News Broadcasting
Contract Advertising appoints Ashish Chakravarty as its National Creative Director
MUMBAI :Contract advertising today announced the appointment of Ashish Chakravarty as its National Creative Director.
A highly awarded advertising creative professional with over 20 years of experience, Ashish is known for
creating some of the biggest brands in the country.
In his role as NCD, he will be directly responsible for all creative output for Contract across all its verticals, which include mainstream advertising, iContract, Designsutra and Core Consulting. He will work closely with the senior creative team which includes Juju Basu, Kapil Mishra, Amod Dani, Kaushik Roy, Azazul Haque and Raymond Patel (Rayo) to provide the best solutions for Contract's clients, brands, and team.
Ashish joins from McCann Worldgroup, Delhi where he was the Creative Chief. As part of his role, he has led the team to many successes across the brands he's worked on and several award winning pitches and campaigns. He has grown McCann, Delhi to the 3rd biggest single agency office in South Asia and amongst the top 2 awarded agencies in Delhi.
"I am delighted to have Ashish join Contract as NCD, India. He is one of the most awarded and sought after creative professionals in the country. His experience of working with the best brands across agencies and his line-up of award winning work will bring in a huge value add to Contract and its clients. I welcome him back to Contract and look forward to him partnering me and Rohit Srivastava, Chief Strategy Officer, and the senior management team to deliver on our creative vision", says Rana Barua, Chief Operating Officer, Contract Advertising.
Before joining McCann, Ashish was with Contract where he was part of the team that won Contract its first Silver Pencil; and made it the top internationally awarded agency in Delhi. He has also worked with Euro RSCG, TBWA and JWT, from where he started his career.
"Contract has always had an iconic creative leadership, and I am conscious of the very large shoes, that I am stepping into. So naturally, I am excited with this opportunity to lead and shape the creative product of the agency from here on. I believe that when people with diverse talents and skills engage meaningfully and intensely, they create the truly unexpected and wonderful. Having worked with both Rana, and Rohit in the past, I am confident that we are on our way to make Contract a very exciting place for creatives, and clients alike", said Ashish Chakravarty.
In the course of his career, Ashish has worked with some of leading brands in the country which include, Nescafe, Dabur, Coca Cola, Unicef, SAIL, ONGC, NIIT, Domino's, JK Tyre, Fortis, Mastercard, IREO and Nestle to name a few. He is credited with winning close to 150 national and international awards across categories and brands; and served as jury at Spikes, Adfest, CLIO and Goafest.
He will succeed Ravi Deshpande who has left recently to pursue his own endeavours.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
