Kurian John Melamparambil
| Kurian John Melamparambil | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tiruvalla, Kottayam, Kerala, India |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, humanitarian |
| Spouse(s) | Sujatha |
| Children | Divya, Dhanya |
| Parent(s) | Varghese John Leelamma |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Kurian John Melamparambil is an Indian humanitarian, philanthropist and entrepreneur from Kerala. He is the founder of the MVJ Charities[1] and the MVJ Foods.[2] He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2010, for his services to the social cause, with the fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.[3]
Contents
Biography
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Humanitarianism is not charity, says Kurian John, but is a moral and social obligation of each and every individual and institution[4][5]
Kurian John was born in Tiruvalla, a central Kerala town in Kottayam, India, to Varghese John, a local businessman and Leelamma, as the second of theor three sons. After schooling, Kurian graduated in Economics from the Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram and secured his master's degree in social work (MSW) from the Indore School of Social Work.[6]
On his return to Kerala, he joined the Malayala Manorama group, in 1980, as the head of Personnel and Administration department, and got married to Sujatha, a year later, in September 1981. The couple has two daughters, Divya and Dhanya.[6]
Melam group and social service
His father's death, for want of immediate medical assistance, on 28 May 1978, had a major impact on Kurian John's life. This prompted him to set up a charity, primarily aimed at bringing medical assistance to the needy and the poor and the result was Melamparambil Varghese John Memorial Charities (MVJ Charities)[1] which was registered as a charitable trust on 10 September 1986.[7] During the initial years, activities were limited due to paucity of funds.[6]
Soon after he left his job to return to his family business, he started looking for opportunitites to augment his income so that his dream of an effective charitable activity could be taken up. During a visit to Singapore Food Festival, he embarked on the idea of starting a business in the food industry. Thus was the origin of MVJ Foods[2] in 1992. He brought in the matriarch of hospitality industry, Padma Shri Thangam Philip,[8] as the brand ambassador of the firm and launched products under the brand name, Melam. It was an instant success and the brand now markets 151 products of which 50 are marketed in India and the rest, exported to various countries.[6][9] The brand is recognised as a leading name and has been awarded multiple times.[10]
The success and money Melam brought in helped MVJ charities in a big way. The objectives were redrawn with the primary focus to make available medical assistance to the needy and the corollary activities as to provide scholarships, food, clothing and housing for dependents of the patients and to conduct regular free medical camps. The Trust now has a set system which networks it with 925 hospitals across the state which gives medical assistance on a 30-day credit basis which are paid by the Trust. About 125,000 patients have been said to have received assistance from the Trust.[6][11][12]
Awards and recognitions
Kurian John Melamparambil has been honoured with several awards and recognitions during his career.[10]
Personal awards and recognitions
- Padma Shri – 2010[3][7]
- For the Sake of Honor Award – the Rotary Club International – 2011[10]
- Humanitarian Millennium Award – International YMCA – South West Region[10][13]
- Excellence Award – Lion's Club International – 2003 and 2004[10][13]
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work – Cosmopolitan University, Missouri, USA[10][13]
- Sree Gokulam Excellence Award – 2003[10][13]
- Outstanding Social Worker Award – Sri Sankaracharya Educational Trust, Kaladi, Kerala[10]
- Honorary Doctor of Humanity – Emmanuel Mission International, Kota – 2004[10]
- Janaseva Deshiya Puraskaram – Mahatma Gandhi International Charities Trust, Kerala – 2003[10]
- JCI Award – Indian Junior Chamber- 1994[10]
- Athuraseva Ratnam Award – Gandhibhavan International Trust – 2008[10]
- Adv. Mammen Mathai MLA Award – Merchant's Association, Kochi – 2009[10]
- Times of India Excellence in Business Award – Times of India Group – 2009[10]
- Rhema Foundation International Award – Rhema Foundation International[14] – 2010[10]
- Karmakeerthi Puraskaram – Kalanidhi Centre for Arts, Culture and Research, Trivandrum – 2012[10]
- Voice of Gulf Returnees Excellence Award – 2012[10]
- Best Citizens of India Award – the Best Citizens of India, New Delhi – 1998[10]
Awards for Melam Group
- Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year 1997 – the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.[7][13]
- Outstanding Performance in Exports – the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India – 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97[10]
- Goldstar Millennium Award – Global Economic Council, New Delhi[10][13]
- Rashtriya Ratan Award – 1999[10]
- Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year – 1998 – Berchmans Institute of Management Studies, M G University, Kottayam, Kerala
- Gold Star Award – The Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi – 1994[10]
- Bharat Vikas Excellence Award – the Council for National Development, New Delhi – 1997[10]
- Niryat Ratan Award – Indian Council for Small and Medium Exporters, New Delhi – 1994[10]
- Udyog Ratna Award – the Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi.[10]
- International Gold Star Award – Business Initiative Directions, Spain – 2007[10]
- Vocational Excellence Award – Rotary Club, Alappuzha – 2007[10]
Works
Kurian John has published a memoirs, which narrates his life through business and charity.[15]
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References
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- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20 10.21 10.22 10.23 10.24 10.25 10.26 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
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