MAM
CBC finds 10 agencies eligible for digital advertising empanelment
Amazon Ads, Paytm parent One 97 and Inshorts among firms called for presentations
NEW DELHI: The government’s digital ad roster is getting a little more crowded. The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) has shortlisted 10 agencies as technically eligible for its digital advertising services empanelment process, bringing a mix of platforms, ad-tech firms and digital specialists into the next round.
The agencies have been called to make technical presentations on 27 August as part of the CBC’s empanelment process for Category-I media agencies under its 2026 RFP for digital advertisement services.
The eligible firms are One 97 Communication Ltd, Auburn Digital Solutions, Inshorts India Advertising and Services, Verse Innovation, Amazon Ads, Puretech Internet, Blink Digital India, PivotRoots Digital, YAAP Digital and Momentus Digital Media.
The presentations will take place at the CBC conference room at Soochna Bhawan, New Delhi, from 12 pm onwards. Each agency will get a maximum of 15 minutes to make its case.
The shortlist follows the technical evaluation conducted under the RFP, with the Technical Evaluation Committee meeting on 10 August. The agencies were informed of their eligibility through an advisory issued on 18 August, clearing them for the presentation stage.
The line-up makes for an interesting mix. Amazon Ads, One 97 Communications, Inshorts and Verse Innovation bring a distinctly platform-led presence, while agencies such as PivotRoots, YAAP, Blink Digital and Puretech add digital marketing and performance expertise to the potential roster.
For the CBC, the exercise is more than simply adding names to an agency list. The empanelment will create a pool of digital advertising service providers that can potentially support communication and advertising campaigns for government ministries, departments and public sector entities.
Agencies appearing before the committee have been asked to send authorised representatives carrying valid photo identification and an authorisation letter.
The 27 August presentations will now become the next filter in the process, with the technically eligible agencies seeking to progress further towards empanelment under Category-I.
