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Times Now Heroes honours humanity’s unsung champions in inspiring launch
Mumbai: The inaugural edition of Times Now Heroes, powered by Bennett University and The Times Group, launched today with a heartfelt ceremony celebrating courage, resilience, and compassion. The event, presided over by Bennett University, Chancellor, Vineet Jain and The Times Group, MD, honoured individuals whose selfless actions transform lives and uplift society.
Among the heroes celebrated were head constables Seema Devi and Suman Hooda of the Delhi Police, whose dedication to Operation Milap led to the rescue of 104 trafficked children across three states in just nine months. Their relentless commitment brought hope and joy to countless families, highlighting the enduring power of humanity and compassion.
Reflecting on their journey, Devi said, “We don’t wear uniforms when on duty. When we find a child, we help them understand, just like a mother or a sister and create a connection.” She underscored the rising danger of social media crimes targeting adolescents, urging vigilance and efforts to prevent human trafficking.
Hooda shared her pride in reuniting families, stating, “We have to attach emotionally with the kids and families to trace them. It’s impossible to do this without emotions. Kids listen to us as guiding figures, even when they won’t listen to their parents.”
Jain emphasised the shared vision of Times Now and Bennett University in celebrating real-life heroes, stating, “Our mission with Times Now Heroes is to bring to light the extraordinary power of ordinary individuals who lead with compassion, courage, and purpose. This initiative reflects the very essence of impactful storytelling—where real-life heroes inspire millions, acts of courage and selflessness transform lives and strengthen the very fabric of our society.”
Bennett University’s partnership with Times Now Heroes reinforces its commitment to nurturing future leaders and amplifying voices that inspire positive change. “Bennett University is not only building careers but also nurturing minds that will leave an indelible mark on society,” added Jain.
NATIONAL: Amazon Ads has laid out a sharply tech-led vision for the advertising industry in 2026, arguing that artificial intelligence, streaming TV and creator partnerships will combine to turn brand building into a more precise, performance-driven business.
At the heart of the shift, the company says, is the fusion of AI with Amazon’s vast trove of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, allowing advertisers to move beyond blunt reach metrics to campaigns designed around real customer behaviour.
“The future of advertising is not about reaching more people, but the right people with messages that resonate,” said Amazon Ads India head and vice president Girish Prabhu. “By combining AI with deep customer insights, we help brands move from broadcasting campaigns to having meaningful conversations wherever audiences spend their time.”
One of the biggest changes, according to Amazon Ads, will be the collapse of the wall between media planning and creative development. Retail media, powered by first-party data, is increasingly shaping everything from brand discovery to final purchase, pushing marketers to design campaigns around audience insight rather than internal instinct.
AI is also moving from a support tool to a creative engine. Agentic AI, which automates and accelerates production, is expected to make high-quality creative accessible even to small businesses, compressing weeks of work into hours and giving challengers the ability to compete with larger brands on speed and scale.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics will take on a bigger role in campaign optimisation, identifying patterns, spotting opportunities and recommending actions that would previously have required teams of analysts.
Streaming TV is another big battleground. With India’s video streaming audience now above 600 million and connected TV users at 129.2 million in 2025, advertisers are set to treat streaming not just as a branding channel but as a performance engine, measured increasingly by sales, sign-ups and bookings rather than just reach.
Finally, Amazon Ads sees creators and contextual advertising reshaping how brands tell stories. Creators will act less like influencers and more like long-term partners, while scene-aware ads on streaming platforms will allow brands to insert hyper-relevant offers into the flow of what viewers are watching.
Taken together, Amazon Ads argues, these shifts mark a move towards advertising that is both more human and more measurable, where AI handles the complexity, and creativity does the persuading.
