Cultivating Strategic Relationships
January 4, 2018 9 Comments
The following is from the playbook of the masters of this art of cultivating strategic relationships :
* Provide employment to at least 50-100 persons from families of top VIPs in the country.
* Offer hospitality & assistance to bureaucrats and top politicians during their trip abroad, and take care of their requirements while abroad.
* Identify those VIPs who are in need of urgent medical help for self or immediate family members for treatment of serious illness and who may not be in a position to afford it, and take care of this need, thereby opening a channel for long term relationship with the person concerned.
* Identify people who are likely to occupy positions of eminence in the country in the next ten years, and formulate a strategy to win over their goodwill and keep them on our side.
* Identify at least 50 top rung persons from political, bureaucratic, media, judiciary, art & culture fields and nurture a one-to-one relationship with them who will be our ambassadors across the country and who will help us in case of any need.
* Maintain very close relation with those ministries handling our core businesses — right from the cabinet minister and his personal staff down to the under secretary.
* Develop a foothold in regions and develop a good network among the state politicians, bureaucrats, judiciary, vernacular media, NGOs, opinion makers, etc, so that when they move to the national scene, we have a hold on them.
* Utilise the services of some influential and retired bureaucrats/influential person by way of advisors.
* Leverage Essar Foundation as a front face. Conduct at least 2-3 events inviting national/ international attention under the umbrella of Essar Foundation.
* Organise parties/functions for birthday, anniversaries and other important occasions in their family.
A body’s got to start from somewhere. So if you haven’t some good ideas of your own, here are some to adopt and adapt, while you develop your own style.
Personally, I like a variation of no.4 .Know what you want.Identify the right groups to help you succeed. Check if you really gel with them. Allow these groups to propel you ahead and simply wait and watch to see who ultimately gets into position. Even better, help a favourite get to position and keep it.
About Keerthika Singaravel
wealthymatters 
What;s the book called?
Its from leaked/stolen internal communication of the Essar Group that some newspapers published in response to a plea in the SC by the Essar Group that they had not influence pedalled.
Interestingly Essar had not sued these publications then, possibly because they could not withstand the argument that Truth is the best defence against a charge of libel.
Interestingly, this communication also details how their competitors have influence pedalled in Delhi. I’ve not posted that so far.
Altogether very interested reading.
I see, when I read ‘playbook’ and the first few points I immediately thought that this wisdom must have been published. Do you happen to know of any sources detailing the Indian deep state? Of late I’ve been desperate for some insight into it.
Hi. Tell me a bit about yourself and what exactly you wish to know and I’ll point you out to what I might know.
I have a relatively new found interest in Indian business and Indian politics, particularly the longevity of old business families/institutions and the contribution of their links to Indian politics to this end. I have recently come across ‘mild’ conspiracy theories, the kinds involving Bill Gates’ involvement with Aadhaar and also others peddled in Great Game India magazine, and would like to read something a little less fanatic and a little more credible. Even the origins of the Ford Foundation’s power in India as detailed by thewire.in’s article would be of interest to me.
Maybe at a basic level I’m simply interested in who all pull the GoI strings and why.
Any particular family ?And are you OK with scattered stuff and doing your own thinking?
No issues reading scattered material. Given a good runway I don’t see this interest running out of steam any time soon.
For a light quick read try Business Maharajas by Gita Piramal.
But for best info ,I like reading the lines in between coffee table books for limited circulation these guys produce with CSR funds, simply following who is married to who and ripe family gossip.