ASHWIN DANI: Putting Gattu on the global map

Rain or shine, Ashwin Dani likes to begin his day with half-an-hour of yoga. Even when travelling abroad (and as Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Asian Paints he has to do a lot of it), he never skips his mandatory asanas. Probably, that's Dani's way of stocking up on the stamina he'll need to attain his goal of becoming the 5th largest decorative paint company in the world. Already, he is moving closer to that goal. Last fortnight, the 59-year-old Dani bought Berger International (BIL), a S$115 million (Rs 322 crore) Singapore-based company, for Rs 57.60 crore. "Most of the countries that BIL operates in were on our radar and we believe that there is tremendous scope for Asian Paints to add value in these markets," says the vegetarian, who along with the Choksi and Vakil families controls 44 per cent of India's largest paints company.

While Asian Paints has been interested in international markets for the last 20 years, it is only recently that it moved away from time-consuming greenfield projects to acquisitions. Of course, it helps that Asian Paints has a healthy cash flow (last year it generated Rs 176 crore) and that Dani-he holds a Master's Degree in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, and a Diploma in Colour Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic, both in the US-is personally interested in paint technology. The BIL acquisition will give Asian Paints access to 11 manufacturing facilities in countries like China, and Malaysia and an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes, pushing the group's turnover to more than Rs 2,000 crore. As Dani himself might say, it's time Gattu started on a world tour.

No Wait And Watch

ANUPAMA MODI: Quick on the draw

It was a slot crying to be taken, and Anupama Modi got there first. Last fortnight, this 32-year-old scion of the Y. K. Modi family launched an insurance monthly, Insurance Watch, to warm reception by the industry and readers. That Modi should have moved on the opportunity first isn't all that surprising. A golf enthusiast and a graduate of the London School of Economics, Modi also handles her family's trade publications. That apart, Modi runs two dotcoms-an ezine for her trade journals and indiatradeshow.com, a b2b site for virtual exhibitions. Says the amateur pianist, whose favourite composers include Bach and Beethoven: "Insurance is a very technical subject, and there was no magazine to inform the buyer." She has built a network of writers from the industry, and plans to launch the magazine in a few regional languages too. Modi claims the first issue, with 7,500 copies on the stands, was a sell-out. If that keeps up, Industry Watch could be one venture papa Modi would be glad to have underwritten.

PREET K.S. BEDI: Small is beautiful

Wages Of Impatience

For someone slated to take charge of India's second-largest agency, to bail out and land himself as president and CEO of an agency one-tenth its size, is somewhat peculiar, you'd imagine. Not to Preet K.S. Bedi, 45, who spent 15 years with Lintas (now Lowe) before moving to the Rs 100-crore TBWA/Anthem. "A stage comes in life," he says, hoping to sound more practical than philosophical, "when you feel that you need to be able to influence, in an effective way, the culture of the organisation you work for. For this, you need to be at the head of the organisation." Oh. But isn't that what he was being prepped for at Lowe? "That may have happened, would have happened in a year or two, but you could say that I just lost patience." The big challenge at TBWA/Anthem: to take billings to Rs 300 crore in two years. Swing some hot accounts. And maybe pull off that one major gig that trumps Lowe's work for lg. This is the agency of Apple, don't forget.

Contributed By: Abir Pal, Vinod Mahanta & Aresh Shirali