FCB’s Dheeraj Sinha elected president of The Advertising Club

At its 71st annual general meeting in Mumbai, The Advertising Club (TAC) announced a new managing committee for the fiscal year 2025–26. The line-up, which includes leaders from creative agencies, media networks, digital platforms and marketers, signals a widening focus on collaboration and cross-industry engagement at a time when the advertising business is undergoing structural shifts.

Dheeraj Sinha, CEO of FCB India and South Asia, was elected president of TAC. Speaking after his appointment, he said, “It is an honour to lead The Advertising Club, an institution that represents the collective ambition of our industry. What makes this moment special is the inclusivity and diversity of the committee we have formed — from agency stalwarts to new-age marketers and media platform leaders. Together, we will foster dialogue, build capability, and create opportunities that will strengthen our industry and prepare it for the future.”

Other office bearers elected include Amitesh Rao, CEO-South Asia of Leo, as vice president; Punitha Arumugam, founder of Arumugam & Consultants, as secretary; Sonia Huria, head brand, consumer and social communications at Maddock Films, as joint secretary; and Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO of Eros International, as treasurer.

The managing committee features leaders across marketing, digital, and media. Among them are Satya Raghavan, director, marketing partners, Google India; Jitender Dabas, CEO of Cheil X; Darshana Shah, CMO of Aditya Birla Capital; Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group; Mitrajit Bhattacharya, founder of The Horologists; Aparna Bhawal, CMO of KFC India and partner countries; and Avinash Kaul, CEO of Network18.

Co-opted professionals for the year include Neha Markanda, chief business officer at ShareChat; Sagnik Ghosh, national head of creative strategy, innovation, response editorial, brand solutions and trade marketing at Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.; and Mansha Tandon, head of apps business development for India, Southeast Asia and AUNZ at Google Play.

Special invitees include executives across agencies, platforms and brands. These are Anurita Chopra, CMO of Haleon; Ajay Chandwani, director at Percept India; Lulu Raghavan, president–APAC, Landor; Amardeep Singh, co-founder and CEO of Interactive Avenues; Subramanyeswar S., group CEO – India and global chair of strategy at MullenLowe Global; Saket Jha Saurabh, director at Snapchat; Gautam Reghunath, co-founder of Talented; Amogh Dusad, director and head of content at Amazon MX Player; Ashit Kukian, CEO of Radio City India. Rana Barua, group CEO of Havas Group India, remains on the committee as immediate past president.

Formed in 1954, TAC describes itself as one of the largest advertising clubs globally, with over 1,600 members drawn from media organisations, marketers, agencies and allied professional bodies. It hosts a range of initiatives, including seminars, training workshops and quizzes, and publishes a magazine alongside a comprehensive website. Its awards consist of the Creative and Media Abby Awards at Goafest, EMVIEs, EFFIEs, MARQUEES and the Young Achievers Awards. TAC also runs reviews and learning platforms such as D-CODE Digital Review, Ad Review, Media Review, and the M.Ad Quiz.

The club has additionally played a coordinating role for international industry events such as AdAsia, mobilising Indian delegations. It has also introduced leadership development programmes with MICA and forged partnerships with institutions such as the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) in the UK to help raise professional standards.

The new committee assumes office at a time when India’s advertising sector is navigating slowing global growth, digital fragmentation and new technologies reshaping media consumption. With agency holding groups rethinking models and marketers demanding sharper accountability, TAC’s stated agenda of inclusivity and capability-building will be closely watched by industry professionals.

Sinha’s remarks about preparing the industry for the future suggest a committee that intends to broaden TAC’s role beyond convening award shows. But the effectiveness of this strategy will depend on whether its programmes are able to deliver practical value at a time when agencies and brands are under pressure to deliver more with less.

As TAC moves into its 71st year, the breadth of representation in its new managing committee underscores an effort to balance legacy structures with newer players in digital and technology-led marketing. The coming year will reveal whether that intent translates into a platform that strengthens industry capability in measurable ways — or remains largely ceremonial.