Chennai Open Day 6: A tale of Aircel’s drive and Roger-Vasselin’s style

Edouard Roger-Vasselin doing the ‘namaste’ after his 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Marcel Granollers

When attending any sporting encounter live, identifying the best seats in the house is not as easy a task as it sounds. One moment you may think the seats that give you a central, longitudinal view of the action are the best, but the next moment you want to occupy a seat that is laterally situated, while at still others you become convinced that the seats diagonal to the length of the pitch (or court) are incomparable. No matter which direction you’re seated in, however, one thing remains certain: the closer you are to the centre of the action, the better your experience of witnessing it.

At the first semifinal of the Aircel Chennai Open today – the match between Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Marcel Granollers – I had the chance of sitting as close to the action as is physically possible for a spectator. The VIP box on Centre Court has an unimpeded, almost intimate proximity to the court, with nothing separating you from the players apart from a few feet of open space in the form of the raised platform on which the seats are erected. That’s where I met Mr. Sankara Narayanan K., the Strategic Business Unit Head of Aircel, for an informal discussion on the tournament and Aircel’s role in its functioning.

It takes a while to grab full hold of Mr. Narayanan’s attention though, as he is completely immersed in the proceedings of the match. Roger-Vasselin, the player he is rooting for, has just broken the Granollers serve in the first set, and the underdog (if only slightly) is looking in good touch. “I’m a HUGE tennis fan”, Mr. Narayanan exclaims, and he reinforces that point by letting out a loud ‘whoop’ when Roger-Vasselin smacks yet another forehand winner.

Mr. Narayanan goes on to recount his tennis-playing days, those carefree times when he had a tennis court in his own backyard in Nigeria. He would play to his heart’s content back then, often starting his day by waking up at dawn and rushing to the courts before even having a bite to eat. “I don’t play any more, though”, he says wistfully, as he explains how work and age caught up with his tennis, much to his sorrow.

Sankara Narayanan with Stanislas Wawrinka at the Aircel dinner party on 30th December 2013

The tennis connection, however, remains strong in Mr. Narayanan’s life. With the Chennai Open being such an important part of Aircel’s marketing strategy, it goes without saying that the period of the tournament – usually the first week of January – holds a special place in the schedule of every single person in the organization. And throwing himself headlong into the event comes easily to Mr. Narayanan.

“My sport-watching schedule revolves around three sports – tennis, cricket and F1 – and I find it immensely pleasing that Aircel sponsors major events in two of those sports”, he says with a smile. The other major event he is referring to is, of course, the IPL – Aircel is the shirt sponsor of the Chennai Super Kings, with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni being its brand ambassador.

Meanwhile, Roger-Vasselin has taken the first set 6-2, and Granollers seems either tired from his marathon match against Benoit Paire yesterday, or simply unaccustomed to playing against an attacking, occasionally net-rushing player. Either way, the crowd joins in Mr. Narayanan’s support of the Frenchman, and shouts of “Come on, Roger!” now frequently resonate through the stadium (I suppose it’s a lot easier to shout ‘Roger’ than ‘Roger-Vasselin’).

With his nerves soothed, Mr. Narayanan resumes our conversation. Aircel doesn’t associate itself with only sporting events, he informs me; there are other ventures too, like the Lakme India Fashion Week and Delhi Couture Week. “It’s all about identifying the tastes and interests of the consumers, and establishing our presence in those areas”, Mr. Narayanan asserts.

The idea certainly does make plenty of sense when I think about it, and not just the business kind. These tie-ups act as perfect branding exercises, but in a way they also indirectly help promote the relatively niche crafts like tennis and fashion. Without a bankable title sponsor, it is debatable whether the Indian government would have extended the Chennai Open contract last year, when the future of the tournament seemed in doubt.

And then there are the sponsorships like the one for the ‘Save Our Tigers’ project, through which the assistance to society is more direct and visible. As part of this tie-up, Aircel had organized an art auction wherein the works of 16 accomplished artists from the country depicting the tiger were exhibited and bid for at a gala event, with the proceeds going to the Save Our Tigers enterprise. “It was a win-win situation for everyone – the artists, the visitors to the exhibition, the art collectors, and, of course, the Save Our Tigers project”, Mr. Narayanan reports happily. But almost immediately his eyes narrow and he murmurs darkly, “Roger-Vasselin is making too many errors”, as he watches with consternation Granollers breaking the Frenchman’s serve in the second set.

As Granollers’s comeback gains steam, talk veers to the Aircel a+ initiative and the company’s funding of schools for the underprivileged and the handicapped. “At Aircel we believe in allowing people to be themselves”, Mr. Narayanan reveals. “Rather than giving the underprivileged food or clothes or money, we help make them employable, which ensures not just a secure present for them, but also a better future.”

The memories of Aircel’s feel-good charitable initiatives seem to rekindle his hopes for the match, and he assures me, “Roger-Vasselin will come back and win the third set. He just needs to stop making errors and he’ll be fine”. Roger-Vasselin doesn’t heed that advice though, and promptly gets broken to go down 0-2 in the decider.

Renuka Jaypal and Sankara Narayanan with Vijay Amritraj at the Aircel party on 30th December 2013

Just then Renuka Jaypal, the National Brand Head of Aircel, joins us. “This is the sixth year of Aircel’s association with the Chennai Open, and things couldn’t have been better”, she affirms. Who does she want to win the semifinal? “Roger-Vasselin”, she answers without hesitation. “I like his stylish play”.

Roger-Vasselin seems to agree with that assessment of his game, and almost on cue produces a stylish drop volley to get to break point. Mr. Narayanan, Ms Jaypal and I all get to the edge of our seats to watch the next point, and after a long rally, Granollers coaxes an error out of Roger-Vasselin. The air seems to go out of the stadium.

“Our sponsorship activities are targeted towards increasing our brand recognition at the national level”, Mr. Narayanan says, seemingly trying to take his mind off the happenings on the court. “Whether it is tennis, cricket, fashion or social work, we go to the full extent and ensure we leave no stone unturned to make the tie-up perfect in every way”.

As I reflect on those words I find it hard to disagree, particularly if the example of the Chennai Open is anything to go by. The tournament is well-organized, well-funded and appealing to both players and spectators. With Aircel playing such a major role in its functioning, there’s little reason to doubt the efficacy of the company’s other tie-ups.

The rest of our meeting is spent with our eyes fixated on the drama-filled rallies going on down below. Roger-Vasselin ultimately does break the Granollers serve at 1-2, and once again at 3-2, to establish a lead that he never gives up. The final score reads 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in favour of the Frenchman, and the crowd erupts as Roger-Vasselin celebrates with a ‘namaste’ gesture to the stands.

“We bet on the right man”, Mr. Narayanan says as a parting shot. I am tempted to point out that I never actually did bet on Roger-Vasselin, but I let it go. There’s no real joy in spoiling a party, after all, and a party it certainly is, the Aircel Chennai Open.