The Hindu Business Line : Showdiff Worldwide plans to showcase Indian talent

BUOYED by the success of the Bryan Adams show that it hosted in Colombo last month, Showdiff Worldwide is working on plans to showcase Indian talent in the fields of fashion, films, sports, music and art & literature in overseas markets.

In terms of geographies, the company would like to extend its sphere of activity to South East Asia and the West Asia, to begin with. It will also bring global celebrities to India and host shows and events in select cities here.

The nascent talent and event management company has been jointly floated by Rediffusion and cricket icon Ravi Shastri. Besides organising events veering round fashion, sports, music and rock concerts, the company will also market talent and facilitate endorsements by celebrities from various walks of life.

Stating this during an interface with Business Line while on a visit to Kolkata recently, Mr Arun Nanda, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Rediffusion and Chairman of Showdiff Worldwide, said Showdiff would leverage on the strengths of the Rediffusion brand and the iconic status of Ravi Shastri. It would gradually build up an international network and develop close association with big names in the fields of glamour, films and sports.

"In India, for long, advertisements have largely been stand-alone, non-affiliated entities. The world is gradually moving towards appropriate celebrity endorsements and purpose-specific events. We want to be present in all three areas," Mr Nanda said in an apparent reference to Rediffusion's overall activities.

According to Mr Ravi Shastri, Vice-Chairman of Showdiff Worldwide, the timing of the company's foray into the "world of opportunities" was just appropriate. "The Bryan Adams show that we organised in Colombo recently was a sell-out with over 20,000 people attending it," he said, and added that barely 20 per cent of the potential in the celebrity endorsement and event management arena had been tapped.

Mr Shastri, however, refrained from hazarding a guess on the size of Showdiff's addressable business in revenue terms or, for that matter, the company's targeted share of the pie.