AD Agencies
82.5 Communications Launches, Promising Ingenious Indian Ideas
MUMBAI: WPP’s Ogilvy group has launched 82.5 Communications, an India-specific creative agency catering to Indian companies, Indian startups and entrepreneurs. 82.5 Communications will be headquartered in Mumbai, and also have offices in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Executive Chairman India, Ogilvy, said, "82.5 will meet a key need in the creative services market for an agency that is tailored to help realise the aspirations of emerging Indian companies, entrepreneurs and brands as well as MNCs who want to ‘Indianise’ their brands and forge a connect with Indian audiences." Piyush further added, "Such challenger brands are often very strong in their respective categories or geographies, and invariably seek the same qualities that they themselves exhibited, in their creative agencies: passion, agility, out-of-the box thinking and a deep desire to grow."
Elaborating on this, Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications said, "The focus will be on finding ingenious, bespoke solutions to client’s problems. India has for long had a culture of finding interesting and effective solutions to everyday problems—we are, as a nation, very creative. It’s this creative mindset that we hope to inculcate in 82.5. The rationale for our name, incidentally, is that 82.5 is the longitude of Indian Standard Time. As an agency focussed on Indian entrepreneurship and Indian ingenuity, we felt this name would be apt."
The accounts of Soho Square, another creative agency belonging to the Ogilvy group in India, will now be managed under 82.5 Communications. V.S. Srikanth, who was the Director and CEO of Bates CHI & Partners India, will be the CEO of the new entity, responsible for steering 82.5 Communications in the intended direction, and for implementing plans to deepen and widen 82.5’s engagement with its existing clients.
Samrat Bedi, President-West, Chandana Agarwal, President-North, Sharmista Dev, Head-Kolkata, Naveen Raman, Head-Bengaluru, Siddhartha Roy, EVP Planning, Anuraag Khandelwal, ECD, Mayur Verma, ECD, Mukund Sharma, ECD and Ranadeep Dasgupta, Group Creative Director, complete the core team of 82.5 Communications.
AD Agencies
Goafest 2026 set for 20–22 May in Goa
South Asia’s marquee advertising festival returns with ABBY Awards powered by One Show and promises bigger conversations on creativity and innovation
GOA: The advertising industry’s annual pilgrimage is locked in. The 19th edition of Goafest will take place in Goa from 20 to 22 May 2026, bringing together the biggest names in advertising, media and marketing for three days of ideas, networking and celebration.
Announced jointly by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), the festival will once again host the ABBY Awards powered by One Show 2026 — widely regarded as the region’s most coveted creative honours — recognising outstanding work across advertising and media.
Launched in 2006, Goafest has evolved into the industry’s marquee gathering, drawing more than 2,000 professionals each year. Beyond the awards, the event has become a forum for big debates, future-facing ideas and the occasional industry soul-searching.
Srinivasan K Swamy, president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India, said the festival remains a crucible for industry thought and collaboration. “Goafest has always been a melting pot of ideas, creativity and camaraderie. We aim to spark new conversations, fresh perspectives and fuel the future of advertising and marketing. It is an occasion for the industry to come together, celebrate excellence and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our craft.”
Dheeraj Sinha, president of The Advertising Club, underlined the legacy of the ABBY Awards, now in their 57th year. “Goafest has always been synonymous with creativity, collaboration and industry excellence. The ABBY Awards powered by One Club continue to push boundaries and set new creative benchmarks year after year. In its 57th year, the awards continue to raise the bar, and this year’s edition will be even more inspiring, bringing together the brightest minds in the industry.”
For organisers, the festival has grown beyond a calendar event. Jaideep Gandhi, vice president of AAAI and chairman of the Goafest 2026 organising committee and founder of Another Idea, said the property has become a legacy for the industry. “In its 19th year, Goafest is no longer just an event — it is a legacy we are privileged to carry forward. It is a unifying force that brings together the various industry associations across advertising and marketing under one roof. I am deeply grateful to the stalwarts who envisioned this remarkable property, and it is heartening that some of them continue to be actively involved in its journey.”
The organisers promise that the upcoming edition will dial things up a notch. Mohit Joshi, co-chair of the Goafest 2026 organising committee and chief executive officer of Havas Media India, said the festival is gearing up for a bigger, more immersive format. “Over the past 18 editions, Goafest has evolved into a premier platform that celebrates creativity, innovation and the dynamic transformation of our industry. This year Goafest will be more impactful than ever. It will introduce new formats, immersive engagements and high-calibre discussions that have never been done before.”
“With a larger scale, an inspiring line-up of speakers and a focus on cutting-edge ideas,” Joshi added, “Goafest 2026 is set to redefine the way our industry comes together to learn, collaborate and celebrate.”
Co-hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, the festival continues to position itself as South Asia’s premier advertising gathering — where ideas collide, creativity gets crowned and the industry takes a long, hard look at where it is headed next.
