AD Agencies
Wit & Chai stirs up a creative storm, ropes in Saurabh S as chief creative head
MUMBAI: Wit & Chai Group, the funky creative agency known for culture-fuelled campaigns, has brewed a strong cuppa by appointing Saurabh S as its chief creative head. With a rollicking two-decade run across big-name agencies and brands, Saurabh steps in to lead the creative charge—and shake things up.
Having done the rounds at FCB, Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB, Publicis and even Redder Vietnam, Saurabh isn’t just another adland veteran. He’s the brain behind award-winning ideas for Volkswagen, MTV, Chupa Chups, Set Max and Virgin Mobile. Add stints at House of Anita Dongre and Nykaa, and you get a CV that blends sizzle with serious strategy.
Saurabh’s remit at Wit & Chai?
To dream big, lead louder, and build a culture where risky ideas meet razor-sharp storytelling. He’ll work hand-in-hand with strategy and brand leads to ensure the creative spark translates into business firepower. From nurturing young guns to rolling out integrated campaigns, he’s set to steer the shop’s next big act.
“As a chief creative head, I see Wit & Chai Group as more than just an agency—it’s a sandbox for fearless thinkers,” says Saurabh. “My vision is to turn up the volume on ideas that are disruptive yet deeply human. We’re building brands that resonate in the real world—work that gets people talking, sharing, and remembering.”
The man isn’t afraid to take risks either—his creative playbook leans into experimentation, youth insights, and cultural resonance, all while keeping one eye on impact and scale. It’s a move that signals the agency’s intent to stay fresh, edgy, and unmistakably relevant.
Wit & Chai group co-founder & partner Nihar Kolapkar shared: “Saurabh’s track record of creative leadership and disruptive storytelling brings incredible value to our team. His ability to merge bold creativity with strategic clarity is exactly what we need to push the boundaries of what we deliver for our clients. We’re excited to see him shape a new era of work at Wit & Chai Group.”
With Saurabh now in the mix, Wit & Chai Group looks set to dial up the drama, crank the creativity, and cement its spot as a go-to name for bold, business-savvy storytelling.
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.
