Citibank NA: Long term association with the Indian Olympic Association

It was 1996.

Indian economic liberalisation was well under way and Multi National Corporations were commencing Indian operations in a large way. While this was helping the economy, it created the predictable political backlash from far right organisations who began Nationwide protests which even descended into arson and violence, with the torching of several Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets.

Citibank NA, on the other hand, had been operating in India since 1902 as The First National City Bank and from 1976 as Citibank and was looking for a public communication in India, to distinguish it from the post liberalisation MNC invasion and thereby protect its operations, offices and staff in India.

This was the brief we were given

1996 was also an Olympic year. The Indian Olympic Team had become something of a National joke. Our golden era in hockey had long passed and our performances at the international level in other sports, were embarrassing to say the least.

Getting Citibank to sponsor the 1996 Indian Olympic team, was our solution. A high profile MNC associating itself with an Indian nationalist cause that no Indian company would come near. A sponsorship association that would show Citibank as committed to the India national cause and give it a platform to publicise its long association with India at the same time.

The image of the Indian Olympic Team was so poor at the time, that when we announced this partnership at a press conference in Delhi to the incredulous Indian sports media, the room actually broke out into guffaws when Citibank committed to cash prizes for medal winning performances from Indian athletes.

Not to be deterred, we went the whole hog, contracting Ritu Beri to design and make the teams formal wear, Satya Paul to commission special Indian team ties for the 1996 Olympics and Reebok to come in as the supplier of athletic gear. Getting these high profile Indian and foreign brands involved contributed hugely to the team’s feel good factor and created a buzz around India’s 1996 Olympic Team, the likes of which had never been seen before.

This culminated in a glittering send off to the team, organised by us and paid for by Citibank NA at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi. By now this sponsorship was National news.

Then Leander Paes came out of nowhere, to win the bronze medal in men’s tennis singles. Finishing behind only Andre Agassi and Sergei Bruguera he gave India its first even Olympic medal in an individual sport and Citibank NA a public relations bonanza beyond their wildest expectations.

The Aftermath

This sponsorship had proved so successful to Citibank NA in India, that they renewed it to cover the 1998 Indian Asian Games Team, the 1998 Indian Commonwealth Games Team and the 2000 Indian Olympic Team.

Citibank also announce another pioneering initiative in this period. The Citibank Athlete Support Program, that gave desperately needed training funds to promising Indian sportspeople. This was the origins of much better funded and organised athletic support programs such as the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) promoted by Geet Sethi, Prakash Padukone and Viswanathan Anand.

Citibank’s now historic backing of our 1996 Olympic Team, also marked the turnaround of Indian Olympic sport. At the 1998 Asian Games, India won 35 medals, 7 Gold, 11 Silver and 17 Bronze. And at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra gave India its first ever Gold Medal in an individual sport, the 10 metre Air Rifle.

Indian sporting stars have emerged from the unlikeliest of sports. Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom, Dutee Chand, Neeraj Chopra, Hima Das, PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and this list happily continues to grow.

Sponsorship interest in our Olympic Team now includes both foreign and Indian corporates. India’s 2016 Olympic Team was backed by Edelweiss (Principal Sponsor), Reliance Jio (Principal Sponsor and Telecom), Li-Ning (Athletic Apparel), Amul (Dairy), Tata Salt (Food) and Herbalife (Nutritional Health).

This was a sponsorship promotion that ticked every single one of its boxes.