The 36th meeting was held for a change, first- time at a club venue, in aptly called, “Stroke-side” function- room of 147-year old rowing club of Chennai.
The meeting featured newly set-up UKIBC’s British Business Centre at Bangalore and in Gurgoan/ Connaught Place at Delhi. UK India Business Council promotes UK-India trade and business, facilitating trade through B2B dialogue and offers services of business centres. Arun Naranyan-Director, presented his centre and services at Bangalore followed by Rohit Singh from Delhi who heads market entry and research for new businesses from UK. UKIBC has been established in London since 2007, with UKTI funding
Company presentation of our member, Anand and Anand was presented by Shaan Katari Libby, Senior Associate covering Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and setting out her firm’s offerings
Earlier, the Chairman spoke about the relevance and value of brands, both in India and world-wide (top 100 valued at US$2.6 trillion) The big guru in the religion of branding was UK’s Wally Olins (passed away in April 2014). His key insight – brands are integral and long-term to any strategy for products and services. Two truths recognised by Olins about our materialistic modern economy – first, most precious resource is people’s attention and second, consumers are not looking just for utility – they look for meaning (in absence of real spirituality, forget religion). The idea of what a brand stands for is a great substitute – like Nike’s Just do It!
The formal meeting was followed by lively fellowship amongst 50+ attendees joined by our Patron, Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner over club-fare / wines & beers
On 8th August 2014, the BBG Goa membership hosted a touching farewell to their President, Beryl Nasse who had been the mainstay of this Group since inception in 2007.
Beryl had brought together the small resident British community in Goa with some UK related business folks. She had created relations with the Goa Chamber and local business community as also with two business incubation centres.
She had for some years served as BDHC’s Warden in Goa and one of her big achievements was the 1st mobile UK Visa Unit. She was also great at organising the very first BBG National Conference in Goa (while undergoing chemotherapy).
Beryl had also got Chennai to bring a delegation into Goa as a first useful Inter-BBG meeting with Goa Chamber and other business interactions.
Our Christie Cherian and Ravi Kumar who both got to know her well were present at the event. Christie spoke of how she brought a bit of England and a sense of English-ness to a part of India which had been a Portugese colony for 400+ years. All our thoughts and prayers go with her as she leaves for UK mid-August.
