project in IIM, Gujarat, India, as one that stands apart. The project was funded by Mitacs Canada, and studied business cluster formation in Gujarat. “On this five-month trip, I was able to engage with Indians from a wide variety of backgrounds, travel to far-flung states like Sikkim, and work closely with government officials, academics, and executives”
Another project that Banthia highlights as the most defining, is his mentorship with a First Nations woman entrepreneur who was working to establish a shuttle service on Highway 16, popularly referred to as the Highway of Tears. Banthia worked on developing a financial plan for her social enterprise. “This, to me, was such a perfect case of how a well thought out business plan implemented with discipline and control has the potential to positively impact (and perhaps even save) the lives of hundreds of at-risk individuals,” says Banthia.
Currently, Banthia works as an Internal Auditor with the Vancouver Coastal Health. “Our team looks at a variety of areas of potential improvement within the authorities, and after extensive research, we make recommendations on how to deliver better medical services for British Columbians.” Furthermore, City Council has appointed Banthia to a committee that advises the municipal government on how to make Vancouver more accessible for individuals with disabilities. Through his experience with the provincial health authorities, Banthia says he has recognized the role that government bodies play in keeping businesses in check through regulation, and in providing essential social services.
For now, Banthia is keeping himself occupied with his work at the Vancouver Coastal Health but as a long-term goal, he plans to launch a social enterprise in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “Or, I’d appreciate an opportunity to work in the wine industry – which, since my time in Bordeaux, has been a hobby of mine,” Banthia sums up.