‘There’s just one guru who forces you to be efficient and that guru is competition’

Sunday , 16 March '08

Industrialist Rahul Bajaj, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, spent some time interacting with Express staff. He answered questions on how family-run businesses like his are changing their outlook on how to run the show. He also said the Nano doesn’t give him sleepless nights

‘If I were a fox in public life, I would have survived a full term of five years as PM’

Sunday , 9 March '08

Former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, a stalwart of Karnataka politics, spent some time with Express staff during a recent interaction, moderated by The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta. He spoke about how he thinks both the Congress and the BJP did not want his JD (S) to gain strength in Karnataka, about his differences with Infosys mentor Narayana Murthy, and about his belief in astrology

‘With people like Mallya and Zinta and corporate houses stepping in, professionalism will creep into Indian cricket’

Sunday , 2 March '08

Navjot Singh Sidhu, former star cricketer, is a man who has taken on many roles. He has commentated on cricket, appeared on laugh shows, and won election as a BJP MP. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Sports Editor Kunal Pradhan, Sidhu talks about the difference IPL will make to the game, about the controversies during the Australia tour, and about the origin of his famed Sidhuisms

‘I did not anticipate people saying there was no Jodhaa. That came as a googly!’

Sunday , 24 February '08

After his success with Lagaan and Swades, director Ashutosh Gowariker has run into controversy with Jodhaa Akbar, his latest offering. In an interaction with Express staff at our Mumbai office, Gowariker talks about why he chose to make a historical film, how he interpreted the legend of Jodhaa and Akbar, and how the spectacular elephant-taming scene was shot. The interaction was moderated by Senior Assistant Editor (Films) Harneet Singh

"There are no Indians left, only OBCs, Dalits, Hindus, Muslims, and you get your agent to get you your entitlement"

Sunday , 17 February '08

Lord Desai has just been awarded the Padma Bhushan. He is Professor Emeritus at the London School of Economics, where he has taught for many years. Lord Desai finished school when was 14 and had completed a Ph.D by the age of 23. He was part of the anti-Vietnam war movement in the US and avoided the draft. He interacted with Express staff recently, and spoke on economics, cinema, his native Gujarat.

‘When I wanted to study the Mahabharata, my tutor said it’s obscene. I said I wanted to study the entire epic’

Sunday , 10 February '08

Theatre personality and art collector Ebrahim Alkazi, who was the director of the National School of Drama in its formative years, speaks about the challenges of theatre, competition from cinema, and on how the community of artists needs to stick together against intolerance. The interaction with Express staff was moderated by Senior Assistant Editor Leher Kala

‘I’d have been happier if UPA had done better than NDA in the highway project’

Sunday , 3 February '08

Maj Gen B.C. Khanduri (Retd), a BJP leader and chief minister of Uttarakhand, was the driving force behind the national highway programme when the NDA was in power at the Centre. He was also associated with Uttarakhand’s statehood movement. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, Khanduri spoke about the recent delays in the highway project, about development in his own state, and about why he favours smaller states.

‘Psephology is not a science like microbiology... it’s poll studies. But everyone thinks only of seat forecasts’

Sunday , 27 January '08

After the recent Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, pollsters in India came in for criticism for making predictions that were way off the mark on which party would win how many seats. In an interaction with Express staff, leading pollsters Yogendra Yadav of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies and Ranjit Chib, a consultant to ACNielsen, speak about the risks and thrill of opinion polls

‘One difficulty the Congress has is that we cannot compete in regional politics’

Sunday , 20 January '08

Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a long-time Congress leader considered close to the Gandhi family, has seen the party’s workings from up close. He has also been part of government in various capacities for long, whenever the Congress has been in power at the Centre. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, Mukherjee spoke about how the party is managing the UPA coalition, his relationship with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s style of working.

'Brokers, FIIs, banks will comply better if the writing of regulation is a consultative process'

Sunday , 13 January '08

SEBI chairman M. Damodaran started his career as an IAS officer and headed Unit Trust of India and IDBI before taking up his current assignment as capital-markets regulator. In an interaction with Express staff, Damodaran, who is scheduled to retire next month, spoke on issues that ranged from terror funds in the market to SROs.

