ISB Hyderabad Holds First Media Conclave

ISB Hyderabad Holds First Media Conclave - Drishticon

Rajeev Sawhney, President, Reliance Entertainment, said that the current generation of Indians were free from guilt, pity and self-deprecation, which the earlier generations were party to, and were representative of Brand India. "Brand India is a myth, perpetuated by the media," he said.

Brand India, according to him, was an acronym of BBB - Bollywood, Bangalore and Bhatia (NRI making it good abroad). "24% of newspaper coverage and 31% on television is the share of Bollywood gossip. Three fourth of all international media about India reports is about outsourcing and fear of loss of jobs. The other fixation for the media is the NRIs. That's what I call as the Bhatias. The latest fixation being Laxmi Mittal," he said.

Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Ex-Deputy Editor, Business World, spoke about his scepticism regarding the term Brand India. "It is the success of micro units and the goodwill created by hundreds of entrepreneurs and ordinary Indians. That is Brand India," he said. He urged the Indian business media to stop celebrating national greatness and promoting or running down a brand. He asked them to highlight and assess the risks involved.

Khozem Merchant, Business Director, Financial Times, was the moderator for the esteemed panel, which saw huge participation from the packed audience. In the end, Drishticon 2006, succeeded in being the Media Club's first open conference aimed at creating a discussion forum.

Concluded.

Contributed by -
Ms. Bhuvana Ramalingam,
Director - Communications,
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

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