India has been a buzz word since the last couple of years. Many believe that this decade will be India’s decade. Be it manufacturing, innovation, growth, India is at the centre of it all. CNBC-TV18 recently caught up with Ad legend Piyush Pandey at the India Business Leadership Awards (IBLA).
Pandey has been the eternal cheerleader of brand India. When asked about why people all over the world are suddenly talking about India and why they believe that the next ten years belong to India, he said, “It’s an awakening for those of us who have forgotten to talk about our nation. If the talk is against India or for India, at least India is the centre of all of it.”
“Let’s be less concerned about why they’re doing it and more about the fact that they’re doing it,” he added.
One of the leaders recognised at IBLA was Asian Paints’ Ashwin Dani. Now, Asian Paints and Piyush Pandey have had a long-standing relationship. Pandey has a lot of fond memories of working on the brand and alongside Dani.
“Dani is a very humble man. He gave his managers a job to do and never interfered. That is the mark of a great leader. When you lead a set of people but allow them to play. It shows your trust in them, your belief in them. That was Ashwin Dani for me.”
“Each time he met me, he would say, ‘Naya Kya Kamal Kar Rahe Ho’. Leaders don’t have to talk all the time. Their presence and the way they treat those who follow them is what makes the a better leader. Ashwin Dani was one of them.”