IBN 7 & Divya Bhaskar search for Gujarat ki Jaan... Bharat ki Shaan with ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’

Media News

New Delhi, October 05, 2007

Mahatma Gandhi moved the entire nation, but who is the next Gujarati who will win the hearts of millions? You decide. You vote. You choose… This Navratra, in a bid to recognise and felicitate Gujarat’s most powerful and influential ‘non-political’ Gujarati, IBN 7 and Divya Bhakar together present ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’. As a unique opinion poll, ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’ is a platform where Indians will vote for their favourite candidate from a list of nine Gujaratis – the navratnas whose accomplishments, across various fields, have made their state shine and their country proud! Beginning October 4, viewers can cast their votes through IVR, SMS or by logging onto IBNLive.com. Based on these votes, from October 13 onwards, each day a candidate will be eliminated till only two remain. The ultimate winner will then be declared and bestowed with the title of ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’ by the CM of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Singh Modi, at Grand Finale on October 21.

Gujarat, considered the most industrialised state in the country, has without a doubt produced some of the greatest and most influential citizens of the country. ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’, an IBN 7 Navratra special, is an acknowledgment and celebration of this achievement and the people’s verdict of whom they think is most deserving of this title. The nine candidates, spanning diverse disciplines, short listed by the IBN 7 editorial include - Mukesh & Anil Ambani (Reliance); Karsnbhai Patel (Nirma); Himesh Reshammiya (Music Director & Singer ); Bakul Dholakia (Educationist); Irfan Pathan (Cricketer); Sam Pitroda (Entrepreneur); Morari Baapu (Religious Guru); Pramukh Swami Maharaj (Religious Guru) and Ela Bhatt (Founder of SEWA).

The three-week long initiative will involve daily editorial stories that will acquaint viewers with the achievements of the selected nominees and would guide them through the voting parameters. There will also be segments on IBN 7’s daily Navratra show beginning October 11 at 7:30 pm and 11:30 pm along with regular editorial features in Divya Bhaskar to keep their readers updated on the latest developments during the series. Viewers will be able to vote for their favourite candidate via the IBN 7 website, IBNLive.com, by sending a SMS ‘SBG’ to 52622 or through IVR by calling 505-2622 (Airtel/ Hutch/ BPL/ Idea)  or   12555-26 ( BSNL / MTNL mobile). An elimination round based on the votes will then determine the IBN 7 & Divya Bhaskar ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’ on October 21!

“Gujarat has given rise to some very influential people who have made our country proud. ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’ is our way of celebrating these go-getters for their notable achievements across various disciplines, excluding politics. I am confident of an enthusiastic response from our viewers who will be the ultimate decision makers in choosing their favourite Gujarati.” Said, Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN 7

“It is a great pleasure to tie-up with Divya Bhaskar for this unique initiative. Our alliance, involving both print and electronic media, will ensure widespread awareness of the initiative amongst viewers and readers alike.” Said, Dilip Venkatraman, Director Marketing and Online Projects, CNN-IBN & IBN 7

“Despite appearing region-specific, ‘Sabse Bada Gujarati’, is bound to invite responses from across the country as it celebrates people who are nationally renowned. Therefore, our advertising associates will find visibility for their brands across the entire IBN 7 target audience.” Said, Sanjay Dua, National Sales Head, CNN-IBN and IBN 7

For further information, please contact:

Roshni Dhindsa

PR Pundit

9810675710