MAM
Indian advertising legend Larry Grant passes away
MUMBAI: The Indian advertising industry has lost another stalwart with the demise of advertising guru Larry Grant. Grant, CEO of the Pune-based Larry Grant Communications, had donned several hats during his 35 year career – advertising professional, author, columnist, consultant and member of industry bodies and committees.
Grant completed his education in Mussoorie, Dehra Dun, at the Air Force College. He was the former director, training and projects at J Walter Thompson. He has also worked with O&M, HTA, Contract Advertising (creative director), Shining of Paris, Paris and Singapore, again Contract Advertising (director – training and projects).
Grant was the chairman of the key committee of the 13th Asian Advertising Congress. He was on the executive committee of the Advertising Agencies Association of India. He was the founder and chairman, training and professional development committee and a coordinator for Staca (Standing Committee on Advertising). For three terms, he was a member of the executive committee for the Communication Arts Guild (Cag).
Grant has written books – including the first one on the subject of advertising for the Mumbai University’s Commerce (B. Com) course. He has also written “Creative Manual” for Advertising Agencies Association of India; and “How to start a business of your own choice” on direct marketing.
Grant was the former advertising and marketing columnist for renowned publications such as The Times of India and Maharashtra Herald, Pune. He was the editor for The Freemason. His website www.larrygrant.com offers the latest on advertising.
Grant always believed in spending time with the younger generation of advertising professionals and students. He has been visiting faculty at Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune University (Dept of Marketing), Chetna Institute of Management Studies, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, National Institute of Business Studies, Pune, KC College of Management Studies and Sir JJ College of Commerce.
But, Grant will still be remembered for the path-breaking campaign for Liberty shirts – which changed the face of retail advertising communication – Bajaj Auto and the government’s Family Planning campaign.
Long live Larry Grant! Long live Indian advertising!
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
