India at Cannes Lions 2025: A springboard, not a summit

India's advertising industry brought home an impressive haul of 32 metals from Cannes Lions this year, a figure that should undoubtedly spark celebration. This is India's best performance at the prestigious festival since 2022, when it achieved a remarkable tally of 47 Lions.

The country may not have surpassed that peak, but it represents a substantial rebound from the 18 metals won in 2024, demonstrating renewed creative vigour and global impact. This achievement warrants celebration as a testament to the innovative storytelling and cultural authenticity that Indian agencies are bringing to the world stage lately. 

It is also a crucial moment to explore whether this marks India's creative zenith, or if there's an even higher peak to scale next year, rather than merely basking in the glory. This is exactly what a panel discussion comprising industry veterans aimed to achieve at Cannes Homecoming— an unparalleled platform by Campaign India, where India’s top creative minds reflect on global trends, dissect winning work at Cannes Lions, and reframe insights through a uniquely Indian lens.

The session, aptly titled ‘Decoding India's Performance at Cannes Lions 2025’, featured prominent figures in the Indian advertising landscape: Ashish Khazanchi, managing partner of Enormous; Binaifer Dulani, creative and founding partner of Talented; and Anuraag Khandelwal, chief creative officer of 82.5 Communications. The conversation was moderated by Aalap Desai, chief creative officer and co-founder at tgthr., notably the youngest Indian agency to secure a win at Cannes.

F*** the trends

Desai set the stage by confessing a mix of happiness and conflict regarding India's haul. "It's not our best show yet,” he stated, prompting the panellists to delve into whether India should feel proud, complicated, or even a little sad about the results.

Khazanchi unequivocally declared it a "very good year" for India, underscoring the financial disadvantage Indian agencies operate under compared to their global counterparts. He, however, bemoaned the industry's continuous pursuit of accolades, akin to a JEE exam, arguing that true success at Cannes, or any awards, should be an organic outcome of strategic, problem-solving, and fun-driven work, rather than a frantic scramble for "hacks".

Dulani, also acknowledging India's "absolutely brilliant year", echoed Khazanchi's sentiment on trends. She stressed that trends are often recognised in hindsight while pointing out the emergence of health and wellness from niche corners. She cited examples like the ‘Acko Tailor Test’ and ‘DawAI Reader’ from India, alongside global works like ‘Nigrum Corpus’, as proof that health-related campaigns are now powerful avenues for storytelling and design, extending far beyond traditional medical agencies.

"We’ve seen a return to our roots in the last few years; there’s a deeper dive into Indian culture," according to Khandelwal. "It reminds me of Thai advertising at its peak: you didn’t need cultural context to get it, it just hit you.”

He affirmed that Indian work today is wearing its identity like a badge. “2022 was a benchmark year," he added, citing India's tally of 47 metals at Cannes Lions. “It was mind-blowing. I’d love to keep coming back to that moment.”

Cultural authenticity versus jury comprehension

The panel also tackled a tricky but timely question of whether it is possible to go “fully Indian” and be understood at Cannes Lions. Khazanchi offered a reassuring perspective: “India has been celebrated at Cannes when it truly embraced its identity, like Tata Tea or Mumbai Mirror. The idea is to present work with universal insights, even if the context is local.”

Dulani added that representation on the jury is improving: “We had 14 Indians on juries this year, including Josy Paul as jury president. Diversity improves the chances of shared experiences. Someone from Nigeria, for example, might instantly get what’s happening in an Indian context.”

Khandelwal pointed to Brazil as a model: “They root for their country's work like a movement. One agency won’t hesitate to champion another’s idea if it means elevating Brazil on the global stage. We don’t do that enough as Indians; we’re getting there, but we need to be more united at Cannes.”

Khazanchi rounded out the discussion with a reality check: “Cannes employs psephologists to monitor jury bias. If they detect patriotic voting or agency-network favouritism, they normalise scores to eliminate anomalies. So in the end, great ideas gain traction if we back them with confidence.”

Shaping the path of Indian advertising

Desai then moved on to dissect the evolving identity of Indian advertising at Cannes, questioning whether Indian creativity had truly moved past its earlier phase of mimicking the West.

