MAM
4th edition of IAA Leadership Awards to the best in respective industry
MUMBAI: The 4th edition of IAA Leadership Awards was a glorious affair where the who’s who of the marketing, advertising and media industry got together to facilitate the best work amongst their peers and recognise the stalwarts who are leading their teams best in this dynamic ecosystem. Union Minister of States of Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju was the chief guest and presented the awards to the best creative minds.
The evening also lent itself to many learnings and forward thinking discussions for the industry at large. Viacom 18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats in his opening address defined the three ‘I’s and an ‘A’ as ‘ Inference’, ‘influence’, ‘intuition’ and ‘agility’. Elucidating, Vats said a great leader must infer from the emerging trends that he sees around, must take his contacts and networking seriously and be ready to influence with the resources he has at his disposal, be intuitive with the current changing dynamics and be able to translate his judgement into action quickly.
Speaking on the occasion, IAA’s India Chapter president Srinivasan K Swamy said, “The IAA Leadership Awards are testimony of the inspirational work that industry leaders and creative minds accomplish during the course of the year. Today, we are celebrating the extraordinary work and journey of the industry at large from the year gone by. The campaigns have achieved much success in the brand’s positioning and perception. I congratulate the winners and hope to see such incredible work for years to come.”
Seconding him, IAA Leadership Awards committee chairman Sam Balsara said, “This year, at the 4th IAA Leadership Awards, we have seen some tough competition that has been carried out by teams across industries. The decision-making process has been robust and after deep deliberation, we have finally arrived on the list of winners who have been honoured today. As the evening draws to a close, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the winners and look forward to some great work from them in coming years”.
While Aditya Birla Group CEO Kumar Mangalam Birla took away the CEO of the Year award, ICICI Prudential digital business and marketing EVP and head Manish Dubey, Hindustan Unilever;s Samir Singh, Lenovo marketing director Bhaskar Choudhuri and Maruti Suzuki’s Randhir Singh Kalsi were amongst the few who won the much coveted The Marketer of the Year Awards that were given away in 14 categories. Birla credited his win to his impeccable team which is forward thinking and intuitive to the market changes.
Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO and chairman Ashish Bhasin was awarded with The Media Agency Head of the Year Award. Sharing his joy for being acknowledged for the hard work, Bhasin added, “As late entrants in the industry, it gives me immense joy and pride in the organization’s efforts. We sort of challenged the market with a target to be the second best in the field by 2017. Acknowledgements such as this from such a well recognised body makes me feel that we are on the right track and gives us the confidence to move forward.”
Upon bagging the Creative Agency Head of The Year, BBDO India chairman and CCO, Josy Paul said, “”This is not just a leadership award, it’s a leadership ‘team’ award. I am receiving it on behalf of my partner Ajai Jhala and the amazing leaders at BBDO India who create the outstanding work that gives me this moment of glory. I share it with them. I’m nothing without them.”
In television, Colors CEO Raj Nayak was awarded the Media Person of the year, while India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma was recognised as the Television Anchor of the Year. In the special categories, Bharat Patel was included in the Hall of Fame, while actor Varun Dhawan was awarded as the Brand Endorser of The Year.
The 4th edition of the IAA Leadership Awards recognized the achievements of diverse groups of individuals for their incredible contribution in designing path-breaking and high impact marketing initiatives to strengthen their respective brand’s promise and standing amongst consumers.
Congratulating the winners, Rijiju said, “I am impressed with how the evening and awards have been conceived. IAA is an important body when it comes to championing the marketers. As India is taking its rightful place in the world, the marketing and advertising world is catapulting India even faster. A decade ago, we used to have respect but we were never perceived as leaders. However, today, we receive tremendous recognition abroad. We have begun recognising our leaders – news is getting anchor-specific and editor-centric. Even Narendra Modi is a brand! This is the moment that belongs to India.”
Click here for the complete list of winners.
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Winner List for the 4th Edition of the IAA Leadership Awards |
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CATEGORY NAME |
WINNER NAME |
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Marketer of the Year – Banking |
Karthi Marshan, Kotak Mahindra Bank |
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Marketer of the Year – Insurance |
Manish Dubey, ICICI Prudential |
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Marketer of the Year – FMCG – Food |
Varun Berry, Britannia |
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Marketer of the Year – FMCG – Beverage |
Nadia Chauhan, Parle Agro |
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Marketer of the Year – FMCG – Home Care |
Ajay Dang, Godrej |
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Marketer of the Year – FMCG – Personal Care |
Samir Singh, Hindustan Unilever |
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Marketer of the Year – Auto: Two-Wheelers |
Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter |
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Marketer of the Year – Auto: Passenger Vehicles |
Randhir Singh Kalsi, Maruti Suzuki |
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Marketer of the Year – Consumer Durables |
Ranjivjit Singh, Samsung |
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Marketer of the Year – Mobile Devices |
Bhaskar Choudhari, Lenovo |
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Marketer of the Year – Mobile Services |
Srinivasan Gopalan, Bharti Airtel |
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Marketer of the Year – E-Commerce |
Amit Agarwal, Amazon |
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Marketer of the Year – Home Improvement |
Amit Syngle, Asian Paints |
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Marketer of the Year – Retail |
Sanjay Behl, Raymond |
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CEO of the Year |
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Aditya Birla Group |
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Media Person of the Year |
Raj Nayak, COLORS |
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Television Anchor of the Year |
Rajat Sharma, India TV |
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News Editor of the Year |
Sanjay Gupta, Dainik Jagran |
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Media Agency Head of the Year |
Ashish Bhasin, Dentsu |
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Creative Agency Head of the Year |
Josy Paul, BBDO |
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Hall of Fame |
Bharat Patel |
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Brand Endorser of the Year |
Varun Dhawan |
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
