MAM
IAA leadership awards to be presented on 25 July
Mumbai: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) will present its prestigious leadership awards on 25 July in Mumbai. These awards are presented to the leaders of the marketing fraternity who have excelled in their respective fields.
Committee chair Nandini Dias said, “We are privileged to have a prestigious all-CEO jury panel headed by the indomitable RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka, along with other eminent jury members: INSPACe chairman and Mahindra & Mahindra ex-MD & CEO Pawan Goenka; ITC divisional chief executive – foods Hemant Malik; Titan Company chief executive officer-watches and wearables division Suparna Mitra; PhillipCapital India managing director & CEO Vineet Bhatnagar; Cuemath chief executive officer Vivek Sunder; and Transsion India CEO Arijeet Talapatra.”
“Over the years, we have come to evolve a streamlined and structured process that takes into account rigorous data points to arrive at the shortlist for each predetermined category. This enables the jury to conduct exhaustive and well-founded deliberations before they arrive at the final winners,” he added.
IAA president Megha Tata shared, “The Leadership awards are known for the superlative audience they attract. Apart from the marketers, there are also special awards for categories like Business Leader of the Year, IAA Creative Agency Leader of the Year, IAA Media Agency Leader of the Year, IAA Media Game Changer of the Year, IAA Media Person of the Year and IAA TV Anchor of the Year.”
“One distinguished advertising professional will be inducted into the IAA Hall of Fame that evening. Past recipients of the Business Leader of the Year award who have accepted the award in person include Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Birla, Ajay Piramal, and Nitin Paranjpe, to name a few, she added. One can expect the tallest business leader in the country to personally accept this award on July 25 and address the select audience. This year, a couple of special awards sponsored by IAA Global will also be presented at the event.”
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
