Vikram Akula SKS Microfinance

Throughout his career as a philanthropist and social entrepreneur in India, Vikram Akula has emerged as a leader in international microfinance and one of the most influential businessmen in India. After graduating from Tufts University with a bachelor of arts in philosophy and English, Mr. Akula started his career as a community organizer with the rural Indian nonprofit group known as the Deccan Development Society. Following several years as a poverty and development researcher with the World Watch Institute in Washington, D.C., Vikram Akula received a Fulbright Scholarship to implement a microloan program for impoverished farmers in rural India.

In 1997, Mr. Akula founded SKS Microfinance, a nonprofit organization that provided quality microloan services to millions of women throughout rural regions in India. During its early years, SKS Microfinance distributed loans with values ranging from 50 to 250 USD. These loans allowed women to expand their businesses and boost their incomes. To qualify for a loan, candidates were required to participate in a financial literacy program and conduct weekly meetings with SKS Microfinance representatives. In 2005, Mr. Akula transformed the company to a for-profit entity, which gave the company the funding to expand its operations to reach millions more people across India.

Vikram Akula holds a seat on the board of the Bodhi Educational Society, an education advocacy group in India. He also served on the board of De-Worm the World, which expands school-based deworming programs by supporting development partners and governments. Vikram Akula holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago and is the author of A Fistful of Rice: My Unexpected Quest to End Poverty Through Profitability.