MAM
Goafest back after two years, to be held in April 2022
Mumbai: After a gap of two years, Goafest 2022 is back for its 15th edition and is set to be held in Grand Hyatt, Goa from 7-9 April 2022. The event that celebrates the achievements of the media and advertising industry, is curated by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC).
The three-day event, which recognises consummate industry talents, will be helmed by Jaideep Gandhi as the chairman of the Goafest 2022 organising committee. Rana Barua has been elected as chairman of the awards governing council for the renowned ABBY Awards 2022. Being organised for the last 50 years, ABBY Awards is a prestigious ad award show which is attended by more than 1500 to 1800 professionals from the marketing, advertising, media, research, and PR fraternity.
“Goafest is the definitive festival for the advertising, media and marketing industry in the sub-continent. This time the festival is coming after a gap of two years and so one can imagine the anticipation the industry professionals will have! We also expect a lot of first-timers this time given a lot of new young talent has joined in these two years. Goafest 2022 will be a good platform to celebrate our industry’s resilience as well as the potential,” said AAAI president Anupriya Acharya, speaking about the fest’s 15th edition.
On Jaideep Gandhi’s appointment as the chairman, she further added, “Jaideep is a seasoned industry professional with vast experience on Goafest. Certainly, it will translate into a delightful and engaging festival experience for all.”
Speaking about the return of the prestigious event, Gandhi said, “It is the illustrious return of Goafest 2022, with its 15th edition, where recognition, innovation, collaboration and celebration all happen under the same sky. Ensuring all safety protocols that are necessary in a post-pandemic world, I believe it’s time for the industry to rediscover the power, joy and magic of connecting once again in the real world. I’m grateful to the previous Chairmen ‘Mr. Nakul Chopra, Mr. Ashish Bhasin’ for the learnings I received from them and thankful to the President of AAAI – Ms Anupriya Acharya for her continuous support and encouragement.”
The Advertising Club president and Times of India president Partha Sinha on the return of the premier event said, “The return of ABBY and Goafest not only marks the return of normalcy in the advertising, marketing and media landscape of India but it also underlines the reason for which most of like this profession – the celebration of excellence. The ABBYs is the highest honour in this country for excellence and we wanted to ensure that we bring the big one back with all its glory. We have used the hiatus to our advantage and the award will witness some big forward movements in this Goafest. Watch this space for more details.”
On Rana Barua’s appointment as the chairman, he added, “Rana has first-hand experiences of organising and winning both creative and media awards. His experience will be hugely beneficial as the chairman of the Award Governing Council. It’s a complex job and we had to entrust the right person with that job.”
Speaking about the forthcoming ABBY’s, Havas Group India Group CEO and The Advertising Club VP and AGC chairman Rana Barua said, “After two extremely tough years for the industry, I am extremely happy to say that ABBY’s is back. ABBY’s has always been recognized as the best in creativity for our industry and winning Abby’s will continue to be an inspiration and motivation for the new generation of marketers, agencies and brand custodians. Since the period of entries will be from 16 February, 2019 to 15th February 2021, I encourage all to come forward and celebrate their best work.”
The awards governing committee for ABBY’s Awards includes:
1. Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua (AGC chairman).
2. Another Idea founder Jaideep Gandhi (Goafest organising committee chairman).
3. Times of India president Partha Sinha.
4. IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha.
5. Aditya Birla Capital Ltd CMO Ajay Kakar.
6. The Advertising Club managing committee member Ajay Chandwani.
7. Times Response senior VP Malcom Raphael.
8. Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya.
9. GroupM Media (India) Pvt Ltd South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar.
10. Madison Communications Pvt Ltd chairman and managing director Sam Balsara.
11. FCB Group India Group chairman and CEO Rohit Ohri.
12. Ogilvy & Mather Pvt Ltd vice-chairperson & chief client officer India Hephzibah Pathak.
MAM
Aparna Bhawal steps down as KFC India CMO after three years
Set to exit by May 2026, launches AB Advisory Group for growth strategy.
MUMBAI: From brand buckets to building her own playbook, Aparna Bhawal is swapping the CMO seat for the founder’s chair. Bhawal has resigned as chief marketing officer of KFC India and its partner markets, drawing the curtain on a three-year stint with the Yum! Brands portfolio. She is currently transitioning responsibilities through March and is expected to complete her exit by May 2026.
The move marks a shift towards entrepreneurship, with Bhawal setting up AB Advisory Group, a venture aimed at working with founders and scaling businesses on growth strategy, execution and commercial focus. The decision, she indicated, has been a long-considered one centred on building a platform that helps companies navigate growth with sharper strategic direction and stronger marketing fundamentals.
With over two decades of experience, Bhawal’s career spans leadership roles across HT Media, The Coca-Cola Company and Procter & Gamble, covering brand building, consumer engagement and business growth across categories.
Beyond corporate roles, she has remained closely involved with the industry ecosystem. She is part of the managing committee of The Advertising Club of India for 2025–26 and serves as an advisory board member at the Indian Influencer Governing Council.
Her contributions have also earned recognition, including features in BW’s Top 100 Marketers list and BW Marketing World’s Most Influential Women list in both 2024 and 2025.
As Bhawal steps into her next chapter, the shift reflects a broader trend in marketing leadership where seasoned operators are increasingly moving from building brands to building businesses.
