The Sadin-Pratidin Group  hosted its highly anticipated 'The Conclave 2023' in New Delhi.

The two-day program was filled with insightful discussions and eminent guests, presented by Dalmia Cements, and powered by SBI, DIPR, and NRL. 

The Conclave was inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The event witnessed the presence of several renowned personalities from diverse fields, contributing to its rich and dynamic discourse. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also spoke at the event.

One of the key highlights of the Conclave was a seminar titled 'Future of Regional Entertainment Industry,' featuring prominent figures such as celebrated film director Jahnu Barua and acclaimed actress Seema Biswas. This segment provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of regional cinema.

The event also featured exclusive interviews with notable personalities, including an interview with the talented artist Angaraag Mahanta and a conversation with renowned Bollywood director Imtiaz Ali, offering audiences a glimpse into the minds of these creative visionaries. 

There was also a crucial discussion on 'Climate Change and Sustainable Development in the North East,' shedding light on vital environmental concerns and sustainable development practices specific to the region.

With an aim to empower the photography community and display their talent on a grand scale, IndiGo, in collaboration with National Geographic India, announces nine finalists out of 90,000+ participants for a photography reality show, #nofilter by IndiGo.

Fronted by judges Imtiaz Ali, an acclaimed film director, and Raghu Rai, a celebrated photographer, nine participants will capture the essence of India through their lenses, evoking emotions, and weaving captivating stories with each unfiltered shot. The show will premiere on September 30 at 8 pm on National Geographic platforms, including television and YouTube.

Set against the backdrop of Delhi's vibrant streets, the participants will face various challenges that showcase the city's rich tapestry of life. In their quest to claim the coveted title of the show's best photographer, judges Imtiaz Ali and Raghu Rai will challenge each one of them to explore the iconic locations of Delhi under specific themes, capturing the most powerful, unfiltered photo essays. In each episode, the participants will immerse themselves in the city's true emotions, turning their lenses towards Old Delhi's bustling streets, traditional kitchens, women in uniform after work, and the captivating charm and chaos of the bazaars that offer a window into the spirit of the city itself. As the judges determine the fate of each participant, they will be seen engaging in an in-depth discussion about every entry and will reveal the episodic winner.

“National Geographic has always held a distinctive and revered position in the world of photography. Our innovative visual storytelling with iconic imagery has been a source of inspiration for our audience for 135 years. Through #nofilterbyIndiGo, we are excited to empower the photographers’ community to share their unadulterated, inspiring, yet beautiful stories. In addition to that, having two renowned personalities from the realms of photography and filmmaking as judges, we anticipate this show will raise the bar for photography excellence,” said a National Geographic spokesperson.

“As a filmmaker, I share a deep passion for the camera, and I believe that photography is a powerful means of storytelling. I'm thrilled to witness these talented photographers come together and compete with unfiltered creativity. Serving as a judge alongside the prolific Raghu Rai, we shoulder the responsibility of handpicking the most exceptional shots. My gratitude goes out to National Geographic and IndiGo for providing a platform that not only celebrates the art of photography but also fosters the growth of emerging talent,” said Imtiaz Ali.

“India is a country of diverse cultures and landscapes, and photography is perhaps the best way to share the beauty of the country with everyone. As part of our #IndiaByIndiGo initiative, the #nofilter partnership between IndiGo and Nat Geo celebrates the diversity of India and the passion of the photographers who bring it to life. We look forward to the episodes with our 9 finalists and wish them great success," said Neetan Chopra, CDIO, IndiGo.

A community-building initiative for passionate photographers, #nofilter by IndiGo began in May 2023. Below are the nine entrants who have been shortlisted for the four-part series.
• Riya David, Fashion Photographer
• Madhur Nangia, Landscape & Travel Photographer
• Pubarun Basu, Documentary Photographer
• Anju Mishra, Engineer & Photography Enthusiast
• Smita Goyal, IT Professional & Photography Enthusiast
• Harsh Kharwar, Wedding Photographer
• Ayshi Roy, Street & Documentary Photographer
• Rayan Hussain, Tour Guide & Travel Photographer
• Shyam Madhavan, Businessman, Content Creator & Photographer

#nofilter by IndiGo will premiere on National Geographic in India at 8PM on 30th September 2023 and the episodes will air every Saturday thereafter.

