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. 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.
The 1838 Reserve ICICI Bank credit card
Hosted by Samir Jain, Vice Chairman, BCCL, and Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman, Times Internet Ltd, the evening celebrated the card’s launch and 188 years of The Times of India, which first went to print in 1838. In addition to the eminent guests from the banking and corporate sectors, prominent guests present at the event included Karisma Kapoor, Aman Nath, Avarna Jain, Sunil Sethi, Mandira Wirk and Rina Dhaka.
Kumar Mangalam Birla with Samir Jain, Vice Chairman, BCCL
A NAME THAT CARRIES 188 YEARS OF HISTORYThe gathering at the family home gave the occasion a personal touch, which reflected in Satyan’s welcome address too. “When we think about the name of the card, 1838 Reserve, it stands for the beginning of The Times of India and the 188 years of legacy and history where we’ve chronicled and followed and watched India change. The story of India is made by its creators, its builders, its leaders, its artists. This card is about commemorating them and commemorating their work. When we think about the future, it’s about commemorating the leaders that will take this generation and this country to its next level. And that’s what this card is really meant for. 1838 really is about representing and recognising the history of both The Times and of India, and it’s about thinking about what the future looks like. For us, bridging the past and the future is really what feels so special, and we believe this card is going to play a major role in doing that.” Speaking about the partnerships, Satyan continued, “This card is not built by us alone. We’ve had amazing partners along the way. ICICI Bank took a big punt with us a few years ago in launching the Times Black card. Fortunately, it’s been incredibly successful, one of the best-performing new cards. It was always the starting point, and we wanted to do something more. While that card is a great opportunity, this card holds a very special place for us because it really is like taking a piece of our history and making it something people can carry around with them. Visa has also been an incredible partner, and someday someone will tell you the story where we were this close to not working with Visa. I also want to thank my father-in-law, Samir Jain, for letting us use not just his home, but his legacy, because this is really his, more than anyone else’s.”
(L-R) Dr Pradeep Chowbey, Amit Khanna and Raj Thota
Karisma Kapoor, Sunil Sethi and Rina Dhaka with Krishen Khanna
A PIECE OF ART IN YOUR POCKETKhanna’s Bandwalla artwork finds a new home on the card, while the exhibition at the event offered guests a closer look at the series. 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. 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. While we’ve all seen his works on walls, to be able to carry it in your pocket is something special for us.” For guests, the opportunity to meet the artist brought forth memorable moments. 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. 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.”
Avarna Jain
Sandeep Batra and Rakesh Jha
‘THIS CARD IS INDEED MOST SPECIAL’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. 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.”
Aman Nath
‘SO PROUD OF LAUNCHING THIS WITH OUR PARTNERS’“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. 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? 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.”
Mandira Wirk
Chef Garima Arora
CRIMSON BLOOMS AND A CANDLELIGHT DINNERThe 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. 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.
Performance by Roysten Abel’s Manganiyar Seduction
An ode to 188 years: 1838 Reserve credit card
