MAM
Indian advertising stalwart Fali Vakeel passes away
Mumbai: Fali Vakeel, a towering figure in the world of Indian advertising, has passed away on 16 March 2024, just two months ahead of his birthday on 6 May.
His contributions to the advertising industry have left an indelible mark that will be cherished for years to come.
Vakeel’s career spanned over several decades, during which he played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Indian advertising. Even after his retirement as vice chairman of Lintas, Vakeel remained deeply intertwined with the agency, serving as the trustee of its Employee Welfare Trust.
Throughout his illustrious career, Fali Vakeel witnessed the evolution of the advertising industry, navigating through numerous changes with resilience and grace. Fali Vakeel was not only known for his quick wit, wisdom, he was titled as the ‘Last of the Mad Men in Indian advertising,’ by his colleagues and peers in the industry.
Expressing his profound grief, MullenLowe Global – Group CEO India and CSO (APAC) Subramanyeswar S (Subbu) said, “Once in a rare while, someone like Fali comes along to not only raise the bar in their field of operation, but they create an entirely new standards of measurement – CREATIVITY, in our case. Our deepest condolences goes to his family, personal friends, and to the entire Lintas community. He will always be an inspirer and admirer to us. May he rest in peace!”
Under Vakeel’s leadership at Lintas experienced significant growth, securing prestigious clients and accolades. His impact extended beyond the boardroom. Fali was admired for his mentoring and nurturing of talent within the industry, shaping the careers of many aspiring advertising professionals. His dedication to fostering a culture of creativity will continue to inspire generations to come.
In his memory, the Lintas family extends its deepest condolences to Fali Vakeel’s loved ones. A man of great warmth and humor, Fali Vakeel will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
His funeral will take place on 16 March Saturday at the Parsi Prayer Hall, Worli at 3.40 pm and Uthumna on Sunday 17 March at 3.40 pm.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
