Brands
ASCI to improve social media presence, strengthen monitoring of digital advertising: Rohit Gupta
MUMBAI: The newly appointed Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) chairman of the board of governors Rohit Gupta will be putting a strong emphasis on the process of improving the digital advertisements. He made his thoughts known to Indiantelevision.com moments after his appointment was formally announced at the board meeting following the 33rd AGM of the council on Thursday in Mumbai.
“We will be bringing in a very strong process for monitoring digital advertisement as we did for traditional media, as digital today is the fastest growing medium in India,” he said.
Rohit Gupta is the president of Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) and is also a director at several industry bodies in India like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IFB), Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), and Media Research Users Council (MRUC).
Gupta also shared that the council is going to continue working towards increasing consumer awareness about the advertising norms. He hailed the government for introducing the Consumer Protection Bill and showed positivity that the brands and endorsers today are being more responsible towards the advertising process.
“I want to continue increasing consumer awareness towards ASCI. Last year, I am proud to say, that the council did a great job in doing that. We saw a 30 per cent rise in the overall complaints filed at ASCI, crossing the 6000 mark. We want to keep building on that,” he mentioned.
Gupta added that for this, he will be putting a strong emphasis on strengthening the social media presence of the council on channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ASCI did a commendable job last year in raising consumer awareness. As highlighted at the board meeting, the council saw a 37 per cent rise in complaints received on its GAMA portal, and a 30 per cent rise in the total complaints received. The council is receiving more than 50 complaints every day on WhatsApp after the rollout of ASCI complaint scroll on TV channels, a handbook issued by it reveals.
After getting the compliance of TV partners, Gupta is now willing to get INS on-board to curb the menace of misleading and fake advertisement. He also wants the brands to monitor their own ads and be responsible for their conduct.
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.
