MAM
Lodestar UM wins 11 Media Abbys; HT Media takes home 6 publisher awards
GOA: The ninth edition of GoaFest has come as a good surprise for Lodestar UM. The agency won 11 Media Abbys and has thus come out as the clear winner in the crowd. Mindshare with seven Media Abbys came second, while Milestone Brandcom and PHD India won five Media Abbys each to secure the third position.
Of the total 50 Media Abbys which were given out on Day 1 of GoaFest, PHD India emerged as the only agency to have received a Grand Pix. The agency bagged the award for its ‘Be Beautiful’ campaign. This year GoaFest received 619 entries from agencies for Media Abbys out of which 150 were shortlisted. 50 of them made it to the winners list.
The final judging process was done only in the presence of media agencies heads. Only one representative from a network group was taken on board, who couldn’t vote for any of its agencies’ entries. There were two preliminary rounds before the finalists were chosen. The shortlisted entries were put on the official website of GoaFest for easy access and transparency.
The other set of awards that were given out on Day 1 were from the publisher category which is a new entrant in Abbys this year. The category received around 63 entries. In this category, while BBCL got five awards, Hindustan Media Ventures received six.
The Advertising Club and chairman of the Awards Governing Council president Pratap Bose mentioned that the effort to add publisher category is to reward the work coming from a platform that connects the media and advertising agencies.
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Click here for to the Media Abby result Sheet
MAM
Deepanshu Manchanda named IIMSAM Goodwill Ambassador
Zappfresh founder to advocate for Zero Hunger and nutrition goals.
MUMBAI: Deepanshu Manchanda just got a United Nations side quest because when you’re already fighting hunger from farm to fork, the next level is global goodwill. Deepanshu Manchanda, founder and managing director of DSM Fresh Foods Ltd. (Zappfresh), has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), an observer to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The honorary, non-remunerative role recognises his work in building inclusive, transparent food systems, strengthening smallholder farmer livelihoods especially women producers and advancing nutrition and food security.
Since founding Zappfresh in 2015, Manchanda has focused on traceability, farmer inclusion and public health. A notable collaboration with Shared Wealth Ventures LLC (a Heifer Project International subsidiary) established a backyard poultry sourcing model across Odisha, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, linking women-led households directly to organised markets while promoting biosecurity and premium procurement practices.
As Goodwill Ambassador, he will support initiatives aligned with:
- SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) – advocating sustainable nutrition solutions
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) – raising awareness of malnutrition interventions
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – fostering collaboration across institutions and communities
Manchanda said, “I’m honoured by IIMSAM’s recognition. It reflects the journey we began at Zappfresh to build transparent food systems that support smallholder farmers and improve nutrition outcomes. I’m eager to support collaborative progress toward Zero Hunger, better nutrition, and strong partnerships on a global scale.”
In a world where hunger and opportunity often sit at the same table, Manchanda isn’t just serving fresh food, he’s serving fresh hope, one traceable chicken and empowered farmer at a time.
