MAM
Publicis’ Nakul Chopra elected AAAI president
MUMBAI: Publicis Communications India CEO Nakul Chopra has been elected president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for the year 2016-2017 at its Annual General Body Meeting. This comes after he successfully served as the chairman of Goafest Organising Committee for year 2016.
Following this announcement, AAAI also selected Dentsu Aegis Network south Asia CEO and chairman Ashish Bhasin as the vice-president of the association.
Other members of the Executive Committee in alphabetical order are:
C V L Srinivas Group M Media India Pvt Ltd
Ganesh Baliga Fifth Estate Communications Pvt Ltd
Kunal Lalani Crayons Advertising Ltd
Pranav Premnarayen Prem Associates Advertising & Marketing
Rana Barua Contract Advertising (India) Pvt Ltd
Srinivasan K Swamy R K SWAMY BBDO Pvt Ltd
T Gangadhar Mediaedge:Cia India Pvt Ltd
Vivek Srivastava Innocean Worldwide Communication Pvt Ltd
Immediate Past President, Dr M G Parameswaran will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI Executive Committee.
The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) is the national organisation of advertising agencies, formed in 1945, to promote their industry interests so that they continue to make an essential and ever-increasing contribution to the nation. The AAAI today is truly representative, with a very large number of small, medium and large-sized agencies as its members, who together account for almost 80% of the advertising business placed in the country.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