‘It would take just 3-4 months to deal with Naxalism if govt has the will and ends corruption in police’

Sunday , 6 January '08

A steep decline in moral values and increasing corruption in public life, particularly in the police forces, are responsible for the violence in various parts of the country, including Naxalite-affected areas, says K.P.S. Gill, former Director General of Police, Punjab, and President of the Indian Hockey Federation, during an interaction with Express staff at our Chandigarh office. The discussion was moderated by Chandigarh Resident Editor Vipin Pubby

‘Once Sonia’s remark shifted focus to Modi, his agenda, there was no way out for Congress’

Sunday , 30 December '07

Former union minister and BJP general-secretary Arun Jaitley was in charge of the party’s successful election campaign in Gujarat. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Contributing Editor Coomi Kapoor, Jaitley speaks about how the media and pollsters read the trends wrong, what he thinks went wrong with the Congress campaign, and the dominant factor in the election — Chief Minister Narendra Modi

‘If BJP wins in Gujarat...I believe there will be compulsion for all secular parties to be together to stop the juggernaut’

Sunday , 23 December '07

The Left, which provides external support to the UPA Govt, has spoken up forcefully on several issues, notably the implementation of the common minimum programme, economic reforms, and the Indo-US nuclear deal. In an interaction with Express staff, CPM leader SitaramYechury spoke about the Left opposition to the nuclear deal, the violence in Nandigram, and the Gujarat elections. The discussion was moderated by Assistant Executive Editor Unni Rajen Shanker. Excerpts...

‘Had I stayed on, I’d have been a victim of male chauvinism. The fact is I’m going on my own terms’

Sunday , 16 December '07

A tennis champion, India’s first woman IPS officer, and winner of the Magsaysay award, Kiran Bedi has excelled in several fields and been a role model. While speaking up where it matters, she has never shunned controversy. She recently decided to quit the police after being denied the post of police commissioner of Delhi. In an interaction with Express staff, Bedi spoke about dealing with a status-quoist system, the big challenges of her career, and her plans for the future. Excerpts...

‘The pace of reform hasn’t trickled to our states. The reform process needs to go to our state-level politicians’

Sunday , 9 December '07

As Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Kamal Nath is in charge of facilitating how business can benefit from the process of economic reform. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Editor (Express News Service) Shishir Gupta, Nath speaks about FDI, SEZs, the forthcoming elections in Gujarat, and his book India’s Century. Excerpts. . .

'I have always felt I was a reincarnated rickshaw puller'

Sunday , 2 December '07

Writer and Indophile Dominique Lapierre recently launched the English version of his book Once Upon a Time in the Soviet Union , co-authored with Jean-Pierre Pedrazzini, in India. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Senior Assistant Editor (Features) Leher Kala, Lapierre spoke about the book and what it describes-a 13,000-km journey across the Soviet Union, meeting ordinary people. He also spoke about how his best-selling Freedom at Midnight was written with Larry Collins, and his work in Kolkata, of which he describes himself a...

“People want to know the people who are writing. The day of the quiet byline is over”

Sunday , 25 November '07

The careers of both Harold Evans and Tina Brown are important to anyone interested in journalism. Evans, former editor of The Times, London, has written extensively on the extraordinary stories and news packages he oversaw in a long and varied career and of the high-profile difference of opinion he had with Rupert Murdoch. Tina Brown, with Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, redefined the concept of an engaging journal with an attitude. They dropped by to interact with Express staff. Excerpts . . .

‘The climate-change debate in rich countries strikes me as curious. The immediate catastrophe won’t happen in Manhattan but in Andhra, Africa, Latin America’

Sunday , 18 November '07

The UN Human Development Report is the untold story behind growing economies, documenting how countries perform on taking health, education, and nutrition to the people.Ahead of the launch of this year’s report , scheduled for November 22, Kevin Watkins, lead author of the report, spent time with Express staff explaining the significance of this year’s theme —climate change — and its link to human development.

‘Rather than regulation of BPOs, we’d like to engage govt and find out what it’s worried about’

Sunday , 11 November '07

Outsourcing has played a greater role than any other sector in shaping the global business landscape and BPOs in India have earned billions of dollars and created millions of jobs. On top of the heap in terms of both revenue and headcount is Genpact.