MAM
India will host AdAsia conference in 2011
MUMBAI: After a gap of eight years, the Asian Advertising Conference will be held next year in New Delhi from 31 October to 3 November. The theme that was unveiled by Mudra Group CEO and chairman AdAsia 2011 Madhukar Kamath will be ‘The New Certainty.‘
The Times of India Group executive president Bhaskar Das said India had pitched the idea of hosting the conference in 2007 and it was accepted unanimously.
The organising committee of the conference includes Living Media chief executive officer Ashish Bagga; Das and Star India CEO Uday Shankar.
The advisory board of the conference will be chaired by Mahindra & Mahindra vice-chairperson and managing director Anand Mahindra. The board will also comprise of The India Today Group chairperson and editor in chief Aroon Purie; ITC executive Kurush Grant director; Hindustan Unilever CEO MD and group vice-president South Asia Manu Anand; Ogilvy & Mather executive chairperson and creative director, South Asia Piyush Pandey; Network18 Media founder and editor Raghav Bahl; Bennett Coleman and Co., CEO Ravindra Dhariwal and Britannia Industries MD Vinita Bali.
Around 1200 delegates including 45 international delegates are expected to attend the conference.
India had last held the AdAsia conference at Jaipur in 2003.
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Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
