Speakers 2012
Masha Gessen
THE REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIAN Women, as the recent Pussy Riot trial shows, may well turn out to be the bravehearts who trigger a new Russian revolution. But while the three female rockstars may become the global face of the anti-Putin protests that have started to build up across Russia since December 2011, it is another woman Read More…
Mona Eltahawy
THE BRAVEHEART Mona Eltahawy knows what it is to feel pure rage. She knew it when she was brutally attacked and sexually molested by Egyptian police in a small side-street off Tahrir Square last November at the height of the protests against the Mubarak regime. And she was at the receiving end of it when Read More…
Nicolas Veron
THE FINANCIAL FORTUNE-TELLER Since 2008, the only lists economists have been likely to find themselves on are rankings of ‘Most Reviled in Public Life’. That’s why Nicolas Veron’s recent inclusion as one of Bloomberg Markets magazine’s Top 10 Thinkers for 2012 (as part of a larger list of 50 Most Influential People of 2012) is Read More…
Praful Patel
THE RISK TAKER A senior MP of the Maharashtra-based Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Praful Patel is minister for heavy industries and public enterprises in the UPA government. For the seven years from 2004 to 2011, he was minister for civil aviation, in a period that saw the Indian aviation sector soar to unprecedented heights, even Read More…
Rajan Mittal
THE WIZARD OF WIRELESS It’s hard to remember a time when Airtel didn’t exist but in reality, it was only 20 years ago that Bharti Telecom, set up by brothers Rajan, Sunil and Rakesh Bharti Mittal, first applied for mobile licenses in association with French telecom group Vivendi, to launch cellular operations in Delhi. It Read More…
Rajeev Chandrasekhar
THE PASSIONATE PARLIMENTARIAN An engineer with a master’s degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has done more things in one lifetime than many others do in several. He is a businessman, a philanthropist, a public leader and an MP from Karnataka, being an active and articulate member of the Read More…
Ranbir Kapoor
THE CHARMEISTER Lineage is the kind of thing that damns those who have it as much as it annoys those who don’t. Ranbir Kapoor, though, seems the perfect argument for all that is right about lineage; genetic good looks, great charm, and talent serious enough to prevent the first two from being annoying. He has Read More…
Ratan Thiyam
LORD OF THE STAGE Having won recognition for his oeuvre and for his formidable grasp of the blending of classical traditions with contemporary ones, Ratan Thiyam is one of the most influential figures of theatre in the world today. That statement doesn’t quite encapsulate the artistry and genius of the man. Truth is, without Thiyam’s Read More…
Reema Kagti
THE NUANCED STORYTELLER Though a relatively new player in the Indian film industry, Reema Kagti is a powerhouse of talent. After honing her craft as an assistant director on the sets of films like Bombay Boys, Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya; this student of English Literature made her directorial debut with Honeymoon Travels Pvt Read More…
