AD Agencies
Havas Media bags the integrated media duties of Netmeds.com
MUMBAI: Havas Media, India has bagged the integrated media duties of Netmeds.com, the online pharmacy promoted by Dadha & Company, one of India’s most trusted pharmaceutical companies.
The account size is estimated to be upwards of INR 50 crores and will be handled out of the Bangalore office led by Saurabh Jain, Vice President – South, Havas Media India.
Led by Pradeep Dadha (Founder and CEO), Netmeds.com is a Chennai-based online pharmacy and is one of the first e-commerce sites to provide digital access to prescription medicines, and over-the-counter products including wellness products, vitamins, diet/fitness supplements, herbal products, pain relievers, diabetic care kits, baby/mother care products, beauty care products, and surgical supplies. Netmeds currently has eight fulfilment centres operational in Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad and Kochi. It boasts a long and rich legacy in the pharma industry, since 1914, more than 100 years ago, when the Dadha family first ventured into the pharmaceutical retailing business and later entered into drug manufacturing in 1972. The manufacturing unit, Tamil Nadu Dadha Pharmaceuticals, was later merged with Sun Pharma in 1996. Netmeds began its operations in 2015
Netmeds.com, Founder and CEO, Netmeds.com Pradeep Dadha said, “Netmeds has positioned itself as ‘India Ki Pharmacy’ by providing safe, reliable and affordable medicines to its customers at their doorstep with just a few clicks of the mouse. Since E-commerce is a space that’s ever-evolving, agile and digital-first partners will be key to our deliveries. We found Havas to be in-line with our requirements and are confident that together we will drive the brand towards meaningful growth.”
Havas Media Group, CEO, India and South Asia and CEO – Havas Group, North India, Anita Nayyar said, “Netmeds.com continues a legacy of 100 years of success in the pharmaceutical industry. While we are excited to take on the mandate of yet another pioneer brand, it sure is a challenging win for us, as it operates within a regulated sector plus the online pharmacy space is still at a nascent stage in India. Data analytics will be key in predicting consumer preferences, audience targeting and thus predicting demand with accuracy. Together, with the capabilities of our health & wellness division, Havas Life Sorento, we are positive to create value for the client. We look forward to a long & mutually-fulfilling partnership with Netmeds.”
“Netmeds is a legacy brand and a future-first brand which thrives on technology & innovation which is also the philosophy at Havas Media Group. Havas’ Meaningful Brands framework centered on digital, will be key in mapping the brand chart for Netmeds. According to our research, brands that are meaningful enjoy 60% higher attachment among consumers in the health & wellness industry and have 85% higher chance of repurchase in the E-com sector. We are excited to have Netmeds.com on our roster. This win further bolsters our E-commerce portfolio.” added Mohit Joshi, Managing Director, Havas Media Group, India.
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
