A platform to enrich city's cultural sphere

Chennai: In a bid to boost the art, culture, theatre, music and creative thinking sphere in the city, a group of industrialists, entrepreneurs and corporate executives has formed the Chennai International Centre (CIC).
Modelled along the lines of India International Centre in New Delhi, it hopes to be a cross-cultural integration platform. "We hope to be able to bring out the best in Chennai and currently we have tied up with the Madras School of Economics," said Cognizant vice-chairman Laxmi Narayanan, a trustee of the centre.
"We want to engage with our members and the common public.We want to pursue intellectual debates, engage in meaningful dialogue and stimulate the senses. We could have poetry reading sessions, debates, general discussions, musical performances, theatre. We want to enrich the city's experience when it comes to art, culture and informed conversations," said TVS Capital CMD Gopal Srinivasan, chairman.
The centre, which will start operating from the premises of the Madras School of Economics, hopes to move to its own brick and mortar premises soon.
"We will be inviting eminent personalities, achievers from all walks of life. This is going to be the first non-agenda driven forum in the city that only aims at promoting thought and enriching Chennai's cultural sphere," he added.
It will be the fifth such centre in the country after other such international centres in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Goa and Pune.
CIC will begin with a talk this Friday by Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder and former UIDAI chairman on 'An alternative view of the future'.
V Ravichandar, trustee of the Bangalore International Centre, said both committees would work together for the exchange of ideas.
M S Srinivasan, former secretary for the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, said, "The CIC will work keeping in mind Jawaharlal Nehru words that "Delhi is the country's political capital, Mumbai its economic capital, Madras the intellectual capital and Calcutta the cultural capital. Even today the four metropolitan cities retain their natures. But it is upto us to further enrich the city's intellectual offerings."