Over the next four days from Wednesday, the sprawling Infosys campus in Mysore will play host to one of the most sought after shows on the Net. “TED [Technology, Entertainment and Design] talks,” in India for the first time, brings together top achievers from various fields on one stage. They will make presentations strictly for 18 minutes. Why 18 minutes you may ask? There is no answer, but the USP (unique selling proposition) of the 25-year show has made it hugely popular. Webcast after the event, it is amongst the most downloaded set of videos in the world.
The theme for TEDIndia on Wednesday is “The Future Beckons.” The ‘thought leaders’ who will talk include global health expert Hans Rosling, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, scientist R. A. Mashelkar, CEO of Zappos.com Tony Hseih, playwright Eve Ensler, singer Usha Uthup, dancer Mallika Sarabhai.
The TEDIndia organisers expected around 400 participants, but were overwhelmed by the deluge of applications from around the world. “We registered around 800 attendees, a number that far exceeded our expectations. For many, the “TED talks” was the main attraction, and visiting India an added incentive,” says Lakshmi Pratury, co-host of TEDIndia.
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The event will be a fast-paced stage programme featuring, in addition to the 18-minute talks, music, stand up comedies, dances, short talks, video interludes and other surprises. Apart from the speakers, TED has a list of 100 fellows who will be part of the audience.