Ace Cricketing All-Rounder and Chennai Super King’s Player, Deepak Chahar’s signature sportsline, DNINE announced its digital marketing partnership with Delhi Delhi-based digital marketing company,TZS Digital. TZS Digital will work closely with DNINE to establish its digital presence, acquire new consumers, build a credible brand image, and market various products of DNINE.

Lokendra Chahar, Managing Director, DNINE Sports said, “More than himself, Deepak trusts his equipment, that's what he relies on. And so, with that in mind, he launched his new brand DNINE because he did not want the new generation to settle for anything less than the best. Today he is in the fortunate position to positively impact many sports professionals’ lives and the sporting equipment industry as a whole.”

On the occasion Mr. Deepak Chahar, an Indian international cricketer said,“ I am very excited, nervous, happy, anxious all at the same time as the brand goes on the floors. Team TZS Digital has been like an extended arm working round the clock with us and bouncing off some really great ideas for the brand. We are all working round the clock to make this a huge success. Let’s GO ALL IN!”

“We are excited to partner with DNINE. This project brings a lot of adrenaline in the team and we have all sorts of fiery ideas to break on the digital channels. India desperately needs world-class products at competitive prices to unleash its true athletic potential. We think that this partnership will create a positive impact on the sports industry. We are all ready with our digital ammunition to conquer the platforms,” said Tauquir Zaidi, Managing Director at TZS Digital.

Pavan Jain, Executive Director, TZS Digital said: “We understood the purpose of the brand and Deepak’s vision since their initial talks. A young team full of cricket lovers, TZS Digital was the right team to work with for DNINE. Our team will not only create ground-breaking content but also help in mirroring Deepak’s vision with the right tone of voice on all digital Platforms.”

The Pepper Creative Awards Trust has invited entries for the 17th edition of Pepper Awards.

The entries should be submitted online through www.pepperawards.com on or before 5pm, October 12, 2023. There is an early bird discount offered for those entering on or before 25th September 2023. The entry is open to advertising agencies, media agencies, digital agencies, event agencies, PR agencies, media houses and production houses in the southern states. All the entries must have been published or displayed for the first time between 1st January, 2022 and 31st March 2023.

“Unlike previous years, this year we have added many new categories and sub categories at par with other national awards in the country, thereby creating more chances to win more awards”, said P K Natesh, Chairman Pepper Awards 2023. “ Besides the usual Creative Agency of the Year Award and Advertiser of the Year Award, we have added a special category – Young Pepper Award . This is to encourage and inspire young creative talents below 30 years, “ he added.

“The highlight of this year’s Pepper Awards is the Life Time Achievement Award to be presented to a senior person based in Kerala in the field of Advertising, Media or allied industries,” said K Venugopal, Chairman of Pepper Creative Awards Trust. “A panel of special jury will select the winner, and this award will also be presented on the same day along with other Pepper Awards,” he said.

Awards will also be given specifically for Kerala-based agencies in the Jewellery, Real Estate, Textile, Hospitality, Ayurveda, Media, Banking/NBFC, Retail (Home appliances), Healthcare, Education and Cinema sector. The winners will be selected by a jury comprising nationally and internationally acclaimed personalities who were members of various international jury panels, including Cannes Film Festival, One Show, Adfest, Goa Fest etc. “We are glad to announce that we have a Singapore-based jury member in our panel this year who is a Keralite”, said the Awards chairman.

The jury comprises Deepa Geethakrishnan, Founder, MYO Brands Solutions; Priya Shivakumar, Senior National Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson India ; Harshada Menon, Group Creative Director, DDB Mudra Group; Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO, Famous Innovations; Prathap Suthan, Co-founder and CCO, Bang In The Middle: Abhijit Avasthi, Founder, Sideways; Raj Nair, former CEO and CCO, Madison BMB; Burzin Mehta, Chief Creative Officer, Gozoop Group; George Kovoor, CCO Wavemaker India; Joji Jacob, Creative Partner & Co-founder, BLKJ Havas , Singapore; Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner, Enormous and Anurag Agnihotri, Managing Partner (Creative), Ogilvy West.

The award ceremony will be held on 8th December 2023.

India Today Group’s digital-first channel, News Tak, has crossed the milestone of 1 crore (10M) YouTube subscribers. Also, the channel has further expanded its online presence with a newly launched website: www.newstak.in.

“News Tak has been at the forefront in covering the national news and has captivated a vast audience. This achievement of reaching 1 crore subscribers accentuates the channel's focus on providing top-notch news coverage spanning politics and trending topics,” stated a press release.

