MAM
VH1, Nokia, Pepsi team up for Mark Knopfler concert
MUMBAI: ‘The Sultan of Swing’ Mark Knopfler is all set to rock Mumbai this evening 5 March. The former Dire Straits singer who has become an icon for his incredible guitar playing will perform in the suburb of Bandra which will be followed by a concert in Bangalore on Monday.
Music channel VH1, Pepsi and Nokia have partnered for the event which is being organised by DNA Networks. VH1 will have interview clips with the artiste as well as clips from the concert. Over the past few days Nokia has been conducting a ‘Sultan Of Swing’ contest. Fans had to visit Nokia Priority deals. They had to answer simple questions after listening to Dire Straits music ay specially created Nokia listening posts. People could win merchanidise in the form of T-Shirts, caps, lyric books, a special collectors’ pack. One person gets a ticket to see the concert from a lounge. Nokia partnered with Radio city and Go for the contest.
Hutch chief marketing officer Harit Nagpal pointed out that music was a powerful platform for the company to connect with the youth. “We will continue to support efforts to bring global superstars to India. In the past we have associated with Sting, Enrique Iglesias and Shaggy.” DNA Networks MD T. Venkat Vardhan said that though there were no tax breaks given in Mumbai the company had decided to go ahead. This explains the high ticket price of Rs. 2500.
“We will see the response the concert gets. As it is there are many people who ask for a complimentary pass. On top of that I have to pay tax. If this situation continues then I would prefer to have concerts in Bangalore. We will be bringing down another high profile pop artiste in September.” It may be recalled that Sting had given Mumbai the heave ho a few months ago for precisely this reason.
Knopfler says, “Songwriting has its own laws. I think of myself as being a jack of a few trades and a master of none. I don’t think that I would be the best person to give advise to upcoming musicians. I play all wrong. People ask me if I ever get bored with what I am playing and the answer is yes. Sometimes I fall asleep playing. The beauty about a concert is that you never know exactly where a song is going to go. Also you never know what might inspire you to do a great composition.”
What attendees can expect: The concert will feature “flying lights”, 100,000 watts of sound and a ‘galaxy’ backdrop. Knopfler will take Mumbai through the “Walk of Life” and also give them Money for Nothing.
For the first time ever in a concert in India, ‘flying lights” are being used. The lights will be suspended 40 feet from the ground and will be arrayed to give a ‘four-finger’ effect. Fifty moving heads of intelligent lighting will be lit up at split- levels. One of the world’s best sound systems that’s available in the country V-DOSC is being used to output 100,000 watts of sound.
All this will be against a backdrop of an LCD Star cloth that will produce a remarkable ‘galaxy’ effect of stars on the 3000 sq ft stage. Knopfler has brought 10 tonnes of personal music equipment, including 36 guitars. The guitars will include Fenders, Martins, Les Pauls, a Gretsch 6120, a Drugan Arch Top and an Epiphone. The band line up comprises of Mark Knopfler lead guitar and vocals), Glenn Worf (bass), Chad Cromwell (drums), Richard Bennett (guitar), Guy Fletcher (piano), Matt Rollings (piano, organ and accordion).
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.
