MAM
Piyush Pandey, the adman who made India feel, is cremated
MUMBAI: The man who taught India to sing together was cremated at noon on Saturday, his mortal remains consigned to flames at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park crematorium. Piyush Pandey, the advertising genius who turned mundane products into cultural touchstones, died on Friday following an infection.
They came in their thousands—chief executives whose fortunes he’d reversed, rival agency heads, Ogilvy’s fiercely loyal staff, office runners. All wept. Pandey had that rare gift: he spoke to drivers and sweepers with the same warmth he reserved for corner-office wallahs. In an industry built on hierarchy, he demolished it with a handshake and that signature grin.
Posters lined the crematorium showing Pandey’s famous moustache and wide smile. His younger brother Prasoon, himself a renowned filmmaker, performed the last rites surrounded by family. Then something extraordinary happened. The mourners broke into song—Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, the anthem Pandey created decades ago that stitched a fragmenting nation together through music.
After the body entered the electric crematorium, Prasoon addressed the assembled crowd. “Thank you for the love you’ve showered on Piyush. He loves you too,” he said, voice steady despite grief. “We’ll celebrate his life with a gathering soon. We’ll keep you informed.”
Pandey would have approved. The man who spent his life connecting Indians through stories deserved nothing less than a final act of collective remembrance.
MAM
Media Expo Mumbai 2026 to spotlight booming digital signage sector
57th edition at BEC expects 140 plus exhibitors and 350 plus products from 9 to 11 April.
MUMBAI: India’s outdoor advertising just lit the fuse on a billion-dollar glow-up because when billboards go digital, even the walls start selling dreams. The 57th Media Expo Mumbai will take place from 9–11 April 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, bringing together the fast-evolving world of digital signage, LED systems, POP/POSM solutions and sustainable visual communication technologies.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt, the three-day event will cover 15,000 sqm and feature over 140 exhibitors representing more than 250 brands, including major players such as HP, Epson India, Colorjet, Mimaki, Garware and Pidilite. International participation from China, Italy and South Korea will add global flavour to the showcase of 350 plus cutting-edge products.
Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, executive director Raj Manek said, “The industry has decisively embraced digital transformation. We are at a pivotal juncture where signage is no longer just a nameplate, but a versatile ecosystem spanning interior décor and massive OOH media.”
The expo arrives as India’s outdoor advertising market is projected to nearly double from $576.3 million in 2025 to $1,075.5 million by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of 8.2 plus, according to Grand View Research. Rising commercial construction, retail expansion and demand for immersive, eco-conscious displays are fuelling the surge.
Small and medium enterprises remain the backbone of the sector, supplying innovative solutions for everything from high-tech films to adhesives. The event provides a key platform for these players to connect with global technology and showcase products that power India’s visual communication landscape.
From flashing LEDs that turn shopfronts into storytellers to sustainable materials that keep the planet breathing, Media Expo Mumbai 2026 isn’t just a trade show, it’s where the future of how brands shout, whisper and seduce gets its annual dress rehearsal.
