Event Coverage
LIA to honor Piyush Pandey with Created for Creatives LIA Legend Award
Mumbai: Ogilvy’s former global chief creative officer Piyush Pandey will be accepting the Created for Creatives LIA Legend Award onsite, in Las Vegas on 1 October 2024. Also in attendance will be the LIA jurors, onsite Creative LIAisons attendees and speakers and global press.
London International Awards (LIA), is pleased to honor Piyush Pandey with its 2024 LIA Legend Award. As the man who put Indian advertising on the world map, Piyush is the second creative giant to be bestowed this prestigious award by LIA. He was appointed the executive chairman of Ogilvy India in 2004. He also went on to serve as global chief creative officer for two and a half years. In January 2024, he stepped into an advisory role.
Piyush Pandey – the man, the giant, the force, the phenomenon. Indian advertising’s greatest master and its most humble student. Creativity’s fiercest warrior with the softest heart. He is the man whose ideas have shaped the way an entire generation of Indians have led their lives, built, painted and furnished their homes, enjoyed their chocolates, bought their vehicles, connected with their loved ones, chosen their vacations, voted for their governments, bought their watches, saved their money, done their laundry, sipped their tea, fought illnesses, pandemics and taken pride in their nation.
The LIA Legend Award is given to a leader of the industry, past or present, who through their talent, vision and generosity has demonstrated outstanding creativity. They are those who are relentless and unwavering in their commitment to build up the industry through their indefatigable mentoring, teaching and developing of others.
Creative brilliance and creative leadership are, of course, very important factors. More than that, LIA recognizes people who have selflessly and with great generosity, given their time and their personal attention to further the industry. They are champions of talent at all levels and the defenders of creativity.
LIA president Barbara Levy elaborated, “We look for someone who has reshaped the industry for the better. More than that, it must be someone who not only has a wealth of knowledge and experience, but generously shares it with emerging talent. Piyush has shaped Indian advertising, as well as, gifted his knowledge to the global advertising world. Like all advertising legends, it is his work that tells the best story. Piyush epitomizes all the qualities David Ogilvy said great leaders should possess – bravery, idealism, curiosity, playfulness, candour, intuition, free-spiritedness and persistence.”
LIA chairman Terry Savage further stated, “In giving this award to Piyush, we recognize someone who has openly given back to others in an extraordinary way. Over and above that, Piyush has been a role model, inspiration and creative champion to so many people, people who follow his achievements and because of this have gone on their own creative journey.”
In accepting the honor, Piyush Pandey in his characteristic unassuming manner said: “I am truly delighted and humbled to be the recipient of this award. I believe that my success is based on a lot of team members. Like cricket, even the best player cannot win alone. I have succeeded to whatever extent because of an amazing team; each a rock-star and they make me look good. It has been my great joy and pleasure to be part of LIA and their Creative LIAisons Program, as I believe the learnings of a lifetime should be shared with the next generation. Advertising is a team effort. I am delighted that LIA has considered me and decided to confer the Legend award to me. Wishing my parents were alive to read this news. Thank you LIA.”
As David Ogilvy, a legend himself and the father of advertising, once said: “Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ballpark. Aim for the company of immortals.”
LIA is proud to welcome Piyush Pandey – a man who not only hit it out of the ballpark, but has changed the rules – to the line-up of LIA creative legends already awarded and those to come.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
