NEW DELHI (Business Standard), January 22, 2008:
Grey Goose Vodka, the Bacardi Martini’s premium brand has now decided to spread smiles and mirth to a section of people through a mode other than alcohol: Charity. As its first corporate social responsibility initiative in the country, Bacardi Martini India, in cooperation with Habiart foundation, organised a charity art auction last week to raise funds for HelpAge India to enable older people live a life of dignity.
"This is our first charity initiative in India. Our role is of a facilitator. Through the art auction, we have just provided a platform for raising funds for HelpAge India. The event will help us raise around rupees one crore for the NGO," said Mahesh Madhavan, president and CEO, Bacardi Martini India Ltd.
HelpAge India, on its part, has lined up plans to utilise the funds raised through the auction. "We will share the funds with the artists on a 50:50 basis. Our funds will go for two causes. Firstly, we are planning to open more old age homes and secondly, we are eyeing palliative care," said Mathew Cherian, chief executive, HelpAge India.
"We are planning to open a home for retired sex workers in Kolkata by February this year and a dimensia home in Patna. We will also utilise the money for expansion of the Tsunami destitute victim's home that we started at Cuddalore last November. Each project will cost around Rs 2 core. The idea is to go into the specialised frontiers of care," he added.
He said palliative care aims at elderly people who are terminally ill and do not have the support mechanism for medical care. “We have launched the projects in three districts each of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Later on, it will spread across India,” he said.
Speaking on the initiatives shown by Bacardi Martini India, he said, “It is quite commendable, as old age is a low priority area for corporate houses.” Habiart Foundation has been involved in the promotion of contemporary Indian art since 1989.
Q&A: Mahesh Madhavan, CEO, Bacardi
What are your CSR plans?
We will organise more such events. We will form a foundation with the help on a non government organisation (NGO). We are looking at areas like wildlife and the elderly people.
What is the budget for the CSR initiative?
Our budget for the initiative will be around a couple of crores (two million rupees) in 2008-2009.
What will be the model of your CSR initiative?
We will basically play the role of a facilitator. We will just raise funds for our partner NGOs through events like these. In future, we may also raise money through cuisine auction, fashion, designer shows etc. Art will be the common thing in whatever we do.
How do you see the contradiction of being a liquor company and taking initiatives for the welfare of the society?
This company has dwelt on responsible drinking. Whether in the ads, sales promotion, we have a marketing code of conduct. We make sure that the ads are not appealing to the people aged under-18. Also, we will kick-off an ad campaign with Michael Schumacher in March. The point that will be conveyed through the ad is that champions don’t mix drinking and driving.
By Ashutosh Kumar
Business Standard Ltd. Copyright
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BOSTON, USA (The Boston Globe), January 20, 2008:
Stags Just Want to Have Fun: Newlywed David Berkowitz of Boston bid adieu to his single days in Sin City. Last June he and 11 old friends from across the country descended on Vegas, where they spent four days gambling, enjoying "a parade of lap dances" from scantily clad women in strip clubs, and drinking Grey Goose vodka until dawn. But they also relaxed around the hotel pool and went to a rap concert.....One boozy night at a strip club is increasingly being replaced by long-weekend bachelor parties where men play, eat, bond, and maybe even sip wine.....
Extract from an article on Weddings Illustration by Katy LeMay
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Still Life
NEW DELHI (Express India), January 22, 2008:
It’s the great interest everybody suddenly has in art that brought us back together,” explains Mathew Cherian, Chief Executive of Help Age, about the event Art for Aged, where Help Age is working with the Habiart Foundation after 12 years.
An exhibition of paintings of 90 acclaimed Indian artists and a charity auction was held at The Oberoi recently. The proceeds would go towards the palliative care project of HelpAge India and a small commission would be paid to the artists as well.
Famous art works like Sunil Das’s “petrified” Horse and Pakistani artist Iqbal Hussain’s enticingly voluptuous woman went under the hammer, alongside works by Gopi Gajwani, Jamini Roy and Gogi Saroj Pal.
“The total net worth of paintings exhibited is around Rs 42 Million (4.2 Crore). Through this auction, the foundation should rake in Rs 10 Million (1 crore),” says Rekha Mody, an organizer at the event. The prices of the art works ranged from Rs 70,000 to Rs 3,000,000.
“There are plenty of high net worth individuals who like to invest in art for speculation,” says Punam Singh, Honorary Counsel for Helpage India. No wonder that by noon, around 100 online bids were registered.
Noticeable among the art heavyweights was 12-year-old Michelle Yang’s work, who has been painting for the last five years, informed Singh. “I would give inputs about this oil on canvas,” said Singh.
Krishen Khanna’s eye-catching Band, Bose Krishnamachari’s morbid Stretched Bodies with a distended skull and Jamini Roy’s rare painting of women characterised with “big eyes” earned rave reviews from visitors.
“Ninety per cent of the artists have given their work at half the price and we expect a huge turnover from second-generation buyers who seem keen,” says Mody. A surprise auction was also in the offing.
Amongst avid collectors Sudarshan Banerjee, former head of Hutch and BK Modi were seen admiring the works.
By Richa Bhatia
© 2008 Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd.
