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Colors CEO Raj Nayak is new Ad Club president
MUMBAI: Colors CEO Raj Nayak has been elected as the new president of The Advertising Club.
Nayak steps into the shoes of outgoing president Pratap Bose, who is chairman & co-founder of Social Street.
The new Advertising Club office bearers elected at the Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai are: Zee Media Corporation group CEO Bhaskar Das as the vice president, Madison Media’s Vikram Sakhuja as secretary, Aditya Birla Group Financial Services chief marketing officer Ajay Kakkar as joint secretary and IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha as treasurer.
The other members elected to the Managing Committee are: –
· Multi Screen Media president, network sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta
· Google India agency business director Punitha Arumugam
· Viacom18 Media national head sales, English cluster Namrata Tata
· Percept director & strategic brand consultant Ajay Chandwani
· Dainik Bhaskar group chief corporate sales & marketing officer Pradeep Dwivedi
· AIDEM Ventures & Zirca Digital Solutions director Vikas Khanchandani
· Twitter India head of TV partnerships Viral Jani
Advertising veteran and industry leader Ramesh Narayan was co-opted to the Managing Committee.
McCann World Group India CEO and chairman (Asia Pacific) Prasoon Joshi was inducted as special invitee and creative advisor to the Ad Club.
L’Oreal India consumer product division director Satyaki Ghosh was also inducted as a special invitee.
Nayak said, “I am humbled by the faith and trust that my friends and well wishers in the industry have bestowed on me. It will be my sincere endeavour to work towards strengthening and building upon the foundation on which the club has been built over the last six decades.”
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAA’s of I) president Ambi M G Parameshwaran added, “Ad Club is a wonderful institution with a great legacy of achievements. I am delighted to hear that Raj Nayak is taking over as its next president. I am sure he will bring his own brand of energy, excitement and innovation to take The Ad Club to greater heights. We at AAAI look forward to a great partnership with the Ad Club in all our joint industry efforts.”
IAA India Chapter president and IAA Asia Pacific Srinivasan Swamy said, “With Raj Nayak as president, we can expect to see a new phase in Ad Club’s history, which will be more vibrant, more purposeful, more relevant and more classy. IAA India, if invited, would be happy to partner with Ad Club on initiatives that build the competencies of the industry at various levels. There are a few events/properties that are exclusive to Ad Club or IAA, but clearly there are opportunities where cooperation between the two will be synergistic. IAA looks forward to this interesting phase with great enthusiasm.”
Nayak, an industry veteran, has been on various industry bodies including the Indian Broadcasters Foundation, Advertising Standards Council of India & The International Advertising Association – India Chapter. He was chosen earlier this year to lead the Indian delegation to Ad Asia 2015 to be held in Taipei in November.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
