MAM
Wondrlab ropes in Bhavesh Kosambia as content lead
Mumbai: Wondrlab, one of India’s leading platform-first Martech networks, has appointed Bhavesh Kosambia as its content lead. As a part of strengthening its creative leadership team, Kosambia will report to co-founder & chief creative officer Amit Akali and lead a set of key accounts and talent.
Kosambia has been around in the advertising industry for more than two decades, most recently as group creative director at Grey. He’s handled and built national and international brands like Audi, Coke, Ferrero, Gillette, Eureka Forbes, Reliance, Zee TV, Parle, Paras, Marico, and ITC. He has won various national and international awards, such as those from Cannes, One Show, the New York Festival, Adfest, and Spikes Asia. He’s even served on numerous juries, including the grand jury for the New York Festival.
The last few years, he’s been focusing on his skills as an ad filmmaker and director. His films Tanishq “Raksha Bandhan” and Gillette “Soldier” have been among the top popular ones in the last couple of years.
At Wondrlab, he will use his skills as a creative leader, thinker, and ad film director. Akali explained, “I’ve been lucky to work with Kosambia in the past, both as a creative person and as a filmmaker. He’s done some of our best work as a director, and I’ve seen him work his magic as a creative team leader. He’s one of those rare people who is constantly learning and evolving. And I’m sure he’ll quickly get down to doing cutting-edge, platform-first, tech-led work.”
He further goes on to say, “We are also clear that in-house talent is going to get all possible opportunities, especially with our in-house production set up—Kosambia has already directed a few films for us, including the recent “Karva Chauth” film for Bharat Matrimony. Most importantly, he’s someone our clients can depend on as a partner and support system to build their brands.”
Kosambia adds, “I have always believed that any place is made by the people who work there, and my association with Wonderlab and What’s Your Problem for the last couple of years has just proved me right again. The energy, dedication, and quest for doing something different exhibited by Amit Akali, Rakesh Hinduja, and Saurabh Varma can only be experienced if you work with them. The place is currently buzzing with talented and hungry people looking for good work, as well as equally hungry clients looking for good work. Honestly speaking, I feel like an extended family that has come to feast at a table where everyone is already enjoying whatever they are supposed to do. And I am sure I too will be able to join the party.”
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.
