13th IAA Leadership Awards Celebrate Leaders Across Business, Media and Advertising in Mumbai
The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter hosted the 13th edition of the IAA Leadership Awards in Mumbai on 7 August, bringing together over 250 professionals across business, advertising, marketing, media, and entertainment under the theme ‘The Power of Balance’.
What Happened
The annual gathering recognised leadership across diverse sectors for managing complexity, fostering innovation, and aligning business success with purpose. Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma attended the ceremony as the chief guest. The awards were judged by a jury headed by Prabha Narasimhan, managing director and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive (India), alongside senior industry leaders.
Key Highlights
- Top Business Honour: Dilip Shanghvi, founder and managing director of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, received the IAA Business Leader of the Year 2026 award for expanding access to affordable healthcare and building a global organisation. Shanghvi attributed business success to effective teamwork and talent retention.
- Hall of Fame Induction: Creative and digital industry veteran Neeraj Roy, founder of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, was inducted into the IAA Hall of Fame.
- Brand Endorsement: Actor Sidharth Malhotra was named the IAA Brand Endorser of the Year 2026 in recognition of his brand partnerships and youth appeal.
- Media and Agency Honours: Rahul Kanwal of NDTV received the IAA Media Person of the Year award, Babita Baruah of VML won IAA Creative Agency Head of the Year, and Kartik Sharma of Omnicom Media was awarded IAA Media Agency Head of the Year.
- Special Recognition: Sam Balsara received the IAA Force for Good award for social impact initiatives beyond marketing communications.
- Sector Leaders: Category honours were awarded to Nalinikanth Gollagunta (Mahindra & Mahindra) for Auto Passenger Vehicles (EV + UV), Jayen Mehta (Amul/GCMMF) for FMCG Food, Anil G. Verma (Godrej & Boyce) for Consumer Durables, Mohit Malhotra (Dabur India) for Pharma Consumer Health, Aniruddha Haldar (TVS Motor Company) for Auto Two Wheelers + EV, and Sunil Dhar (Red Bull India) for FMCG Beverages.
Why This Matters
Nandini Dias, chairperson of the IAA Leadership Awards, noted that contemporary leadership requires managing competing priorities without compromise, executing decisive choices while balancing opposing goals. Abhishek Karnani, president of the IAA India Chapter, highlighted artificial intelligence, skilling, and sector-wide conversations as three vital pillars for the industry’s future direction.
What to Watch Next
The IAA India Chapter plans to focus initiatives on helping the industry understand and adopt artificial intelligence, upskilling emerging marketing and creative professionals, and creating forums for discussions on the evolving communications landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Business Leader of the Year at the 13th IAA Leadership Awards?
Dilip Shanghvi, founder and managing director of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, was awarded the IAA Business Leader of the Year 2026.
Who chaired the jury for the awards?
The jury was chaired by Prabha Narasimhan, managing director and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive (India).
What was the official theme of the 13th edition?
The event was held under the theme ‘The Power of Balance’.
Source: indiantelevision.com