MAM
Nimbus ties in main sponsors for Afro-Asia Cup
MUMBAI: Nimbus Sport, commercial rights holder for the upcoming Afro-Asia Cup cricket tournament, has sold the title and Asia team sponsorship rights to Standard Chartered and Hero Honda respectively. The Africa team sponsorship has been secured by Sahara Computers, the infotech division of the Sahara Group.
With the title sponsor being Standard Chartered, the Cup has been rechristened, ‘The Standard Chartered Afro Asia Cup 2005’.
The Afro-Asia Cup is being jointly organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) with the inaugural edition in South Africa being played from 17-21 August. The 2006 tournament will be in Asia and the 2007 tournament will be in Africa. All three Afro-Asia Cups will consist of three One Day Internationals each played as day-night games between Asia and Africa, with the teams being drawn from the best players of the respective continents. The ICC has granted official ODI status to all matches.
Nimbus Sport International CEO Digvijay Singh said, “We are delighted to welcome Standard Chartered Bank to the Afro Asia Cup sponsor family. As a globally respected international bank that has strong presence in Africa and Asia, Stan Chart is an ideal partner. With this event appealing to audiences from seven cricketing nations and with the global broadcast plan on TV as well as the Internet, we are looking forward to the Standard Chartered Afro Asia Cup 2005 being the first of a great series of events.”
The lead-up to the tournament has been marred, however, by the pullout of two key members of the Asian squad – India’s Mr Dependable Rahul Dravid and Sri Lanka’s master blaster Sanath Jayasuria.
Nimbus paid $ 12 million to the Asian Cricket Council to secure commercial rights to the Afro-Asia Cup cricket for the next three years and says it plans to introduce several television licensing innovations in this and subsequent tournaments.
Broadcasters of the Tournament:
India: Zee TV and Zee Sports
Pakistan: ARY Digital
Sri Lanka: Rupavahini
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Television
Middle East: ARY Digital
African Continent: Supersport
UK: Zee International
USA: Zee International
Nimbus Sport International will broadcast the tournament over broadband internet on www.willow.tv.
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.
