Awards
Om Khushu bags IBC John Tucker Award
AMSTERDAM (Holland): Om Khushu has won this year’s international honour for excellence, the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) John Tucker Award. The award was given to Khushu at the IBC Awards Ceremony held in Amsterdam yesterday. The award was given in recognition of his outstanding technical knowledge of the international broadcasting community in the Asia Pacific region and his contribution to world broadcasting.
Om Khushu was born in India in 1937. He studied science and electronics before joining All India Radio as an Assistant Engineer in 1960. By 1976 he became the Director of Engineering where he began his specialisation in satellite communications and frequency management. It was here that he became involved with conception, design and implementation of India’s domestic satellite network known as INSAT. During this time he also began to represent the interests of Indian broadcasting at international forums including the ITU. In 1980 he was elected vice-chairman of an ITU study group with responsibility for producing technical standards in the field of broadcasting and he continued in this position until 1990. Between 1980 and 1990 he held several senior positions within Indian broadcasting including, Director of Engineering and Chief Engineer at All India Radio and Chief Engineer and Engineer in Chief at Doordarshan, the Indian television network. From 1990 until his recent retirement Om was Director of the Technical Department of the Asia- Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), an association of broadcasting networks across the region with approximately 100 members in about 50 countries..
Commenting on Om’s contribution to broadcasting John Tucker says, “Om has a profound technical knowledge of broadcasting, great integrity and personal warmth. This is why he has been so successful. We need more like him in the industry. He is an example to us all.”
The International Broadcasting Convention the world’s premier broadcast technology event, covers all the key areas of the electronic media business including audio, cable, film, grip, internet, lighting, multimedia, production, post production, radio, satellite and transmission . Every year the IBC John Tucker Award is given in recognition of an internationally significant contribution by an individual or group of persons to any aspect of broadcasting, research, design, development, manufacture, operational practice or management. The Award was instituted in 1984 to mark the 10th International Broadcasting Convention and was renamed The IBC John Tucker Award in 1992 in recognition of the past Chairman’s services.
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.
