Indians and the South Asian diaspora have found a firm foothold in the uneven terrain of the internet and, byte by byte, have generated an alternative celebrity bubble. Hero or villain, there’s room for everyone in this virtual reality. Judging by actor-comedian Mallika Dua's meteoric rise into a household name thanks to hilarious Snapchat videos; artist Maria Qamar of Hatecopy's use of Instagram as her personal art gallery; or comedy group All India Bakchod's catalytic YouTube video with Alia Bhatt; one could say that the internet has essentially become the world’s busiest and most approachable PR agent.
As the internet continues to make the planet appear more navigable from the comfort of a living room sofa, we hope to use it to make more of an impact and to continue to tell the important stories of the hyper-connected global village that is the world today.
Going towards its 17th year now, Verve has been at the vanguard of the lifestyle industry in India since its inception. Being India's first fashion and luxury monthly and targeted as the spirit of today’s woman, it celebrates the interests of the multifaceted contemporary global Indian, including fashion, beauty and style, glamour, arts and culture, travel and wellness. The editor and publisher, Anuradha Mahindra, has received top billing in Avenue Asia's list of Indians involved in the media. More than just a magazine that reports and interprets, Verve is a catalyst for conversations around contemporary Indian culture in the world, and these conversations take place between the pages of the magazine, on the internet as well as through several Verve-organized offline event initiatives: Our theme-based Verve Lounges held in different Indian cities have become the talk of the arts, culture and fashion world; being the first of its kind in India. Among the new activities, Verve had a starring role in the Bollywood blockbuster film Dostana, featuring Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra where the magazine was organically integrated into the film's storyline and was the focus point of a significant part of the film’s narrative. Verve has, for three years running, been a premier partner of the Indian International Film Awards (IIFA) fashion extravaganza, bringing behind-the-scenes news and coverage. Verve is also a member of the International Council of Altagamma, the Italian Luxury council and the magazine’s continuous success has been closely watched and studied, including at the Harvard Business School. Verve holds premium partnerships across industries and in the arts, culture and fashion fields. It has partnered Louis Vuitton with the Albert Kahn show and hosted a dinner for artists at Zodiac Grill, Taj. Verve was the magazine partner for the Toofles CEO fashion show and trunk show of Stella McCartney with Priya Chatwal and for ‘Women Mean Business’, a Cherie Blair initiative. Verve and Muse launched New York’s Breakthrough in Mumbai. Verve also ties up with several tourism boards and designs special evenings for the same.
