MAM
BE Viacom18 gets John Abraham to promote Arunachal tourism
MUMBAI: Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats knows a good business opportunity when he sees one. From films, televisions, merchandising, events, start-ups to brand building, Viacom18 has expanded itself to several businesses.
Armed with these many touch-point media and brand solutions arms that Viacom18 boasts of, Vats now plans to fill a demand-supply gap in the country’s public sector when it comes to media management.
First step to this goal is BE Viacom18 becoming the media partner for Arunachal Pradesh’s Department of Tourism through its first PPP (public-private partnership) model. And, what’s more, popular Hindi film star John Abraham has been roped in to be the brand ambassador for the project.
BE Viacom is the brand solutions subsidiary of INS, which already takes credit for introducing Chinese technology brand Vivo into the Indian market.
“Arunachal Pradesh is a traveller’s paradise and a land of untold tales. In John we have a celebrity who shares our enthusiasm of weaving the stories of the mystical land into a single narrative of ‘Must See, Must Experience’ Arunachal Pradesh tourism. After all, a journey is best when it is entertaining,” Vats said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
Excited about representing Arunachal Pradesh tourism, Abraham said, “I am honored to have been chosen to promote the tourism of Arunachal Pradesh. I have always been fascinated with North East India: each state has its unique beauty, history and culture. It’s a state rich with culture, mysticism, great people and stunning views. When I’m there, all I need is some music, my boots to walk around and a mind free from all worries to be able to embrace the mesmerizing beauty of Arunachal Pradesh.”
According to Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Secretary Joram Beds, since the focus this year was boosting tourism sector, they needed like-minded partners.
“We found such a partner in Viacom18 who have helped us get John Abraham, a superstar, an adventurer and a great human being on board. John has played a pivotal role in promoting North East India, primarily by putting NEUFC (Indian football league where Abraham owns the football team comprising players from N-E) on the map of sports. We believe our association with him will strengthen our purpose of putting out our state as a prominent tourist destination,” the government official added.
One of the unexplored lands of the country, Arunachal Pradesh can be best described as India’s mystical land. The largest state of the North-East region, or Seven Sisters as the states are known as, Arunachal with the least population density claims to be the perfect detox from a bustling city life.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
