An entrepreneur who takes the path less trodden

KOCHI: Kurian John Melamparambil – a philanthropist who started a company to fund his charitable activities. The chairman and managing director of Melam Group, he has spent more than Rs 15 crore for Melam Charities in the last 25 years.
"I spend around 50 per cent of my income from the companies on my charitable activities. Corporate social responsibility is humanitarianism, not charity.It is the social and moral obligation of each and every individual and institution", he clarifies his view on social responsibility.
Kurian first started his charitable activities by spending a part of his salary while working for a media firm in Kochi and made it a formal establishment named ‘Melamparambil Varghese John Memorial Charities’ (Melam Charities) in 1986. "Six years later, in order to fund my company, I started Melam Group, a firm involved in the production of flavourings", he says.
With his market spreading across 20 countries, he sponsors the treatment of patients in 910 hospitals in the state When he registered the charity, he initially funded a yoga class for 50 and over the time, his annual spending for the charity has gone up to Rs 1.5 crore.
Kurian is now planning to find more funding for his charities through finding sponsors from ‘Melam Charities Club’, that is to be launched in the Middle East countries soon.
This entrepreneur with a noble cause continues his non-stop journey in search of more and more ways, to make his
initiatives reach more
number of people.