Awards
Avishkar launches fortnightly, institutes trade award
A fortnightly cable TV newspaper? Yes, it’s the brainwave of the colourful Delhi-based cable operator-turned-publisher-turned-industry-representative Dr A. K. Rastogi.
Rastogi, who runs the monthly Hindi-English bimonthly Avishkar Dish Antenna Programmes Guide, has introduced Avishkar Darpan which will initially target the north Indian market. He hopes that the fortnightly will serve as a platform for cable TV operators to increase awareness among viewers about issues which affect the industry.
Priced at Rs 5, it is to be distributed by cable TV ops and have a print run of 10,000 initially. Rastogi says it will help viewers get information about developments in television serials and cable TV, the problems cable ops face, new services and technology provided by them to viewers, as well as give them tips on how they can get on to game shows and interactive programmes.
Avishkar Darpan is also instituting the Best Channel Distributor award from the coming year. Winners will win air tickets for two to Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Kathmandu, and contestants who vie for the award with an entry fee of Rs 5,000, will have their company profiled in a special souvenir.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