Dulani commented that the ambiguity in the work is a sign of maturity, not mimicry. “We shouldn’t treat cultural context as a crutch. There are many Indias. We’re not just the next 500 million coming online. We have bar culture, digital nativity, a rich meme language, and a self-assured urban identity. Too Yumm’s tongue-in-cheek campaign, which didn’t lean on tradition, felt refreshing because it reflected that self-esteem,” Dulani said. 

Khandelwal also chimed in: “Not everything has to solve a social problem. Sometimes, creativity is about joy, about play. We’ve learned from the West, but we’ve moved past mimicry. We are exactly where we need to be.”

Khazanchi, however, offered a more cautionary note. “Cannes juries can sometimes be swayed by ‘cultural tourism’—the kind of work that starts with ‘In India, they do this…’ It’s great to win awards; I wonder if we’re truly representing India’s unfiltered chaos, colour, and emotion.”

Changes after winning at Cannes 

Cannes Lions may be a global creative spectacle, but its real value may not be evident at first glance. Dulani lucidly offered her take: “As an independent agency, winning at Cannes doesn’t suddenly flood us with clients. It doesn’t transform our visibility overnight. But what it does change is our posture, our confidence. It gives our team a voice in shaping how Indian creativity is seen globally.” 

Khazanchi, speaking both as a creative head and agency leader, brought in a sharper lens: “Awards are great, but they come at a cost. Some agencies spend nearly a crore entering 60 pieces, only to come back with a bronze,” he quipped. “So the return on investment must be carefully considered. It’s not worth it if you’re just showing up. But if your work helps define India’s creative story on the global stage, then the returns follow over the long term. Clients notice. Talent notices.”

Khandelwal explained that Cannes has always been about learning. “It's not a profit centre; it’s a mindset shift. The exposure to global thinking, meeting brilliant creatives, especially from markets like Japan, that’s priceless.”

He noted a new trend: clients experiencing FOMO about Cannes. “One client wanted to go just to be seen. But that trip opened their minds. They came back ready to engage with bigger, bolder ideas.”

Weighing the cost of Cannes

The panel turned its focus to the tension between investing in international award shows like Cannes and managing internal resources, especially from the perspective of junior talent.

Khandelwal responded with conviction: “Exposure is critical. For young creatives, stepping into that global conversation changes everything. You learn how to talk about ideas, how to present them to the world. It’s always a balance between investing in people and investing in entries.”

Khazanchi added a pragmatic perspective, drawing from his dual role as a creative leader and manager: “Management, after all, is about managing resources, be it time, money, or talent. You have to decide where your investment goes: in award entries, in hiring, in upskilling. Not every piece of work can or should be aimed at international awards. But if it helps a junior creative grow and gain confidence, there’s definite value there.”

Dulani brought in a generational lens: “Most 21-year-olds today come in with a more mature, macro view of things. They’re not just chasing individual glory. They understand P&L, business health, and the economics behind awards. That said, Cannes week still delivers a dopamine high for the industry; we haven’t yet figured out what else can replicate that feeling.” 

Lessons for the next generation

The session drew to a close with the panellists offering practical advice to the young creatives in the auditorium. When asked to share one tip for making a winning case study, the responses were sharp, honest, and generous.

“Think of the shortlist first,” advised Khazanchi. “Juries sit in cold rooms, eating cold sandwiches, scanning hundreds of entries. Your first job is to stop them from hitting skip. Get to the point quickly. Make them care.”

Dulani, on the other hand, stressed the importance of preserving creative integrity in documentation. “Most case studies are recreated in hindsight, and they often miss the emotion, grit, and chaos of the actual process. If we claim to value craft, we need to document that process better, not just the result.”

Desai added that less is more. “Not everything from a campaign belongs in the case study. A lot of our entries try to cram it all in, and the jury gets confused.”

Khandelwal called for focus, while making a playful yet poignant observation: “Our case study casting always looks like a plan. We need to cast better and take it as seriously as we would casting for a commercial. Get the tone right. Get the person right.” He also made a sincere appeal: “I hope Cannes adopts something like Indian tax slabs for entries. Smaller agencies should be able to afford to participate in order to democratise entries.”

The discussion made one thing clear: Cannes is not just a destination; it's a mirror. A mirror that reflects where Indian advertising stands today, and what it can become tomorrow. 

Cannes Homecoming, organised by Campaign India, was co-powered by Truecaller, with Mercedes as the Luxury Partner, Pernod Ricard as the Conviviality Partner, NCPA as the Venue Partner and tgthr. as the Concept Partner.