MAM
Anurag Varma appointed as chairperson of advisory wing, Editors Club of India
NEW DELHI: Anurag Varma has been appointed chairperson of the advisory wing of the Editors Club of India, adding seasoned editorial heft to the organisation at a time when journalism is under growing pressure.
The appointment letter was handed over by Amitabh Agnihotri, president of the Editors Club of India, who congratulated Varma and wished him a successful tenure. In his new role, Varma will focus on safeguarding the dignity, rights and independence of journalists across the country.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Varma has worked across television, digital and newsroom leadership roles. He began at Zee TV in 1995, taking on key editorial responsibilities while maintaining a strong emphasis on public interest reporting. From 1997 to 2000, at DD News, he built a reputation as a reliable voice on national politics, governance and public affairs.
Between 2000 and 2007, Varma worked with Reliance Communications, where he played a pivotal role in bridging television news and emerging digital platforms. His longest stint followed at Times Digital, where he served as editor from 2007 to 2024, shaping digital journalism, strengthening social-first storytelling and amplifying national issues across Times Group platforms.
He later served as senior editor at Zee Digital, navigating the shifting dynamics of a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. Varma currently works as a consultant to leading media houses and appears regularly on news channels as a political analyst.
The appointment signals the Editors Club’s intent to anchor its advisory voice in experience, credibility and conviction. In an era of noise, Varma’s brief is clear: defend journalism’s core values and keep the profession honest, independent and relevant.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
