I&B Ministry
Hack the ad spend: AAAI challenges marketers to optimise budgets smarter
MUMBAI: The advertising world is no stranger to budgets vanishing into thin air. Enter the AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon—an electrifying initiative under the Waves Create India Challenge, where number crunchers, data wizards, and marketing maestros are set to redefine ad spend efficiency. Hosted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in collaboration with the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), the hackathon promises to shake up the world of advertising analytics.
With 35 eager teams—one even joining from overseas—this hackathon is gaining serious traction. Slated to be a part of the much-anticipated World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (Waves), the event is set to unfold from 1–4 May 2025 at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre & Jio World Gardens. With four core pillars—broadcasting & infotainment, AVGC-XR, digital media & innovation, and films—Waves aims to be the melting pot for India’s growing media and entertainment industry.
The hackathon falls under the broadcasting & infotainment segment, drawing participation from young professionals in advertising, marketing, and tech. Their mission? To use predictive analytics, machine learning, and statistical modelling to optimise ad spend and supercharge marketing ROI.
This is no cakewalk. The challenge is open to professionals with at least a year of experience in advertising, marketing, or data science. Solo players or teams of up to three can compete, bringing together expertise in data science, machine learning, statistics, and software.
Their task? To devise an ad spend strategy for TrimMaster, a leading male grooming brand with its flagship PrecisionTrim trimmer. Despite its popularity, the brand is struggling to push its awareness to the next level. Currently, TrimMaster’s unaided awareness score sits at 52. The goal? A solid 75. With a budget of Rs 2 crore, participants must craft a strategy that not only maximises visibility but also delivers measurable impact.
TrimMaster’s marketing team faces an uphill battle, including:
. Effective budget allocation: Deciphering the best mix of social, search, display, and video ads while accurately measuring impact.
. Measuring brand lift: Developing better metrics to gauge how digital ads truly influence brand perception.
. Maximising ROI: Ensuring every rupee spent results in substantial brand awareness and sales growth.
. Cross-channel synergy: Understanding how different platforms interact and influence each other.
Winners won’t just bask in glory. The top three teams will present their strategies at Waves, with travel expenses covered. On top of that, the champions will get a chance to attend major advertising festivals and conferences in India, fully sponsored by AAAI. Oh, and let’s not forget the bragging rights.
The AAAI Ad Spend Optimizer Hackathon is not just another competition. It’s a unique opportunity for professionals to challenge the norms, innovate ad spend strategies, and help brands like TrimMaster break through the noise. With artificial intelligence and data analytics at their fingertips, participants have the tools to redefine advertising in India and beyond.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Get ready to crunch numbers, outsmart competitors, and craft the future of ad optimisation.
I&B Ministry
Press Sewa Portal digitises 1.5 lakh records, streamlines periodical registrations: MIB
Online system spans 780 districts; Rs 5.6 crore penalties, 88,315 titles cancelled
NEW DELHI: India’s print media registry has quietly moved from dusty files to digital dashboards. The government has digitised more than 1.5 lakh historical records of newspapers and periodicals and shifted registrations fully online through the Press Sewa Portal.
Introduced under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, the portal now handles all applications for registering periodicals, replacing the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.
The digital shift brings a wide range of services onto a single platform. Publishers can now register new periodicals, revise registrations, transfer ownership, file annual statements, pay penalties online and apply for circulation verification without navigating government offices.
As part of the rollout, specified authorities in 780 districts across India have been onboarded onto the platform. Since 1 March 2024, the portal has processed 11,081 applications and issued certificates across different categories.
The transition has also brought stronger compliance. According to government data, Rs 5.63 crore in penalties has been collected through the portal so far. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh account for some of the largest penalty collections.
At the same time, the authorities have carried out a major clean-up of inactive or non-compliant publications. A total of 88,315 periodicals have been cancelled nationwide, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi among the states reporting the highest number of cancellations.
The government says the system will continue to evolve based on feedback from users. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) regularly reviews suggestions to improve services and make compliance easier for publishers.
The full list of registered newspapers and periodicals is available on the PRGI website under the Registered Titles section.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan, responding to a question from Damodar Agrawal.
