AD Agencies
IdeateLabs promotes Porus Jose as CCO
MUMBAI: IdeateLabs has recently appointed two senior creative directors to their team – Sajid Dadarkar and Ashwini Vyas. Among their various other responsibilities, the duo will be instrumental in charting a creative strategic roadmap for the agency and transforming the communication approach for its accounts.
The duo would be reporting to Porus Jose, who has been promoted to the role of CCO for the agency. Jose has been with IdeateLabs for more than 4 years and has driven creative practice with a team of more than 110 people reporting into him.
Both Dadarkar and Vyas come with close to 15 years of experience each, in leading creative teams in some of the top advertising agencies. The innovative concepts, ideas and impact of the campaigns that they’ve worked on bear testimonials. Some of these campaigns were widely recognized across the Advertising & Marketing sectors.
Porus Jose said: “Experimentation is the cornerstone of great creative work. It’s one of the beliefs that Ash and Sajid share. The freshness of their thinking and their approach towards work will not only go a long way in bolstering the brands we work with, but will also bring cohesiveness in the team and boost the spirit. It is also an exhilarating time for the agency with a whole host of new initiatives and client wins. I am excited to be leading this team as we go marching into the digital-first future.”
IdeateLabs director Vrutika Dawda said: “Team IdeateLabs has always been the hub of creative professionals. Porus is an integral part of the think tank at IdeateLabs and has contributed immensely to the growth of the agency. Adding Ash and Sajid to the team will up the ante of our creative offerings. The idea is to make them the brand custodians, and inculcate the sense of ownership, accountability and responsibilities in the creative function. They will be the driving force in taking our clients from ‘satisfied’ to ‘delighted’. I’m sure, the team will benefit immensely from this senior leadership, led by Porus”.
Having worked on a diverse set of brands such as HUL, Lenovo, MRF, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Tata Motors, Vodafone amongst others, Ashwini strives to deliver maximum ROI for the brands with his creative energies. His mantra is to lend the x-factor to all the work his team delivers. Ashwini has the expertise in all those areas that IdeateLabs was looking for.
Sharing his reasons for joining IdeateLabs, Vyas said, “Over these years, I have been collecting creative experiences at some of the best advertising agencies in India. My aim is to uplift the art and groom my team for award-worthy ideas by providing them accurate direction. I am excited to work with this fun-loving bunch of people in the creative team. I plan to land some award-winning campaigns in the current year and make that a practice”
Sajid comes with a rich advertising background across agencies, spanning two countries. Having worked with vast and diverse portfolios from chocolates, baby care to automobile and airlines, he comes with a keen insight into the consumer’s mind and the way he/she behaves. He has worked with clients such as Fair & Lovely, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Parle-G, Pepsodent, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, and Nissan, to name a few.
Dadarkar said, “I’m glad to be a part of the robust team at IdeateLabs. The kind of freedom I see in this Company is something I haven’t seen in many places. I plan to put my myriad experiences in the industry, working on a large spectrum of categories. Also, it will be a great opportunity to put this knowledge to use for the young and coming generations of creative minds”.
AD Agencies
ABBY Awards 2026 names 3 jury chairs across digital, PR and publisher
Aditiya, Dharmaraj and Puri to lead key categories at Goafest 2026
MUMBAI: The Ad Club has announced the appointment of PG Aditiya, Deepshikha Dharmaraj and Pavita Puri as jury chairs for the Digital, PR and Publisher categories respectively at the ABBY Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show.
The awards are set to take place during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, bringing together some of the biggest names in advertising and marketing.
PG Aditiya, founder and CCO at Talented, will chair the Digital jury. A former chief creative officer at Dentsu Webchutney, he now leads Talented, an employee-owned independent agency known for its unconventional structure and award-winning work for brands such as Meta, Google, Britannia and Tanishq. The agency has also been recognised as a global ‘Best Place to Work’ by Campaign magazine for two consecutive years.
In the PR category, Deepshikha Dharmaraj, CEO at Burson Group India, brings over three decades of experience in public relations and integrated communications. She oversees multiple entities including Burson Genesis, GCI Health India and Hill & Knowlton India. Known for her strategic counsel and leadership, Dharmaraj has also served as president of industry bodies such as PRCAI and PAFI, and has been a jury member at global platforms including Cannes PR Lions and D&AD Awards.
Pavita Puri, chief brand and marketing officer at The Indian Express Group, will chair the Publisher category. With over 15 years of leadership experience, she has been instrumental in driving the group’s transition into a digital-first media powerhouse, overseeing brands such as The Indian Express, Financial Express, Loksatta and Jansatta. Her earlier stints in advertising include roles at Rediffusion and Lowe India, where she handled marquee clients across sectors.
The appointments reflect a strong mix of creative, communications and media expertise, underscoring the awards’ focus on recognising excellence across evolving industry segments.
As the industry gears up for Goafest, the ABBY Awards 2026 promise to spotlight standout work, with seasoned leaders at the helm of jury deliberations shaping the benchmark for creative excellence.
