MAM
DDB Mudra & WARC launch India’s first strategy evening
MUMBAI: Advertising is all about creativity, but strategy is what keeps it on course. In an industry first, DDB Mudra Group has partnered with WARC to host Portfolio Evening: Strategy Edition in Mumbai on 26 November 2025, offering young strategists a chance to shine.
Open to professionals with zero to five years of experience, the event invites participants to present their work in 20-minute sessions before a jury of India’s leading strategy experts. Registrations are open until 15 November, and applicants must submit two pieces of work from their portfolio or developed in response to briefs, demonstrating their ability to spot consumer insights, define problems, and craft strategic recommendations.
The evening promises direct feedback from some of the country’s most respected strategic minds, including Sideways Consulting former CSO Aditi Patwardhan; Leo CEO – South Asia Amitesh Rao; TBWA India CSO Anirban Mozumdar; and DDB Mudra Group president and managing partner – growth and strategy Menaka Menon, among others.
The winner will receive exclusive access to WARC’s coveted thought leadership series, Creative Impact Unpacked from Cannes, taking the learning beyond the competition. The evening will also mark the launch of WARC’s Future of Strategy 2025 report in India for the first time. The report maps the evolving role of strategic planning in an AI-driven, rapidly fragmenting media landscape, offering key insights shaping global agency practices.
This inaugural event aims to nurture the next generation of strategy talent, connecting them with industry leaders while showcasing how sharp thinking can transform ideas into impactful campaigns. With creativity in the spotlight and strategy taking centre stage, this is one evening Mumbai’s advertising world will not want to miss.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
