Acknowledgments
This book is a shared dream with those who have goaded me to write one. That it’s a reality today is an acknowledgement of their belief in me.
The possibility of writing a book on the Indian consumer market was first discussed with CJ Hwu of John Wiley & Sons (Asia). CJ patiently guided me through the early stages of the development of this book before she moved on to bigger things at Wiley. Nick Melchior has been mature in his advice and accommodating in his handling thereon. I wish to thank Kristi Hein for her efforts at understanding the Indian nuances while editing and Joel Balbin for ensuring a smooth production of the book, coordinating various people and processes.
It can be said that your first job is like your first love; it changes you forever and can never be forgotten. My first six years of working life was spent at McCann Erickson under Santosh Desai (formerly President McCann, now MD Future Brands). The work that I did at McCann helped develop my worldview on Indian consumer and brands.
As I moved on to explore life on my own, Bates141 offered me the playing field to explore new ideas. Bates141 has been a story of my personal transformation along with that of the agency. My ideas and views on the Indian consumer market have grown and matured because of two factors at Bates141—the challenge of building an agency almost ground up and the freedom to dream and implement brave ideas. I want to thank our mentor Ranjan Kapoor and the Regional Leadership ...
