News Broadcasting
GroupM partners with Social Media Week
MUMBAI: GroupM partnered with the global social media conclave, Social Media Week in its debut outing to India. As the host of the Advertising and Marketing hub and an integral part of the advisory board, GroupM brought together marketers, publishers, influencers and thinkers discussing content, data, insight, mobile, search, platforms and innovations. Over a course of three days, the agenda sought to deep dive into all aspects of social media that affect brands today.
Day 1:
Day one of the hub with a spotlight on content focused on two pertinent questions:
Brands in The Youth & Social equation
On the high impact panel moderated by Anant Rangaswami Editor, Storyboard on CNBC TV18 and senior editor, Firstpost.com was Rishi Dogra (General Manager – Marketing Digital & Activations at PepsiCo), Alex Oberberg (Head of markets Engagement, Global Social media and Digital marketing); Nickhil Jakatdar (CEO and Founder, Vuclip); Arjun S Ravi (Co-Founder, NH7) & Social Media Influencer Abhishek Ashthna aka Gabbar Singh. From what the best in business are doing to engage a super connected demographic to what the Indian scenario lacks, this session covered it all. The panel extensively debated on where brand conversations and imagery fit in the world of a young consumer.
Socialization of Branded content
The next highlight event was an insightful conversation between Prem Panicker (Managing Editor, Yahoo India) and Anant Ranswami as they discussed the evolution of branded content through time, platforms and technology. The session focused on the changed game between content creators, carriers and consumers. Panicker spoke extensively about the changing balance of power between content producers, publishers, distributors and consumers.
Along with the session, the day saw enormous participation in the interactive workshops by GroupM Social and Search & KRDS. These were aimed at hands on and interactive learning for the topics in discussion.
Day 2:
The hub focus on day two were game changers, with discussions on data, cinema and mobile
Real time data and actionable insights
The day started with a group of industry leaders that are making numbers work harder. Listening, measurement and technology all served up in hot offering, the panel moderated by Sandeep Pandey, Mindshare comprised of Lakshmanan Narayan, CEO & Co-Founder, Unmetric Inc; Venke Sharma, Vice President – Digital Marketing, Star TV; Kartik Sharma, Managing Partner Maxus; Ranjit Nair, CEO, Explic8. The session focused on how the best in the business are converting data into actionable marketing insights to drive value like no other. Amongst many intriguing conclusions, the way forward was making beta a strategy, real time optimization and democratic marketing structures
Cinema in the age of internet
Another aspect of the changing balance of power was brought to debate by the second panel of the day as Pragya Tiwari Editor-in-Chief, The Big Indian Picture quizzed Rohan Sippy, Film Director and Producer & Guneet Monga, CEO, Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt. Ltd on how social media has revolutionized what they do. This was a live wire discussion about all aspects of film production and marketing from creative, tech, production, marketing, censorship to criticism and box-office collections and how social helps.
Day 3:
Day three was full power Advertising hub day and also the closing day of the Social Media Week Mumbai.
The day opened with an invigorating address by Rohit Varma, Co-Founder, R SQUARE Consulting (CO) and Toby Daniels, Founder & CEO, Crowdcentric; followed by the highlight session of the day, the keynote address by CVL Srinivas, CEO, South Asia GroupM.
Speaking on the Changing Face of Agencies in the Dynamic Social Media World, Srinivas commented on the paradigms shifts of airing to sharing; digital first thought map and eventually about an adaptive and actionable marketing structure.
Amongst the many panels on the day, some of the noteworthy sessions were:
The Art & Science of Social Media Analytics
A descriptive 101 in how social insights are logical and analytical at the same time. This session by Karthik Nagarajan, National Director – Social Media & Insights, GroupM had it all – solutions, perspectives and best practices. The presentation explained the stages of insight from mere data to an actionable logic backed inference.
The Publisher Brand and the rise of Micro-Content
This session brought to the fore the opportunity shorter forms of content brings. A pacey and heady conversation between four of the most dynamic thinkers of the media and social industry – Anant Rangaswami, Editor, Storyboard on CNBC TV18 and senior editor, Firstpost.com; Ashok Krish, Head – Web 2.0 Innovation labs, Tata Consultancy Services; Lakshmanan Narayan, CEO & Co-Founder, Unmetric; Karthik Nagarajan, National Director – Social Media & Insights, GroupM. The panel concurred how the arrival of micro content and real time responses not just meant a relook at content strategies but also a revision of the brands priorities.
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. AICC’s Praveen Chakravarty weighs ‘Power Sharing vs Principles’, while former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joins the fray. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
