MAM
Allied Media appoints Shilpa Dhanu as head M3 project & strategy team
MUMBAI: Allied Media Network, the media planning, buying and evaluation arm of Percept, has appointed Shilpa Dhanu as Head – M3 Project & Strategy Team.
In her new role, Shilpa Dhanu will be responsible for the Centralised Data Analytics Cell. Based in Mumbai, she will be reporting to Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni and with a core team of senior and junior analysts will take care of research & analytical needs for clients across India.
Shilpa‘s mandate is to assist and steer the strategy team of the company to newer heights. She also will be responsible in creating newer avenues and strategising various offerings of the company for the clients.
Allied Media last year had launched Centralised Data Analytical Cell, a specialised vertical that leverages various strategic initiatives across all media companies of the Percept Group for the clients. It will conduct research and collating data on key sectors and industries on a round the clock basis.
This data will help in giving a tailor made report to the client and will help in effectively measuring all their communication campaigns including ATL, BTL, Social Media, Word of Mouth and other vehicles optimally.
The tools will help as a guide for advertisers of different sectors to effectively bifurcate their communication spends in various vehicles as per consumer behaviour & media efficacy.
Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni commented, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Shilpa in our team. She has a grass root level experience in understanding consumer trends and purchasing behaviour and will add tremendous value in steering our Data Analytics vertical. I am confident that she will drive our unrelenting focus on building and adding constant value for our discerning clients.”
Shilpa Dhanu has more than a decade‘s experience and has worked as senior manager-Consumer Insights – Star India. She also has had a successful stint in UTV, Carat Media Services Ogilvy & Mather, MTV India, Zenith Optimedia, Initiative Media, and CSRIdentity.com where she has been instrumental in handling Research & Strategy for them.
Allied Media GM Strategy Shilpa Dhanu added, “I am really excited to join Allied Media and work on multinational brands and be an active part in their communication strategy. Allied Media has been in a forefront in charting out effective media mix for all their clients. This opportunity comes at an interesting juncture in my career.”
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.
