MAM
Weekend Unwind with: advertising veteran and author Jayshree Sundar
Mumbai: IndianTelevision.com is kicking off an informal, fun series titled ‘Weekend Unwind with.’ It’s a peek into the mind of corporate executives – akin to a virtual water cooler chat. An attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better. By having them share their nuggets on life and their mantras to deal with the curveballs that life throws – not necessarily revolving around work life – and sometimes going beyond work.
We set the ball rolling with Jayshree Sundar – an industry veteran with over two decades of illustrious career in advertising, helming agencies such as Leo Burnett and Lintas. Sundar is also a published author of books such as “Don’t Forget 2004: Advertising Secrets of an Impossible Election Victory,” and “The Tambram’s Recipes.”
So here goes…
ü Your mantra for Life – “Make every minute count”
ü A Book you are currently reading – “Deep Focus: Reflections On Cinema by Satyajit Ray”
ü When was the last time you tried something new? – “Started writing books in 2018. I have three published books in four years!”
ü What’s on top of your bucket list? – “To write a web series”
ü Life lesson you learned the hard way – “Don’t judge a book by its cover”
ü What gets you excited about life? – “Road trips into small places”
ü A piece of advice to your younger self? – “To have taken up the many modelling offers which came my way. In short- to experiment more”
ü One thing you would most like to change about the world? – “Hatred based on caste, colour, and religion”
ü Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic – “Counting my steps and being active mentally and physically”
ü Your comfort food – “Bengali food”
ü When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going – “This too shall pass”
ü Your guilty pleasure – “A good romantic film”
ü An activity that keeps you motivated/charged during tough times – “Working on my next lecture or analysing and writing about interesting films or events”
ü What lifts your spirits when life gets you down? – “Getting on a call with friends/family and having a good conversation on diverse subjects”
ü Your go-to stress buster – “Listening to a good podcast”
ALSO READ | Indian general election is largest target audience one is ever going to deal with: Jayshree Sundar
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.
