Gaurav Bhatia appointed as managing director of Sotheby's India

NEW DELHI: Auction house Sotheby’s has appointed Gaurav Bhatia as the managing director of its Indian operations. The company said the move demonstrates the company’s commitment to provide a greater level of service to its Indian clients and to further develop its calendar of events and activities in the country.

Bhatia will be based at Sotheby’s Mumbai and will work with the company’s international team to serve the collectors in India. He was previously heading marketing for Moët Hennessy India, part of the LVMH group.

“I’m delighted to be joining Sotheby’s dynamic and highly experienced team at such an exciting moment for the art market in India. Sotheby’s was the first international auction house to hold a sale in India and continues to build on this legacy - evident most recently through the opening of a Mumbai office,” said Bhatia.

Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s chairman for India said Sotheby’s has been active in India for almost three decades working with the leading collectors in the country and staging regular events in New Delhi and Mumbai. “We are thrilled that Gaurav has joined us at this exciting stage in our expansion here. The art scene in India has never been more vibrant and at Sotheby’s we are engaging with more people in India than ever before, particularly through our expanded calendar of events, ranging from exhibitions, talks and educational programmes.”

Following Sotheby’s office opening at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai in September 2015, the company has expanded its scale and scope of its activities in the country.

The value of purchases by Indian clients in Sotheby’s global sales has more than doubled in the last four years, with the number of participants in these sales up 45% for the same period of time. The auction house said its digital advances have gained significant traction with Indian clients, with an increase in the number of online bidders and a 12-fold increase in value spent online by Indian clients over the last five years.