Work Travels in Delhi and Maharashtra

 We had a rather hectic week, first at an admission fair in Pragati Maidan, Delhi. We met a few prospective students and counseled them to apply to Prestige University, for an MBA or 5 year IMP. That's a BBA plus MBA.

Then, we met a few corporates, among whom was Ms. Silky Mittal of Nestle, who is on our advisory board. 

That's her, in the pic above. She's a Category Head in Foods. Was in charge of Digital Marketing/E commerce earlier. An alum of IIM Calcutta. We also met some alums of Jaipuria, NOIDA, where my Dean worked earlier and Prof. JD Singh had been the founding director. JD Singh was our Marketing prof. at IIMB. Pic below with Vasundhara and Gaurav Tripathi, at BN group, which is into Agri-products.

We then moved to Pune, and met Barclays HR team at Kharadi, and visited a couple of Agricultural colleges in Nagar and Nashik. More on these later.

Ads We Made in 1984

I joined an ad agency, New Horizons, in Delhi after my MBA from IIMB in 1984. The same year, a group of entrepreneurs decided to start an amusement park at Pragati Maidin  in Delhi. We got the contract to make print ads for this Indian Disneyland (albeit a small one) called Appu Ghar, Appu being the mascot for the Asian Games 1982. I found a couple of those ads and am putting them out for your exclusive 'amusement'-
I think entry was Rs.2, and then separate fees for rides.

Pragati Maidan and the Exhibition

There is something about a mela-an exhibition- that Indians can't get enough of. The turnout on Sunday, when I chose to visit the annual exhibition at Pragati Maidan, was unbelievable. I stood in a line that was really long to get in, after standing in one to buy a ticket- not cheap, 80 rupees on a weekend. But was it a sellout. They actually stop selling tickets in the afternoon, because there are too many people inside.

Once inside, it is a rainbow of colours, people, stalls, and,..you guessed it...FOOD. There is so much food inside of all types that you can't get enough of the sights and smells. Of curse, it is overpriced and not as good as some of the specialty joints in town, but there is enormous variety. But why talk of food?

There is plenty more, and some of the stalls I visited always had something on offer for everyone. Clothing of all kinds, in particular. The huge crowds on that day made it tough to savour things at a slow pace (my preferred pace) but still, it is an experience to be there. Glimpses into the arts and crafts of all our states is a great benefit of visiting this one, and that is available in plenty. One can only marvel at how much we don't know about our own country and its people. Ignorance zindabad!