TEDX sponsor gets speaking slot
By Techgirl

TED started as a small conference in California 25 years ago.  Today, the not for profit TED has become one of the most powerful international platforms for ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’.  At TED conferences you may run into Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani and even eloquent politicians like Shashi Tharoor and Al Gore.

TEDx conferences follow the same theme and principles of TED, but describe themselves as ‘local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.’

The last TEDx in India was held on April 3, 2010 at Mumbai.  This TEDx hosted such eminent speakers like actor Anupam Kher and Olympian Viren Rasquinha.

While most media wrote nice things about TEDx Mumbai, only India Uncut boss and chief blogger Amit Varma used his magical gift with words to tell it as it was. Amit is a media heavy weight having been Managing Editor of Cricinfo and written for such mainstream media like Wall Street Journal, Guardian and Mint.  His blog is clever, insightful and hugely popular. In April, 2009, BusinessWeek listed Amit along Sonia, Manmohan, Tatas, Ambanis and the like as among the ’50 most powerful people in India’. In May, 2009 his book ‘My Friend Sancho’ was launched to critical acclaim and has soon become a best seller. 

Amit praised many of the positive elements of the TEDx Mumbai, but he critiqued one of the presentations done by Indian travel portal Cleartrip.  In his live blogging, Amit wrote

“
11.59am: Session 2 begins with a presentation by the designer of cleartrip.com on a new product/feature they’re building. WTF? This is a talk you give to VCs or to your boss. What on earth is it doing at TEDx? I understand that Cleartrip has sponsored this event, but this really should not be part of the main event itself.

For what it’s worth, I use Make My Trip for my airline bookings. I will continue doing so. This is most tasteless—and rude to all the people here, whose time is surely worth more than this.
“

On its website, TEDx Mumbai publicly states it was ‘awesome’ for Cleartrip to sponsor the event.  Obviously, Cleartrip took its pound of flesh by asking for a speaking spot.  This is the price that many conference organizers have to pay in India.  This is definitely not an idea worth spreading.

Techgoss note: Techgirl is a senior Tech journalist who reports on the IT, KPO and KPO Sectors for a leading media house.  In her spare time, she dabbles in satire in her blog http://techgirltalk.blogspot.com