MAM
Life is much more than mad rush: Smile India’s Shifa Maitra
NEW DELHI: The novel coronavirus pandemic has left the whole world in a lurch with people going through a tough time. Quarantined in homes, there is a lot of regular hustle that the working class is missing these days but according to Shifa Maitra, the creator of ‘Smile India’ podcast for IVM, what these days of social distancing are rightfully teaching the world is that life is much more than being in mad rush all the time.
Currently working from home, Maitra feels it is a welcome change to not rush to work through maddening city traffic. However, she makes sure that she is well dressed and works regularly and takes brisk walk during the breaks.
She is looking at the brighter side as she does with her podcast. Speaking about the same, Maitra told us, “The idea behind the podcast was that as Indians we put a lot of premium on goodness and values. But somewhere across all the media, be it newspapers or television, or social media, we are only hearing the negatives. We are only discussing what is going wrong. But there are many things that are happening right as well. I thought there is a need to highlight that.”
She reveals that listening to podcasts like hers and watching meaningful and educational content, which many creators are working on for these times, one can look at things differently and relax a bit.
She also lauded the efforts that medical practitioners and several other people are making to contain the virus. “When you are sitting and cribbing about the fact that you can’t go to movie hall, there are a lot of people who are leaving their families behind and are working in hospitals.”
Maitra concluded that people should use this time productively and not let their spirits go down.
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.
