A student at ISB, she is the daughter of Kailash Satyarthi, this year’s recipient of the honour

This year’s Nobel Prize has a remote link to Hyderabad. Not that Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has anything to do with the city, but his daughter, Asmita Satyarthi, does.

A student at the Indian School of Business (ISB) here, Asmita is pursuing a MBA with Strategy as her major.

Overjoyed

“I am overjoyed by the news and happy that I was part of my father’s activities since my childhood,” the 28-year-old exclaimed in a chat.

She chose ISB given its stature and quality, and is figuring out how businesses can be extremely powerful in bringing about social change. “In a way, what I am studying here is connected to what my father has been into for so many years,” Asmita said.

Her father is obviously her idol and she is deeply influenced by him. “He was involved in so many activities and as a kid it was but natural that I was influenced,” she said.

Life, however, was not all rosy. The family was attacked several times for saving children from traffickers, and this forced the family to send Asmita to the United States for her undergraduate studies. The University of Iowa accepted her with open arms understanding the circumstances she came from.

Later, she worked for Ernst and Young, a global consultancy company.

“I was desperate to do an MBA to add value to my work and interests, and chose ISB,” said Asmita. She is also a passionate Kathak dancer and has performed at many national and international platforms.

Much before her father attained international recognition, Asmita did – when she delivered a speech in the US Congress in 1996 when she was only 10.

‘Greater responsibility’
She agrees that the responsibility on her father has increased enormously now. But not only as a doting daughter, but also as an admirer of his work, she intends to follow his footsteps.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by R. Ravikanth Reddy / Hyderabad – October 12th, 2014