MAM
ASCI takes pro-active initiatives; hires COO
MUMBAI: With the government and consumer bodies making noises about titillating and misleading TV ads, the Indian advertising industry is working on getting its act together.
Take the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a body which works as the industry watchdog. Today, it announced that it was taking a few measures to ensure that it becomes more effective.
One it said that, it has now started tracking – through National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) – print and TV ads nationally against which complaints are upheld.
And it says it is ready to crack the whip on violators – it has highlighted that it will report them to the relevant statutory authorities, if they choose to ignore its directions and continuing airing ads without removing or changing objectionable portions.
The second initiative it has undertaken is to speed up the decision making process in the face of a spurt in complaints by introducing an additional consumer complaints council (CCC) which will allow weekly meetings instead of the fortnightly cycle as is the norm now. This will further reduce the average complaint adjudication time.
Thirdly, it has appointed Shweta Purandare as chief operations officer (COO) to drive complaint investigation, redressal and follow-up.
“ASCI has been continually innovating to protect the interests of the consumers and all these initiatives are steps towards that,” says ASCI chairman Arvind Sharma. “The proactive tracking by NAMS earlier, of all newly released ads in print and TV and now of all upheld complaint ads and reporting non-compliance to statutory bodies is likely to help substantially in moving towards the goal of eradicating misleading ads. Appointment of a COO and an additional CCC will go a long way in ensuring speedier and more effective complaint redressal process.”
MAM
Nikita Kandhari expands role at Prime Video India
Senior leader now heads content marketing for hindi slate while retaining principal position.
MUMBAI: Nikita Kandhari just levelled up her Prime Video game because when you’re already scripting hits, the next move is to own the whole Hindi storyline. Nikita Kandhari has taken on an expanded leadership role at Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, now heading content marketing for the Hindi slate covering original series, movies, and licensed titles while continuing as principal for content marketing.
Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Kandhari wrote, “I’m excited to share that I’m stepping into an expanded role, leading content marketing for the Hindi slate… The past year has been an intense period of learning across building new IPs, shaping campaigns, and working more closely than ever with cross-functional teams. I’m grateful for the trust, mentorship, and collaboration that made that growth possible.”
In her broader mandate, Kandhari will shape integrated, audience-first marketing strategies for Prime Video’s growing Hindi content portfolio, aiming to deepen engagement with India’s booming streaming viewers through thoughtful, culturally attuned campaigns.
Kandhari brings nearly two decades of experience across media, FMCG, and advertising. Before Amazon, she held key roles at Netflix, Hotstar, Unilever, Ogilvy & Mather, and began her career in 2008 as a Research Analyst at The Nielsen Company. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy/Leadership from the Indian School of Business.
Her expanded remit arrives as Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios continue to scale their Hindi originals and licensed offerings in one of the world’s most competitive and fast-growing streaming markets. For a platform betting big on regional storytelling, placing someone with Kandhari’s blend of strategic depth, creative campaign experience, and cross-industry insight at the helm feels like the perfect plot twist to keep viewers hooked.
