From "Mewa" Leadership to "Sewa" Leadership, Embracing Purpose Beyond Profit

Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness within us. This festival is a great opportunity to ask ourselves: what truly matters, and what can we do to make a difference?

Traditionally, "Mewa" reminds us of Diwali gifts—sometimes simply dried fruits, sometimes extravagant items or cash intended to gain favor. Leaders have long used this transactional approach to build influence. But today, as climate change and pollution threaten our future, is this enough? What if we shifted from "Mewa" to "Sewa"—a form of leadership centered on service, sustainability, and positive impact?

One inspiring example of this shift is The Oxygen Factory at Volvo Eicher’s Bhopal Plant. This initiative goes beyond profit motives to create a tangible environmental impact. Through reforestation and sustainable practices, it stands as a model of climate-conscious leadership. Mr. Ishtiayk Ahamad of Give Me Trees Trust, who has been advising the plant management, shares that this initiative sets a benchmark in India, featuring a 5.2 crore liter lake on 3.5 acres within the plant and the planting of 55,000 trees.

The Oxygen Factory not only improves green cover and generates oxygen for neighboring communities but also fosters a profound sense of pride among employees. Each team member is personally involved—from providing seeds to nurturing a nursery and planting trees, with each person caring for a specific tree. Environmental stewardship becomes a rewarding, personal commitment.

This impact has extended beyond the workplace, as employees’ families have joined in, learning about composting bio-waste and planting trees in their communities. The shift from “Mewa” to “Sewa” is more than a corporate initiative; it’s a movement that builds awareness and nurtures a legacy of well-being.

Key questions to guide this transformation:

• Can we replicate models like the Oxygen Factory to benefit our environment?
• How can we redefine our roles as custodians of a healthier planet?
• Are our actions building a future we’ll be proud to pass on?

If we all adopt similar practices, prioritizing service to the planet over short-term gains, we can build a legacy that supports both people and the environment.

Diki Bhutia Ashwani Khurana Akhilesh Joshi Peepal Baba Ishtiyak Ahamad Sudhir Banerjee Mohit Kumar Sudeep Dev Vinod Aggarwal Arun Jain Prasad Kaipa Anil Sachdev Raghu Ananthanarayanan Mia Aittola Natasha Dalmia Rekha Nair Ravi Gilani Prashant Sharma

#DiwaliReflections #SewaLeadership #OxygenFactory #ClimateAction #SustainableFuture #CommunityImpact