Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman, Times Internet Ltd, speaking at the launch of 1838 Reserve credit card
As 1,838 parrots took to the skies, the celebrations extended beyond the crimson setting and art, music and culinary experiences came together in Delhi on Monday evening at the launch of 1838 Reserve ICICI Bank credit card by The Times of India , in association with ICICI Bank and Visa. Its brass-band musicians, familiar figures in Indian wedding processions, have occupied a central place in his artistic universe for more than 50 years.
Talking about Khanna’s artwork on the card, Satyan said, “Art plays a very important part in our family’s lives. Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), said, “I have always been a huge fan of his (Khanna’s) works and to meet him here was special. No guesses, it’s going to be ICICI Bank and The Times of India,” said Rishi Chhabra, Country Manager, Visa India, about the partnership and added, “So what’s Visa Infinite Privilege tier all about? Art, music, heritage and gastronomy came together so beautifully, making it an evening that celebrated culture, creativity and meaningful conversations,” said designer Mandira Wirk, summing up the evening’s experience.
Crimson floral decor, gold accents and a backdrop of grand architectural facades set the scene. For guests, however, a rare delight awaited in an exhibition of veteran artist Krishen Khanna’s iconic Bandwalla series. The maestro himself graced the evening and interacted with guests. Khanna’s Bandwalla artwork finds a new home on the card, while the exhibition at the event offered guests a closer look at the series. My wife (Trishla Jain) is an artist and our home is adorned with beautiful art. So, when we had the opportunity to work with sir Krishen Khanna, it was an opportunity none of us felt we could miss. We’re so grateful that the person who has chronicled the ordinary lives of Indians for decades, and whose figures of the bandwallahs are as iconic as the country itself, is with us here. to be able to carry it in your pocket is something special for us While we’ve all seen his works on walls. For guests, the opportunity to meet the artist brought forth memorable moments. He knew my father-in-law, and when I went to meet him, it was so surprising that he recognised me and gave me his blessings. For us, what matters is how we earn and retain the trust of the customer. And at all points of time, we believe in our core philosophy of being fair to the customer and fair to the bank. And this partnership is what is completely in line with our core thinking. A credit card is an important part of our overall product portfolio. This card is indeed most special. “When Visa thought about launching for the first time the Visa Infinite Privilege tier in India, we thought what’s the best partner to do that with. We’ve had the Visa Infinite for years, in fact, decades, where we know and respect that extraordinary folks need something extraordinary every day. And that’s when Visa Infinite Privilege stepped in. With the global experiences, unparalleled access, stronger recognition, the best service to go with it, we thought of launching this tier globally, in Asia-Pacific, and in India. So proud of doing this with our partners. The evening’s culinary offerings began with fusion Indian dishes created by chef Manish Mehrotra and his team. Later, guests gathered for a dinner curated by Michelin-starred chef Garima Arora, with crimson florals and candlelight carrying the evening’s colour palette to the tables. “From the magnificent art of Krishen Khanna ji to the almost divine music of the Manganiyars, every moment was an experience to cherish. The dinner setting, adorned with beautiful red roses and candlelight, was breathtaking, and the exquisite food by chef Garima was simply delicious.
Rakesh Jha, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, said, “All the hard work of The Times of India team, team ICICI, and VISA, has come to fruition today with the launch of this new card.
