Awards
IIFA Amsterdam set to rock; ‘Parineeta’ to add lustre
MUMBAI: The Samsung IIFA Awards Amsterdam to be held on 11 June will see performances by the popular stars of Indian cinema including Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Kareena Kapoor and Suneil Shetty.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parineeta will be premiered as the IIFA World Premiere in Amsterdam on 9 June 2005.
The award extravaganza, one of the main highlights of the IIFA Weekend will be held in the presence of a global audience including dignitaries from the world of cinema like Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Yash Chopra, A.R.Rahman, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar to name a few. Other guests would include stalwarts from the world of business, politics and sports.
While Samsung has committed itself to sponsorship of the Samsung IIFA Awards for the third successful year, this year’s IIFA celebrations will be broadcast across the world by the Star TV network via satellite. Star TV viewers can experience the IIFA journey over multiple programmes that cover the various events and interactions in Amsterdam and the Best of IIFA over the past five years.
Much-admired film star Abhishek Bachchan will take the stage for his first-ever international performance at the spectacular Samsung IIFA Awards night at the magnificent Amsterdam ArenA. Over 10,000 people will witness a spectacular show by the best of the Indian Film Industry. The celebrated Shiamak Davar will choreograph these breath-taking performances, states an official release.
The IIFA Weekend and all IIFA events are conceptualized, produced and directed by Wizcraft International Entertainment, one of the world’s leading entertainment agencies. As always, this year too the Samsung IIFA Awards will be celebrating the Superstars of Indian Cinema and paying tribute to the stalwarts from the Indian silver screen.
For the first time, IIFA will host the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum at Expo XXI and an IIFA Film Festival. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have come together with IIFA to promote the globalisation of Indian Cinema across the globe. The Forum will be a place for shared synergies, ideation and new business opportunities between India and the Netherlands. Topics of discussion at the forum will be Cinema & entertainment, Civil Aviation, Commerce & Industry and Tourism. Speakers at the forum would be government officials, policy makers and industry stalwarts from both nations, the release adds.
In India msn.com and indya.com are the official websites for voting of the popular awards. Global Indian Cinema fans can vote for and help their favourite film stars to win an IIFA award this year. Lucky winners will be able to travel to Amsterdam and witness the Samsung IIFA Awards. The nominations for the Popular Awards are now open for public voting, using the globally accessible www.msn.com/iifa and www.indya.com platforms. The voting process is monitored and audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who are also the audit firm for the Oscars.
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.
