The Matteratti

Martin Sorrell,CEO of the WPP group,that has amassed the largest media buying group in the world,was the special guest and the chief speaker. He was in conversation with adman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi; Uday Shankar,CEO of Star India,and Gupta. Asked by Joshi why his company was so keen on India compared to other nations,Sorrell talked of the “rebranding of India” as he sees it now,through democratic dilemmas,the changing might of its middle class,business leadership and cultural power.

Large sections of the Delhi matteratti turned up. There were diplomats,socialites,artists,culture experts,politicians and advertising honchos who converged to listen in. Deep-hued drapes,power suits and smart casuals drenched the monsoon evening with their finesse,as an array of dressy small bites came escorted by wine. Among the many guests were Chinese Ambassador to India,Zhang Yan; heart surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan with writer wife Madhu Trehan; Fabindia matriarch Bim Bisell; Minister for Railways,Dinesh Trivedi; Rajya Sabha MP,NK Singh; MP Jay Panda with wife Jaggi; designer Raghavendra Rathore; Kalyani Saha,VP communications Christian Dior India; and Pooja Jain,executive director of Luxor.

“Comparisons between India and China have become part of conversations these days. Sometimes they are not fair. Both India and China are strong nations,both have their own strengths and challenges,their own traditional wisdom to guide them. I don’t think the two countries need any advice from outsiders on how to maintain their relationship,” said Yan,when the inevitable India-China comparisons cropped up. Other concerns surfaced soon enough. Deep-rooted corruption,the Anna Hazare movement,India’s business climate and the media and middle class’s transformations warmed the buzz. In Prasoon Joshi’s words: “Earlier,the world was not divided between performers and audiences. Interactions were participative and everyone was a performer. The new media is bringing that democracy and equality back.” That’s why Express Adda.