Awards
Sahyadri Navratna Awards presented
MUMBAI: The third Sahyadri Navratna Awards ceremony took place at Doordarshan’s premises at Worli on Wednesday 14 April. Inaugurated by Prasar Bharati chief executive KS Sarma, the event was attended by eminent personalities from various spheres.
Lata Mangeskar lit the lamp. Later she was felicitated by a memento and Rs one lakh by KS Sarma. It was followed by the felicitation of the nine-member award jury by Mukesh Sharma.
Other prominent personalities who attended the event included actors Raza Murad, Kabir Bedi, singer Ila Arun, billiard master Geet Sethi and cricketer Bapu Nadkarni.
The first award of the evening, Natyaratna, was presented by Lata Mangeskar to Prabhakar Panshikar for drama. Ila Arun and Vijay Kalantri presented the Ratna Udyami Award to Dr. Vijay Bhatkar for his excellence in the field of IT. Ratna Saurabhi was awarded to Anjali Bhagwat Vedpathak for her excellent in sports, by Geet Sethi and Bapu Nadkarni.
Sachin Pilgaonkar won the award in the entertainment section while Shridhar Phadke got the Swar Ratna for music. Dr Shankarrao Magar received the Shiksha Ratna for his contribution in the field of education and Dr Anil Avachat walked away with the Seva Ratna for social work. Vijay Kuwalkar won the Ratna Sharda award for his works in journalism. Ratna Sharda for women went to Rajiya Patel.
The Sahyadri awards are presented to eminent Maharashtrians for excellence in particular fields of interest. Sahyadri will telecast the award ceremony on 1 May, which is Maharashtra day.
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.
