Saffron Chase, a leading communication consultancy for UK-India business, announced today that it will
provide a pro bono UK public affairs operation for Pratham - a charity dedicated to helping 100 million
illiterate Indian children with reading, writing and basic arithmetic.

Pratham started in the slums of Mumbai 15 years ago and now has operations in the UK, USA and the
Middle East. In 2000, the charity was named one of the top three development projects by the World
Bank. Recent donations to Pratham include $9 million by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as $2 million by Google org.

Saffron Chase will focus its public affairs operation on lobbying the Department for International
Development and UK business to help fund Pratham’s programmes. A parliamentary reception has already
been organised on 21st Jan to raise Pratham’s profile in the UK.

At the UK-India Summit in January 2008, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh signed up to a partnership to fight global poverty. At the summit, Prime Minister Gordon
Brown announced that the Department for International Development (DFID) will spend £825 million
for development in India over the next three years, £500 million of which will be devoted to health and
education. This is further to the £1045 million DFID has given India in bilateral aid over the past five years.

Managing Director of Saffron Chase Vikas Pota, said:
“There is a unique bond between the UK and India which can benefit both our nations. Two way trade and investment is growing fast but we must do more to help each other. In a world which is growing smaller by the day I see India’s problems as the UK’s problems.

“It is unacceptable that millions of Indian children at primary school age do not know a single letter of the
alphabet. If Saffron Chase can bring this problem and Pratham’s successful solution to decision makers in
the UK then we’re playing our part in strengthening the UK-India bond.”

Reita Gadkari, Chair of the Pratham Ball Committee and UK Trustee said:
“Saffron Chase provides public affairs support for some major blue chip companies. I am delighted that
Pratham can tap into this high level of expertise to raise awareness of our plight to the very elite of UK
Government and business. The millions of Indian children who currently have no hope of a better future
deserve no less.”

The Pratham UK annual gala takes place at the Old Billingsgate market, London on November 15th. Last
years gala, which was attended by Ozwald Boateng, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, and the Queen of Bhutan, raised over £2 million. With this and other funds Pratham was able reach 21 million children by mobilising 400,000 volunteers in 350,000 Indian villages to help children and teachers.

Acknowledging Saffron Chase's India focus in Europe, The Chairman of the Left Front & West Bengal's State Secretary for the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Mr. Biman Bose attended a meeting convened with political analysts and influential commentators in London.

Vikas Pota said: "Given the political turmoil in India, we are pleased to be able to organise such a topical event with a leading player in Indian politics. Such outreach activities can help in explaining crucial decisions that in today's globalised world have impact beyond geographical borders."

At a time when UK – INDIA bilateral trade has increased over 15 % in the last year alone, Vikas Pota, Managing Director of Saffron Chase said: “These services are the first of their kind when it comes to helping UK companies do business in India. We have set the pace and I’m sure others will now follow.”

The two new services are:

India Briefing Centre

The first time UK companies can have bespoke training to help them conduct business in India – whether new to export or more experienced. It could be an overarching understanding of the business or political environment or it could be a sectoral understanding of say the ‘Indian ICT market.’ It could even be something really specific such as understanding Indian contract law. It will be the first service of its kind specifically tailored for a company’s needs and timing as lessons can last half a day or a full day.

The courses will run to the highest standards with teachers that include top UK and Indian experts from the field of business, academia and Government.

Chase India

The world’s first joint UK-Indian public affairs company. British companies increasingly need to lobby the Indian Government on liberalising their market at both state and federal level. Public affairs is still a relatively new industry in India. Chase India combines UK best practice and corporate governance with an Indian team on the ground with the right contacts. Chase India will have offices in London, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai.

The Chairman is Mark Runacres. He was previously Deputy Chief of Mission at the British high Commission in New Delhi and Trade Director for Africa and South Asia at the former Department of Trade and Industry. He will be joined by Nitin Mantri and Nikhil Khanna, whose company Avian Media is an integral part of ‘Chase India.’ Avian Media currently manage the PR for companies such as ‘BAE Systems’ in India as well as the Punjab cricket team in the brand new Indian Premier league.


Vikas Pota, Managing Director of Saffron Chase added: “Doing business in India is like cracking a giant nut. Inside is the sweetest kernel. Today, we’re giving businesses the tools to get through the hard shell.”

Please click here to view full press release. (PDF)

Former Whitehall Press Officer Pallab Sarker today became Head of Communications of Saffron Chase. Most recently, Pallab was a senior press press officer at UK Trade & Investment working to Trade & Investment Minister Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham, former Director - General of the CBI.

Vikas Pota said: "Having Pallab on board gives us some serious firepower when we convince new clients to use our services. Through his experiences of working with several Government departments and Ministers, Pallab brings with him a wealth of experience. I'd like to welcome him to our team."

“Working to Digby was inspiring and fun. I was really touched by the personal advice he gave in helping me make the transition from Government to the private sector” PallabSarker said.

It was whilst accompanying Lord Jones to India alongside the Prime Minister’s visit to India in February this year that Pallab realised how the business relationship between the UK and India had turned a corner.

“I was sitting in the Taj Hotel in Delhi when Richard Branson, who was on the PM’s business delegation, strolled up and joined me for a cup of tea. You can imagine I was pretty shocked!

