Aug 13 2025 to Aug 13 2025 6:30 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Insider accounts from political aides, bureaucrats, and diplomats have long illuminated the workings of power—but even more enigmatic were the lobbyists. Operating in the shadows, often invisible to public scrutiny, they were intimately privy to clandestine negotiations, back-channel discussions, and subtle bureaucratic skirmishes. In his new roman-à-clef For No Reason At All, Ramjee Chandran shines a light on this hidden world.

Chandran—well‑known in Bangalore as a journalist, publisher, and podcaster—has, until now, remained silent about his time as a lobbyist in 1980s New Delhi, a pivotal era just before major economic reforms took hold.

Drawing from real events, the novel charts the journey of a young lobbyist caught in a high-stakes conflict over silicon metal—a material deemed strategically vital. Central to the drama is Metkem Silicon, which, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, devoted 17 years to developing indigenous silicon metal technology. Yet their efforts collided with a rival scheme spearheaded by the Department of Electronics, which wanted to bypass local innovation and import U.S. technology.

What ensued was a four‑year bureaucratic war: media leaks, secret memorandums, and the covert involvement of the Soviets and other intelligence agencies—culminating in a final decision placed in the hands of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Set against the backdrop of Cold War Delhi on the cusp of liberalisation, the novel paints a vivid portrait of a nation—and capital—torn between ideologies and ambitions. The Soviet Union may have vanished, lobbyists have receded from public corridors, and few can claim first‑hand knowledge of that era.

In Confessions of a Lobbyist, Siddharth Raja—a lawyer, historian, and bibliophile—sits down with Ramjee Chandran to peel back the layers of this story, offering an insider’s glimpse into a world that feels at once distant and disarmingly relevant.

Speakers

Ramjee Chandran
Author, Journalist & Media Entrepreneur
Ramjee Chandran is author, journalist and media entrepreneur with decades of experience. His novel, For No Reason at All was released in January 2025 and he has been signed up to write his next book, The History of Bangalore—a work of scholarship crafted as narrative history. He is host of the podcasts, “The History of Bangalore”—a rich dive into the history of his hometown and “The Literary City”—a literary podcast that features authors acclaimed internationally.  He plays jazz guitar at the professional level—and chess with astonishing mediocrity.

Siddharth Raja
Senior Partner, Vertices Partners
A seasoned corporate lawyer, Siddharth focuses on private equity and venture capital transactions; foreign-exchange law and enforcement; and on cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions. His love for history has led him to run a successful historical walking tour company – along with his wife, Priya – Nandi Valley Walks. In his spare time, Siddharth pursues historical research on the Princely State of Mysore.