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Sabu M Jacob

Mr. Sabu M Jacob is the managing director of the Rs 12 billion Kitex Garments, a leading exporter of children's wear from India and supplier to several international brands. Kitex Garments was recently listed by the Forbes Magazine as 'Forbes Asia 200 Best under a billion'category. Twenty20 is the development initiative funded by Kitex with the main intent to develop Kizhakkambalam, the village where the company is based, to be the best village in India by the year 2020.

Development of the village is being carried out under 15 thematics - from housing and potable water to women and child nutrition, schools and FTTH. Sabu Jacob is the chief coordinator of the Twenty20 initiative and personally oversees its entire activities, including conducting one-to-one interaction with every citizen of the village to redress their grievances. Twenty20 has been lauded as the need of the times - where corporates play a pivotal role in social development. The programme which started in 2013 has now entered a very crucial phase - one that of sustainability. The Twenty20 model of development is a highly scalable and replicable model which can be emulated not just in India but elsewhere in the world too.

Biography
Sabu M Jacob joined the Kitex Group under the tutelage of his father, renowned industrialist, the late Mr MC Jacob at a very young age. His early days on the factory floor were immense learning experience for him where he learnt the dignity of labour and the nuances of handling employees across categories. Today at the helm of Kitex Garments, Sabu, along with his brother Bobby, has grown the company into a $12 billion behemoth and the top exporter of garments from Kerala and among the top three in the infant wear manufacturers in the world. The company supplies to some of the largest brands globally and has recently made its foray into the American market with Little Stars and Lamaze, a premium kids wear brand.

For more details about the programme, visit www.2020kizhakkambalam.com