MAM
Vijay Amritraj’s First Serve inks marketing deal with USVO
MUMBAI: USA Video Interactive Corp. has signed a formal sales and marketing agreement with First Serve International, LLC (“First Serve”) in accordance with the memorandum of understanding that was signed by USVO and First Serve in May.
“We feel that USVO’s MediaSentinel product provides for a very strong deterrence and tracking tool against the menace of piracy and the billions of dollars lost to it,” said First Serve International chairman Vijay Amritraj.
First Serve has begun introducing MediaSentinel to post-production and production companies and studios around the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East where it has exclusive rights to market the digital watermarking tool.
MediaSentinel is an anti-piracy device that embeds “SmartMarks”- invisible forensic information in every frame of video content – providing the proof courts need to convict the individuals who steal the original material, thereby protecting intellectual property rights.
Its use by producers and distributors of film and television content allows unprecedented, secure access to a wide range of distribution markets and methods which otherwise represent a significant piracy risk.
As part of the agreement, First Serve has the rights to market and sell MediaSentinel on an exclusive basis in Asia, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
“For our company to have developed a strong foundation to enter the market through First Serve is a significant milestone for USVO. This allows us access to several regions of the world, which are plagued with piracy issues. With this formal agreement completed, we can move forward together to market MediaSentinel,” said USVO president Edwin Molina.
First Serve has an experienced executive team consisting of Vijay Amritraj, Edward Borgerding and Munish Gupta.
Amritraj is a tennis legend, successful actor, entertainment entrepreneur, television commentator and United Nations messenger of peace. Borgerding spent 20 years with The Walt Disney Company, most recently as executive vice president for Walt Disney International – Asia Pacific with overall responsibility for Disney’s extensive business interests in that region, including all studio divisions, consumer products, ABC Television and theme parks. Gupta, on the other hand is an accomplished former journalist, and over a 19-year period.
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.
