News Broadcasting
Burson-Marsteller launches Africa-India Advisory Desk
Gurgaon, 31 July 2013 – Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm, today announced the launch of its Africa-India Advisory Desk — an initiative to be spearheaded by Arcay Burson-Marsteller in South Africa and Genesis Burson-Marsteller in India. The Africa-India Advisory Desk’s mandate is to assist Indian and African companies to navigate the African continent and Indian sub-continent respectively.
It will offer a range of services from market-entry analysis and strategy to stakeholder mapping to delivering customized communication across diverse audience(s) viz. customers, government and financial institutions.
“The Africa-India Advisory Desk was prompted by our experience of working across multiple markets in Africa and across India, and understanding that companies/organisations may be challenged by the divergent cultures, business landscapes and unique legal and political environments,” commented Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO for Africa of Johannesburg-based, Arcay Burson-Marsteller.“ We believe that our 20+ years’ experience of providing regionally appropriate, locally-driven communications services, seamlessly executed across the African continent, combined with Genesis Burson-Marsteller’s robust spectrum of communication offerings across the Indian sub-continent, will be a winning combination for our clients.”
“We believe cross border Africa – India business opportunities represent enormous potential for both African companies doing business in or with India, as well as, Indian companies looking at investing or expanding into Africa. For the benefit of our clients and prospects we are bringing together our premier networks in Africa and India in the Africa-India Advisory Desk – a single point of contact that draws on Burson-Marsteller’s global expertise and local knowledge to enable business opportunities across national frontiers — into the African continent or Indian sub-continent,” said Jeremy Galbraith, CEO Burson-Marsteller Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
Enhanced economic, political, social and cultural cooperation between India and Africa has promise and potential is self-evident from the fact that India and Africa together account for a huge market of 2.2 billion people with a combined GDP of more than $3 trillion. According to a recent CII-WTO report on India-Africa: South-South Trade and Investment for Development, India-Africa bilateral trade has grown from $1 billion in 2001 to around $50 billion in 2011-12. At the same time, India’s investments in Africa are estimated to be over $50 billion now.
“Globally, interest and opportunity in Africa is unprecedented. However, doing business in Africa is complex and can be daunting. Doing business in India can be similarly challenging. The Africa-India Advisory Desk, building on the strengths of our African hub and our Indian hub, we believe, can help our clients achieve business success in both markets,” adds Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
