Roundtables
INDIA IN FOCUS:
SNAPSHOTS OF AN EVOLVING CULTURE
29 October 2007
The Shangri-La Hotel
New Delhi, India
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| 10.00 - 10.05 | Welcome and Overview Clay Chandler, Asia Editor, FORTUNE |
| 10.05 - 10.45 | Setting the Context As India has emerged to play a significant role in the global economy, increasing attention is focused on the country itself. Arguably the world's most heterogeneous land, India defies generalization, with 18 official languages, hundreds of dialects, four major religious traditions, and ancient caste divisions. It is also a nation in the midst of monumental change. Observing this diverse society in flux, questions abound. What traditions, cultural practices, and activities have endured through India's rapid transition into a 21st-century economy and society? How have these activities evolved and shaped the country's interaction with the rest of the world? This session will create a framework for our exploration of contemporary India through the perspectives of cinema, sports, literature, and youth culture. Speaker: Shashi Tharoor, Former United Nations Undersecretary General for Communications and Public Information, and author, From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond and The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cell Phone: India, the Emerging 21st-Century Power |
| 10.45 - 11.30 | Myths and Modernity: Perspectives on India How does one describe a country defined by diversity? To what degree do Western images of "India" correspond with those perceived by Indians themselves? In this panel, Indian authors who have explored facets of their nation's culture though creative and analytical works will share perspectives on India's past, present, and future. Speakers: Ajit Balakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer, Rediff.com Shashi Deshpande, author, The Binding Vine, Matter of Time, and That Long Silence Sharad Devarajan, Co-founder and CEO, Virgin Comics LLC and Virgin Animation Pvt. Ltd. Edward Luce, Washington Bureau Chief, Financial Times, and author, In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India Moderator: Nadira Hira, Writer, FORTUNE |
| 11.30 - 12.15 | Indian Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship Indians have long valued the importance of tangible contributions to society's less fortunate. However, a growing trend is moving away from models of dependency-based assistance to those of sustainable social value based on sound business principles. This panel will discuss the history of Indian social entrepreneurship, as well as some recent success stories. Speakers: Renana Jhabvala, National Coordinator, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Varun Sahni, India Director, Acumen Fund Additional speakers to be confirmed. Moderator: Julie Schlosser, Associate Editor, FORTUNE |
| 12.15 - 13.30 | Luncheon |
| 13.30 - 14.15 | Caught Out? What Indian Cricket Can Teach the World's Biggest Companies About Doing Business in India, and What They May Teach Indian Cricket Cricket is the single great uniting interest of India, and perhaps the first global business in which the nation has become the dominant economic force. With endorsement and sponsorship deals topping $100 million over five years, the Indian cricket team is one of the world's most valuable sport franchises. However, historically there have been significant frictions around coaches hired from abroad and the way the game is managed in India. What lessons can multinationals in India and corporate India learn from Indian cricket's interactions with foreign managers? Are the areas of conflict personal or cultural? What has been successful? Is Indian cricket the last protected industry in the country? Speakers: Harsha Bhogle, Cricket Commentator, NDTV Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Limited India Board Bharat Puri, Regional Commerical Strategy Director, Cadbury Schweppes Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Additional speakers to be confirmed. Moderator: Simon Robinson, South Asia Bureau Chief, Time Magazine |
| 14.15 - 15.00 | What Is It About Bollywood? The output of the India film industry is the world's largest both in terms of films produced and tickets sold. Homegrown films dominate so completely that Hollywood productions account for only 5% of the local market. What makes the Hindi language film industry so vibrant? Can Hollywood compete? How has Bollywood's portrayal of Indian culture influenced international perceptions? Speaker: Amit Khanna, Chairman, Reliance Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Dan Glickman, President and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) Additional speaker to be confirmed. Moderator: Richard Siklos, Editor, FORTUNE |
| 15.00 - 16.00 | Our India: Reflections of Rising Stars India's younger generations are poised to become the country's primary drivers of change in coming years. What are their ambitions and inspirations? Have values and goals shifted significantly from those of previous decades? In an era marked by rapid growth in personal consumption, how do young Indians perceive their world, its future, and their responsibilities therein? |
| 15.00 - 15.20 |
The first part of this final session offers candid interviews two of India's younger members of Parliament. Speakers: Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Member of Parliament, Guna B.J. Panda, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha |
| 15.20 - 16.00 | The conclusion presents a rare opportunity for national and global business executives to hear first-hand from the latest generation—18-21 year olds—representing the demographic majority in India. How ready are you to deal with this new generation as consumers? Joining your workforce? What are their aspirations and dreams and how are they different from children raised in the pre-liberalization era? Moderator: Barkha Dutt, Managing Editor, NDTV 24x7 |
| 16.00 | Adjournment Clay Chandler, Asia Editor, FORTUNE |
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CONFIRMED ROUNDTABLE SPEAKERS |
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Ajit BalakrishnanChairman & Managing Director Rediff.com India Limited |
Harsha BhogleCricket Commentator ESPN STAR Sports |
Clay ChandlerAsia Editor FORTUNE |
Shashi DeshpandeAuthor A Matter of Time |
Sharad DevarajanChief Executive Officer Virgin Comics / Virgin Animation |
Dan GlickmanChairman and CEO Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) |
Nadira HiraWriter FORTUNE |
Ed LuceWashington Bureau Chief Financial Times |
BJ PandaMember of Parliament Government of India |
Piyush PandeyExecutive Chairman & National Creative Director Ogilvy & Mather Limited |
Simon RobinsonSouth Asia Bureau Chief Time Magazine |
Varun SahniIndia Director Acumen Fund |
Shri Jyotiraditya Madhavrao ScindiaMember of Parliament Government of India |
Shashi TharoorAuthor, India From Midnight to the Millenium, Former Under Secretary General for Communications and Public Information United Nations |
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Confirmed speakers not pictured above: Rashmi Bansal, Editor, Publisher and Co-founder, JAM Magazine Rajjat A. Barjatya, Managing Director, Rajshri.com Barkha Dutt, Managing Editor, NDTV 24x7 Renana Jhabvala, Coordinator and Member, Executive Committee, Self-Employed Women's Association Amit Khanna, Chairman, Reliance Entertainment Alok Prasad, Business Manager- Microfinance Group, Citi India Bharat Puri, Regional Commercial Strategy Director, Cadbury Schweppes Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Vijay Sairam, Infosys Technologies Ltd. Julie Schlosser, Associate Editor, FORTUNE Richard Siklos, Editor, FORTUNE Uday Singh, CEO, SPE Films India Pvt. Ltd. 
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