“But he started talking passionately about how the UK and India are natural partners. He made it clear that even though India was part of our past it was going to play an even greater role in our future.”

“On returning to the UK I knew the world had changed even more than I imagined. I immediately looked to join a company that was doing day to day business with the emerging economies.

“Saffron Chase seemed like the obvious choice for me. They’re so ahead of the curve when it came to the opportunities that India now offered their business."

Speaking at a premier event in London on 22nd April 2008, British Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP highlighted the work of Saffron Chase in his keynote address to 150 substantive business leaders.
Vikas Pota said: "I am grateful to the Prime Minister for recognising Saffron Chase as a company that is committed to strengthening the UK - India business relationship. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to engage India, wholeheartedly, in order to be successful in the global marketplace. At Saffron Chase, by working on challenging briefs and campaigns we've developed a fantastic suite of services based on our exposure of working with emerging giants from India."

Building on its specialism on India, Saffron Chase has developed a series of training programmes and briefings for businesses interested in India.

Vikas Pota said: “In recognition of the huge interest in India, we’ve built on and developed a range of training courses & briefings aimed at companies and senior executives who need to be better informed about various aspects of being successful in India.”

Please visit www.indiabriefingcentre.com for more details.

Recognising the need to tap global markets, Saffron Chase has invested in the establishment of offices in India under the auspices of a newly formed company called ‘Chase India’.

Explaining the reasons behind this move, Vikas Pota said: “In its own right, India is a huge market and one where we believe we can be successful. Given the increasingly international characteristic of business communications, our existing clients have encouraged us to take this huge step. They recognise the investment we’ve made in our processes and would naturally demand the same internationally benchmarked practices – which currently aren’t the norm in India. By selecting Chase India, our clients stand reassured that we understand the risks that they aren’t willing to take with their reputations”. www.chase-india.com

Saffron Chase has been selected to launch the India Infrastructure Finance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Government of India. Finance Minister, Mr Chidambaram will inaugurate the operations to an audience of stakeholders in London.

Vikas Pota said: “We are delighted to have been selected for this assignment. Our experience on India stands us in good stead to deliver an exceptional service to our Asian clients”.

ICICI Bank UK Plc have reappointed Saffron Chase to coordinate their multicultural PR & marketing activities.

Vikas Pota said: “We are grateful to ICICI for reappointing Saffron Chase. We have worked with the Bank since their arrival in the UK and have spearheaded several campaigns that have resulted in visible results. Our work with ICICI demonstrates our understanding of diverse communities and how best to reach them effectively.”

The India Group, an alliance of India’s leading private sector companies in Europe, have reappointed Saffron Chase to manage the activities of the group.

Vikas Pota said: “Through the active participation of Indian companies, we have been successful with making representations to various Government departments and Ministers about the real concerns about their businesses. The India Group is a good example of the private sector conveying it’s opinions effectively.”

Saffron Chase has been chosen by The Heathrow City Partnership, a regeneration company, to manage the PR launch of the first Indian acting academy in Europe.

Vikas Pota said: “Our focus on India coupled with our European capability has provided us with a competitive edge in understanding the relevance of an acting school in the UK for one of the world’s most demanding film industry. Our familiarity with Bollywood and the current interest in all things Indian are the key factors in being appointed for this campaign.

Deutsche Bank, the leading global investment bank, has reappointed Saffron Chase as it’s adviser on issues concerning government & stakeholder relations in the UK.

Vikas Pota said: “We are grateful to Deutsche Bank for reappointing us. We’ve made considerable investments in ensuring our public affairs processes deliver results for our clients. Our work with Deutsche Bank is a good example of a successful combination between on the ground intelligence and exceptional organisational support”.

Fusion Condoms, a new entrant in the highly competitive market, have selected SC to coordinate their PR & marketing campaigns.

Vikas Pota said: “We’ve had enormous fun in pitching for this assignment. The Fusion team have recognised the Saffron Chase team as being creative, imaginative and able to think laterally in order to maximise their reach in a market dominated by one key brand”.

Globally reputed management consultancy – Accenture, appoint Saffron Chase for Healthcare in India seminar.

Vikas Pota said: “Despite being provided a tough brief by Accenture, I am pleased that our team have put together the content, logistics, and great entertainment for an event that their delegates are going to remember for a very long time”.

India’s largest telecom company select Saffron Chase to launch their ‘Trueroots’ calling service in the UK.

Vikas Pota said: “I am pleased to have the Tata’s entrust us with the launch of their first telecom offering in Britain. Our experience and understanding of the buying habits of Britain’s multicultural community are the primary reasons for our success”.

At a glittering ceremony in London, Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the 2012 Olympics, awarded Saffron Chase the 2006 ‘New Market Entrant’ in recognition of the success of its India Practice. The Judging Panel for the AAA Awards included eminent persons from business, politics and academia.

Vikas Pota said: “We’d like to convey our thanks to the judging panel for this accolade. Our India Practice provides British businesses with advisory services that have resulted in several of our clients reaping huge dividends in India. Our particular focus on mid-market companies and on certain industry sectors has proven advantageous in creating a offering that is unparalleled”.