AD Agencies
Regionally & globally, India is an essential market, says OMD APAC CEO Stephen Li
MUMBAI: In order to scale up its operations in India, Omnicom Media Group-owned agency OMD has entered in a partnership with DDB Mudra Group in India and brought a third brand titled ‘OMD MudraMax’ as an offering, by consolidating its media services business.
The collaboration entails the rebranding of the existing media business of DDB — TV, print, radio, and cinema & digital — as OMD MudraMax. The consolidation of DDB MudraMax and OMD is effective since November 17.
“This enables MudraMax to access the OMD Global Network for learning, development projects, strategic tools etc. It is a win-win and mutually beneficial collaboration for both, the Omnicom Media Group and the DDB Mudra Group. We have been working together over the last few months,” explained DDB Mudra Group Group CEO & managing director Madhukar Kamath.
The new entity will function as an additional local brand in the OMD network with access to the network efficiency, learning and tools such as VISION (live operating system designed to drive business growth not just media results) of the OMD global network.
“Both, regionally and globally – India is an essential market in every sense of that word, and one which is continuing to evolve and grow speedily. This partnership with DDB MudraMax will both add to our scale and further strengthen our presence,” shared OMD APAC CEO Stephen Li.
Under the consolidation, OMD MudraMax will be headed by DDB Mudra Group executive director and DDB MudraMax president Sathyamurthy N P.
“Apart from continuing to be being an integral part of the DDB Mudra Group and a key member of the Group Operating Board, Sathyamurthy Namakkal will now work closely with (Omnicom Media Group SEA and India CEO) Jasmin Sohrabji and be a part of her executive council too. I will give a lot of credit to Jasmin who saw great merit in this collaboration and worked hard to make OMD MudraMax happen,” Kamath shared.
About servicing existing clients, Kamath assured that there will be no change in any of the operations as all three brands will function independently. “In DDB MudraMax, most of the key clients were briefed about this development by Sathyamurthy Namakkal. Given the value adds that accrue to them, our clients are looking forward to the roll-out and success of the enhanced offering,” he added.
“DDB Mudra being a part of the Omnicom family is aligned to OMD’s culture which makes for a seamless transition,” Sohrabji said.
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
