MAM
ASCI appoints Ram Poddar as new chairman
MUMBAI: The Tobacco Institute of India chairman Ram Poddar has been unanimously elected chairman of the Board of The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Poddar, who was elected by the board on 8 September, has been a member of the board of governors since November 1998 and has provided active support to the Self-Regulation in advertising movement.
Besides being the vice president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, he is also on the Governing Bodies of the Indian Council of Arbitration and International Chamber of Commerce and is also a member of various committees of FICCI and CII.
Cadbury (India) Ltd. managing director Bharat Puri was elected vice chairman and HPC of Hindustan Lever Ltd. managing director Arun Adhikari has been appointed the treasurer.
The other members of the new Board of Governors are: Advertisers: Rajiv Dube (Tata Motors), Shantanu Khosla (P&G Hygiene and Health Care), Media: Bhaskar Das (Bennett Coleman & Co), Vikram Kaushik (Space TV), G Krishnan (TV Today), N Murali (Kasturi & Sons), Ad. Agencies: Sam Balsara (Madison Communications), Madhukar Kamath (Mudra), Pranesh Misra (Lintas), Arvind Sharma (Leo Burnett). Allied Professions: Dilip Cherian (Perfect Relations), Dhananjay Keskar (ICFAI Business School) and Partha Rakshit (AC Nielsen Research Services).
During the year 2004-05, the Consumer Complaints Council of the ASCI upheld 66 per cent of the 157 complaints received, and over 72 per cent of ASCI’s rulings were complied with by the ad industry.
The Council made representations to the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and to the Secretary and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, at their meetings held in February and April 2005, to ensure stronger support for the Council and its self-regulation movement, so that the advertisements contravening the ASCI Code, are stopped.
Both the Ministries appreciated the self-regulatory work being done by the Council and confirmed Government’s support by mentioning that in future, complaints against any advertisements received by them will be directed to the Council.
The Council is represented on three Committees notified by three separate Ministries, through which it has been able to influence government’s policy making on advertising content and to obtain support for the Self-Regulation movement. The I&B ministry committee has decided to recommend a change in the Cable TV Rules by which, contravention of the ASCI Code by any TV commercial, will be considered as a violation of the Cable TV Act.
Poddar stated that the focus of the year would be to get every advertising industry body such as the AAAI, IAA-India Chapter, INS, ISA and IBF, to become even more actively involved with the vital issue of self regulation of advertising, so that Indian advertising continues to set high standards to enhance the confidence of consumers, in advertised products and services particularly those directed at children and women.
MAM
G-Shock launches GA-2100CM series with camouflage design
New sand and grey variants priced at Rs 10,995 each in India.
MUMBAI: Time just got a little more tactical and a lot more stylish. G-Shock has unveiled the GA-2100CM series, a fresh update to its popular GA-2100 line, bringing a camouflage twist to one of its most recognisable silhouettes. For the first time in the 2100 series, the watches feature G-Shock’s original camouflage pattern, subtly embedding the brand’s signature ‘G’ motif into the design. The move signals a shift towards more design-led storytelling, blending rugged functionality with fashion-forward detailing.
The new series introduces two colour variants sand (GA-2100CM-5A) and grey (GA-2100CM-8A) extending the model’s appeal across both streetwear and outdoor-inspired aesthetics. Built around the brand’s signature octagonal bezel and hybrid analogue-digital display, the watches retain a clean, modern look while adding layered visual depth.
Under the hood, the GA-2100CM continues to lean on performance. It features the Carbon Core Guard structure for durability, while maintaining a slim, lightweight profile suited for everyday wear. Functional elements include world time across 31 time zones, a 1/100-second stopwatch, countdown timer, LED light and 200-metre water resistance.
In line with evolving material choices, select components use bio-based resin, pointing to a gradual shift towards more sustainable design without compromising on toughness.
Priced at Rs 10,995, the GA-2100CM series is available across Casio India stores and online platforms.
As watch brands continue to balance utility with identity, G-Shock’s latest drop makes its intent clear, durability may be the legacy, but design is the new frontier.
