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Renowned for its unique twist of innovation, knowledge sharing, music, culture, art and community engagement, MAXI Fair, XLRI Jamshedpur’s flagship festival, is set to enliven the city again. On January 18 and 19, 2025, the 45th edition of the MAXI Fair is set to take place.
This year’s fair promises a two-day extravaganza of high-octane performances, engaging activities, and a celebration of Jamshedpur’s innovative and intellectual spirit.
Way back in 1979, a marketing professor at XLRI Jamshedpur had a unique proposition. Dr. Sharad Sarin conceptualised an event like no other—one that would use a games fair to conduct important market research and gain insights about consumer behaviour.
From this fledgling idea emerged what is now known as MAXI Fair, India’s largest marketing festival. Since then, it has only grown from strength to strength, drawing commendation from marketing gurus like Theodore Levitt and Philip Kotler, and being featured in the Guinness and Limca Books of World Records.
MAXI Fair has proven to be fertile ground for companies to gather marketing insights and analyse consumer behaviour. Industry giants flock to the institute for research results from the events and projects conducted over the two days, and results from the Fair have led to massive strategy decisions in large Indian and global companies.
Success stories include Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and HUL. Nestlé introduced Nestea, ITC ventured into the biscuit market, and PepsiCo implemented packaging changes based on MAXI Fair findings. Procter & Gamble marketed their Herbal Vicks product pre-launch at the Fair, and HUL’s Rs. 100 crore tea brand, Brooke Bond, was launched using these results.
It’s not just companies and marketing stalwarts that appreciate the tradition. Over its legacy of nearly half a century, MAXI Fair has become an eagerly anticipated event in the Jamshedpur social calendar.
Conducted by India’s oldest co-curricular society (est. 1971), the Marketing Association of XLRI (MAXI), the Fair serves as a vibrant family outing for the community of Jamshedpur. The city congregates to enthusiastically attend this beloved annual tradition. People of the city throng the venue to participate in games and attend the multiple sessions.
It’s fun for the entire community—children have singing, dancing, art, and fancy dress competitions, and adults compete in the fashion show and masterchef events. Jamshedpur’s Favourite Family ties everything together as the family with the most points across all events wins.
“MAXI Fair began as a very small idea, a marketing fair by Professor Sarin. It initially didn’t take off or reach the scale that was envisioned, but once students entered the picture and took up the initiative, it completely transformed. Now it’s evolved into an event that’s entirely student-run, and every year they breathe life into this foundation that Professor Sarin had set all those years ago,” MAXI Secretary said.
In this year’s 45th edition of MAXI Fair, the evenings on both days will witness Bollywood stars Nikhil D’Souza and Sonu Nigam taking the centrestage and enthralling the city with their performance. India’s Steel City is gearing up for a high-octane weekend on the 18th and 19th of January at XLRI Jamshedpur, which is India’s oldest business school.
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