Bates Clarion is now Bates India

Bates Clarion, which merged with Bates Worldwide in July 1999, will be called Bates India from 1 January 2000. This is a part of the initiatives taken by Bates Worldwide, a $7.1 billion company, to reconfigure its Indian operations for the new millennium.

Bates Worldwide chairman Michael Bungey, who is in India on a visit, announced, "We see India as a critical cog in the Bates Worldwide chain. Bates India, in our opinion has a bunch of tremendously talented people and a roster of extremely satisfied clients. We view the future in India with great optimism."

There's been a lot of activity in the Bates world. Cordiant Communications Group plc (CCG), the holding company of Bates Worldwide, has tripled its market capitalisation in the past 12 months, mainly as a result of significant acquisitions, including that of Healthworld, Interactive Edges and Diamond Ad Ltd.

Bates Worldwide bought Healthworld, the world's third largest healthcare marketing agency, for $200 million. Healthworld provides multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare companies with a comprehensive range of integrated marketing services, from advertising and promotion, to direct-to-consumer communication.

Madhukar Kamath, managing director of Bates India, says, "Healthcare will emerge as one of India's biggest industries in the near future. Bates India will be ready to work with global clients in healthcare communication."

Last week, CCG acquired Interactive Edges, a New York-based channel marketing e-commerce company, for $25 million. Mr. Bungey believes that "interactive communication will be the thrust area of Bates Worldwide". He cites a recent international study that forecasts global e-commerce business to be worth $600 billion by the year 2003. Services will account for a whopping 68 per cent of this figure.

According to the agency, Bates will actively participate in the government of Dubai's plans to convert Dubai into a hub of digital technology. Avi Bhojani, director on the board of Bates India and managing director of Bates Pangulf in Dubai, says: "Bates is actively involved in strategising and implementing the UAE government's plan to convert Dubai into a global e-business centre. We will be working closely with Bates India on this project, and will be accessing the vast wealth of skilled human resource talent available in India."

Already, XM Asia, a Bates Worldwide owned company, is a dominant player in the interactive business, in the Asia Pacific region. XM Asia clients indude Coca-Cola, Compaq, Visa, Nokia, ESPN, General Motors, and Heineken.

Meanwhile, CCG has just announced the $130-million acquisition of Diamond Ad Ltd., the third largest advertising agency in Korea. This will consolidate CCG's longstanding international relationship with Hyundai Motors.

Mr Kamath says, "All this can only mean a promising future for Bates India. Soon Healthworld and XM Asia will have offices in India, along with Zenith Media and 141. Today we are a nimble agency, re-engineered and revitalised. We are hungry for success and are confident of converting our ambitions into a tangible reality."