MAM
Leo Activation bags two accounts down south
MUMBAI: Leo Activation, Leo Burnett’s integrated communications division, has added two major accounts to its kitty, both of which are down South.
The 49th All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2006 (AICOG 2006) has entrusted its entire event organisation and brand associations to Leo Activation. The Congress will be held in Kerala in January 2006 under the motto ‘Save the mother, save generations’.
“This is a major and prestigious account for us, as it is the biggest gathering of obstetrics and gynecology professionals in the country. The sheer size of it makes it a huge challenge – the organising committee expects a record attendance this time. But it is also a great opportunity for some exciting brand associations and representations. We have already partnered with healthcare major Dialog India,” says Leo Activation Mumbai head Sujit Nair.
Leo Activation has already started work on the account and will be setting up a team in Kochi, completely dedicated to this project.
Leo Activation is also scheduled to co-host Miss Kerala 2005 with Impresario. Miss Kerala is an annual pageant that boasts of huge popularity down South. This is part of Leo Activation’s strategy to identify local events and properties and connect national brands with them ensuring a larger consumer connect for national brands in the local market. Keeping this objective in mind, Leo Activation has tied up with Parachute Advanced hair oil as the title for this 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.
