MAM
ASCI got 1000+ complaints against misleading advertising for Department of Consumer Affairs
MUMBAI: Last year, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) had appointed the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to monitor web portal www.gama.gov.in – GAMA being an acronym for “Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements”.
GAMA was launched on 18 March 2015 and has received over 1000 complaints till date. ASCI claims that all GAMA complaints have been diligently processed it in a media release. A majority of these complaints came from individual consumers as well as few consumer organizations like the Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC). The portal received complaints against advertisements of products and services from almost all sectors (telecom, banking, consumer durables, etc. and emerging sectors like e-Commerce) across a range of advertising media (TV, print, web-sites, other digital mediums, etc.). Some of the well-known brands’ advertisements which were complained against were processed by ASCI via GAMA portal and the complaints were upheld by the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC). In all those cases the advertisers either withdrew the advertisements or modified them as appropriate within the stipulated period and compliance to the CCC decisions was assured.
Commenting on the success of GAMA portal, Department of Consumer Affairs secretary C.Viswanath said, “The problem of misleading advertisements is extensive and needs immediate attention. Launch of the GAMA portal is helping us to accomplish the vision we have towards protecting consumers’ interest. The need for the government and a self-regulatory body like ASCI to work together to provide effective and timely grievance redressal to consumers is key to tackle the issue. This model successfully demonstrates “More governance and less government.”
Speaking on behalf of ASCI, its chairman Benoy Roychowdhury added, “ASCI was entrusted with the responsibility of GAMA complaints processing. I am very happy that ASCI has been able to speedily address all 1000 plus complaints received till date. This co-regulation initiative between the government and ASCI, has further enhanced effectiveness of protecting consumers from advertisements which could be making misleading, false or unsubstantiated claims. We wish GAMA, entering its second year, greater success.”
The complaints of misleading advertisements received on GAMA portal, are handled in a three tier system. First complaints are processed by ASCI, the second level of escalation in case of non-compliance to a sub-committee headed by the joint secretary DoCA, under Inter Ministerial Monitoring Committee (IMMC) and in the end, the concerned regulator empowered by law to take action in case of persistent offenders.
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.
