So, when Mahesh Babu and Nandini Mahesh, a husband and wife team, decided to throw in their life's savings into a company whose prime purpose was to promote Indian performing arts through conceptualisation of corporate events, some two years ago Banyan Tree was an apt name. It also matched their intention to remain deep rooted in this field.

Though both Nandini and Mahesh have gone through the regular nine-to-five grind, music which forms the bulk of their work always stirred their souls. Mahesh, besides being a trained geo-physicist who worked with ONGC for a decade, is a qualified musician. He haslearnt the tabla and the santoor. Nandini, an ad-film-maker and an ex-teacher of Sociology, is a trained vocalist.

And it is this insiders' view and understanding which has enabled them to create corporate events whose effects outlast the hangover of a cocktail party. For instance, people are still talking about the fusion concert that brought together Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Louis Banks, Vikku Vinayakram and Karl Peters, for Standard Chartered Bank. Katha Darpan, a week-long lec-dem by Pandit Birju Maharaj and Mystic Folk Music of India for The Enduring Image exhibition are other such events that have lingered on in the public memory.

And Banyan Tree's involvement is complete in these events. From the first seed of the idea to the final presentation, each detail invites, lights, travel plans, stage decor and food -- are all tuned in to rhyme with the main event. "A company wanted to serve alcohol during a folk music concert it wanted to organise. We backed out because we didn't see any reason whyfolk music shouldn't be accorded the same respect as a Classical music concert, where such a thing would have never come up," says Nandini.

While event organisation fulfilled one part of their plan -- to promote quality art and artistes -- music remains the mainstay of their ambition. So much so that they decided to jump into a sea of big sharks like HMV, Times, and TIPS with their own niche music label called Ninaad -- distributed by BMG Crescendo. It focuses on Indian Classical, authentic folk, world music and inspiring talks. And the two-year-old label has already bought out 10 albums which includes a rare recording -- Eesha by Mukul Shivputra, the reclusive genius son of Kumar Gandharva.

And getting rare soundbytes seems to be Ninaad's forte. Their recent album, Mystic Love took three years of research from sourcing traditional singers of Meera bhajans to the translation of the original Rajasthani lyrics. Says Mahesh, "We might not be at par with the big companies as far as resources go but we areequals when it comes to the knowledge of technology, market understanding and presentation." A fact easily verified if you run a search for Ninaad on the net -- a site rates this label very highly and is selling each album for $14. "Someone must have come and picked up cassettes in bulk here," laughs Nandini. But it's a broad hint, and international marketing is next on the agenda. But right now, it is their latest album, Deeper Zone, which is filling the tiny office with excited talk. And seeing them, only one thought arises: If inclination and knowledge meet, they make beautiful music together.