Mr Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Sr. Vice President, United Breweries Ltd

Marketing mogul Mr Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Sr. Vice President, United Breweries Ltd. captured the hearts of his audience with his signature  charm and oratory. He instantly struck a chord with the audience when he spoke on the issue of traffic in Bangalore. Sheikhawat anticipated more infrastructural challenges in the days to come. Recounting his MBA days, he said they were exposed  mostly to American management case studies such as IBM, General Electrical etc. However, present  generation studies  both- the Indian contextual scenario along with the western world. And that is better.

Life is a marathon not sprint, said the marketer  hence should be planned and played accordingly. Shifting the focus on excellence, he believed that it sprouted from repetition (practice). He shared his conviction about excelling in a single skill rather than being ‘jack of all trades’. Eric Clapton, the great musician, according to him, was a classic example of the same.It is important to remain focused on one’s goal. In the same line of thought he mentioned cricketer ,Rahul Dravid with whom he had worked with  during the making of Pepsi Campaign only to become good friends later. Rahul is known to give himself over completely to the task at hand. As of now he is completely into training the under-19 team.

Also he underlined the importance of prioritizing things in one’s career, which definitely needs to be nurtured and settled before one makes the

Sheikhawat with the Students

marital commitment. And definitely people should  spend  time with their families. He requested the audience to read the poem ‘Sunscreen’ – his favourite. The marketer said – whether we are 50 or 60 years old – we should have a heart like that of a 35 year old, youthful and enthusiastic.

Also he spoke of respecting and celebrating the cultural differences. In corporate world you would be working amidst these. He advised the students not to fear failure but to learn from it.

He asked the students to broaden their horizon. To have a variety of experience and learn from everything in life – read, travel and cinema. They should never say no to new experiences.

Mr Abhijit Bansod, Founder ABD Studio

The second speaker of the day, Mr Abhijit Bansod, Founder ABD Studio amplified the all pervasiveness of design, and said he could the see the same  everywhere. Another  point he was emphatic about was the  need to value one’s roots. We should be discreet  in what we borrow (learn) from the western world. It has a strong prevalence in space of design thinking and we seem to be influenced by the same but even Indian culture offer us a lot in the context. Certain attitudinal traits like discipline, professionalism & dedication can definitely be learnt from them. However, there is an immense opportunity to learn from our Indian culture.

Speaking about the cultural influence on design he cited the examples of finest design products created by Apple and Tesla.

Design may have different connotations for different people. He told the audience how he was inspired by the– Step-well concept and architecture of the country. Later it became the inspiration for the new Mandala Collection of watches by Titan Ltd. Later the brand went on to incorporate motifs picked up from legends and mythology in its new launches.

He shared his disappointment over the upkeep and aesthetics of the public places. He pointed out the grandeur, vastness and design of the places made during the British Raj. It can be one of the reasons why the public today seek that expansiveness and grandeur in places like malls. Ideally it should be part of everyday life, hence all the set ups should have been planned accordingly.

He also briefly touched upon the Bat of Honour – designed to felicitate the great batsman – Sachin Tendulkar, which is installed at Carter Road,  Mumbai. He also appreciated the design culture and art adopted by companies such as Fab India, Urban Ladder which strive to produce contemporary product and are ethnic. According to Abhijit,  every design tells a story and we all are storytellers.

Third Session of the day was with  Shadow-artist Prahlad Acharya. Acharya retraced his journey to the world of Magic and Shadow play art. Also his act of Shadow play left the audience spellbound.It was based on popular stories for children.

Prof Mohan Chandra with Shadow artist Prahlad Acharya

According to Prahlad, we are children in our heart, we all love stories. The background music and shadow play act captured the heart and minds of the audience. The second act was based on – ‘ Miley  Sur Mera Hamara’…..the shadow magic. It  was captivating.

Mr Nakul Shenoy who had addressed the student earlier  in the fortnight was on campus with Acharya.  In his brief talk Prahlad said, he deeply admires Mr. Amar Sen, the renowned Shadow play artist and considers him the best in the country. The simplicity and humility of Acharya and his shadow art magic touched the hearts of the audience.

Mind reader Nakul Shenoy and Shadow artist Prahlad Acharya