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
Government proposes scrapping film certification fast-track scheme
Priority route may be dropped to end queue-jumping and restore fairness
NEW DELHI: The government is set to press pause on the fast lane for film certification. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has proposed scrapping the Priority Scheme under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, a move that could end the practice of paying extra to move a film ahead in the queue.
In a public notice issued on 16 February, the ministry invited stakeholder comments on the proposal, with the consultation window open until 17 March.
The Priority Scheme, introduced in 2024, allowed filmmakers to request expedited certification by paying three times the standard examination fee. Under the rules, priority applications could be slotted ahead of regular submissions, effectively reshuffling the order of scrutiny.
What began as a provision for exceptional urgency, the ministry says, has gradually become business as usual. The result has been longer waits for films in the regular queue and concerns about fairness in what is meant to be a statutory, rule-based process.
Officials have flagged the risk of a two-tier system, where producers with deeper pockets could buy speed while smaller or independent filmmakers were left waiting their turn. The proposed amendment aims to remove that imbalance by restoring a single, orderly queue for all applicants.
If approved, the changes would remove the rule that permits priority screening upon payment of higher fees, as well as the provision that allows regional officers to alter the order of examination based on such requests. In effect, every film would move through certification strictly according to its place in line, unless a separate exceptional mechanism is introduced later.
For big-budget producers, the shift may mean factoring in longer lead times before release. Marketing campaigns, festival slots and box office calendars that once relied on a quick certification turnaround may need more careful planning.
Independent filmmakers, on the other hand, could find the playing field a little more level. Without a pay-to-fast-forward option, the queue may become slower for some, but fairer for all.
The government says the move is meant to restore equity, improve predictability and strengthen the integrity of the certification process. Whether removing the fast-track option reduces bottlenecks or simply redistributes the delays will depend on how efficiently the regular pipeline is managed in the months ahead.
