Atul Agrawal appointed CEO of Indian Society of Advertisers

The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), the apex body representing advertisers in India for more than 70 years, has announced the appointment of Atul Agrawal as its chief executive officer. Agrawal assumed the role on January 2, 2026, taking charge at a time of significant change across marketing, media and communications.

Agrawal brings close to four decades of professional experience across some of India’s most established corporate organisations. His career spans senior roles in FMCG and corporate environments, with deep exposure to brand building, media strategy, corporate communication and stakeholder management. This background positions him to guide ISA as advertisers navigate evolving media ecosystems, data-driven marketing and accountability frameworks.

Commenting on his appointment, Agrawal said, “It is an honour to lead ISA at a time when marketing and media are undergoing such profound transformation. Having witnessed the evolution of brands, consumers, and technology over the years, I believe ISA’s role as the collective voice of advertisers is more crucial than ever.”

He added that his focus would be on enabling responsible and effective marketing practices through collaboration across the industry. “My focus will be on driving responsible, effective, and efficient marketing through collaboration with entire ecosystem of advertisers, agencies, broadcasters/media owners and other stakeholders. Together, we will strive to strengthen ISA’s charter around media transparency and measurement, among others,” he said.

Agrawal is a management graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Over the course of his career, he has worked with Hindustan Lever and at the Tata Group headquarters. At the Tata Group, he was involved in a range of initiatives including corporate brand marketing, youth engagement programmes, media buying and large-scale sponsorships. His work combined strategic planning with execution across multiple functions and business units.

In addition to his corporate roles, Agrawal has maintained a long-standing association with ISA. He has previously served on its executive committee representing Tata Services, contributing to the organisation’s policy and industry initiatives. He has also represented Indian advertisers on global platforms, including serving as a jury member for the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Marketer of the Year award.

Sunil Kataria, chairman of ISA, said Agrawal’s appointment comes at an important inflection point for the advertising and media industry. “Atul’s appointment comes at an important inflection point for the industry. His extensive leadership experience across the Tata Group and Hindustan Lever, coupled with his long-standing association with ISA, uniquely positions him to accelerate our agenda of building robust & transparent industry standards, enhancing advertiser support, and driving efficiency & effectiveness in advertising,” Kataria said.

Kataria also highlighted ISA’s ongoing initiatives, including the media charter, brand safety, viewability standards, first-party data frameworks and cross-screen measurement. He noted that Agrawal’s strategic and operational experience would be critical in translating these initiatives into practical value for advertisers.

With this appointment, ISA reiterated its commitment to working closely with advertisers, agencies, media owners and other stakeholders to promote efficiency, accountability and sustainable growth. Under Agrawal’s leadership, the organisation aims to further strengthen its role as a representative body for advertisers in an increasingly complex marketing environment.