MAM
Dentsu Webchutney appoints Ajay Ahluwalia as ECD
MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has roped in Ajay Ahluwalia as executive creative director. He will be based out of the agency’s Gurgaon office. His last stint was with Contract Advertising where he handled some of the biggest brands in the country including Microsoft, Ten Sports and JK Tyres.
With over 20 years of cross-category, cross-platform experience along with a diverse set of exposure spanning sales, marketing, photography, martial arts, and naturally, creative, Ahluwalia is all set to lead the charge for the agency.
The keen motorcyclist and the black belt holder expressed his delight by saying, “I’m excited to join Dentsu Webchutney and the young brigade that is bubbling with energy to break the conventions with digital innovations.”
Not only has Ahluwalia launched brands like Samsung and Bacardi in India, but also has helped nurture names like NIIT, and set up Oxygen – one of India’s first agencies to engage in the digital workspace.
Commenting on Ahluwalia’s appointment, Dentsu Webchutney co-founder and chief creative officer Sudesh Samaria said, “It’s great to have someone of Ajay’s experience onboard in a digital environment, especially when the lines between mainline and digital are blurring as we speak. We look forward to him driving infectious ideas which resonate with the Dentsu Webchutney culture.”
Dentsu Webchutney remains by far, the most awarded agency. Webchutney’s clientele include Airtel, Flipkart, Quikr, Swiggy, Tetra Pak, Canon, Whirlpool, Indusind Bank, Red Bull amongst others.
Brands
From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