Kallie Purie, Vice-chairperson India Today Group, said, “We live in an era where information travels at the speed of light, and in this digital age, knowledge is the currency of our time. For News Tak, our mobile first news channel, to hit this milestone is really special. There has been an internal competition on who would among all our 23 Tak channels hit the 10 million mark first. I am happy it’s News Tak because it was the first Tak channel we launched. The competition amongst the others now intensifies. Watch this space.”

With a clear editorial focus to cover the Indian politics from across the country, the website will report news around national politics in a focused and unbiased manner. In the past one year, Tak group of channels have successfully moved to native-platforms in various geographies like Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, according to the release.

Vivek Gaur, CEO, Tak channels & The Lallantop, India Today Group, said, “We had more than 348 million page views & 3.27 billion video views on YouTube in the last quarter alone. With the launch of the website, www.newstak.in, we will further strengthen our portfolio” He added, “Our aim is to keep our viewers and readers informed about the latest happenings in the country. The launch of the New Tak website is a part of our effort to reinforce the trust of the viewers who have supported us on this journey.”

The Pepper Creative Awards Trust has invited entries for the 17^th edition of Pepper Awards,  the leading creative awards in South India. The entries should be submitted online through www.pepperawards.com on or before 5pm, October 12, 2023. There is an early bird discount offered for those entering on or before 25^th September 2023. The entry is open to advertising agencies, media agencies, digital agencies, event agencies, PR agencies, media houses and production houses in the southern states.  All the entries must have been published or displayed for the first time between 1^st January, 2022 and 31^st  March 2023.

“Unlike previous years, this year we have added many new categories and sub categories at par with other national awards in the country, thereby creating more chances to win more awards”, said P  K Natesh, Chairman Pepper Awards 2023. “ Besides  the usual Creative Agency of the Year Award and Advertiser of the Year Award,   we have added a special category – Young Pepper Award . This is to encourage and inspire young creative talents below 30 years, “ he added.

“The highlight of this year’s Pepper Awards is the Life Time Achievement Award to be presented to a senior person based in Kerala in the field of Advertising, Media or allied industries,” said K Venugopal, Chairman of Pepper Creative Awards Trust.  “ A panel of special jury will select the winner, and this award will also be presented on the same day along with other Pepper Awards” , he said. 

Awards will also be given specifically for Kerala based agencies in the Jewellery, Real Estate, Textile, Hospitality, Ayurveda, Media, Banking/NBFC, Retail (Home appliances), Healthcare, Education and Cinema sector. The winners will be selected by a jury comprising nationally and internationally acclaimed personalities who were members of various international jury panels, including Cannes Film Festival, One Show, Adfest , Goa fest etc.  “We are glad to announce that we have a Singapore based jury member in our panel this year who is a Keralite”, said the Awards chairman.

The jury comprises  Deepa Geethakrishnan, Founder, MYO Brands Solutions;  Priya Shivakumar, Senior National Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson India ; Harshada Menon, Group Creative Director, DDB Mudra Group;  Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO, Famous Innovations; Prathap Suthan, Co-founder and CCO, Bang In The Middle: Abhijit Avasthi, Founder, Sideways; Raj Nair, former CEO and CCO, Madison BMB; Burzin Mehta, Chief Creative Officer, Gozoop Group; George Kovoor, CCO Wavemaker India; Joji Jacob, Creative Partner & Co-founder, BLKJ Havas , Singapore; Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner, Enormous and Anurag Agnihotri, Managing Partner (Creative), Ogilvy West.

The award ceremony will be held on 8^th December 2023.

Shahrukh Khan’s – Jawan has become the first Bollywood flick to feature a brand - Asian Paints through Whisper Media’s brand integration solutions via ICA. Red Chillies Entertainment partnered with Whisper Media for Jawan for digital brand integration to incorporate Asian Paints’s brands - Hydroloc and Royale Glitz in the post-production stage of the movie. 

“Jawan is undoubtedly the most anticipated movie this year and we are certain the movie will have a reach like never before. In order to capitalise onto this mega festive launch, we planned a few brand placements across the movie in order to positively influence the brand saliency. We have ensured that we play up the frequency of exposures to break the clutter through the movie. Whisper Media ensured that we were able to do this efficiently and effectively. This also buffers the brand from fragmentation in consumption as we retain our presence across mediums,” says Mr Amit Syngle, MD & CEO, Asian Paints Ltd.

“We open In-content advertising opportunities for brands and have pioneered this in the TV GEC space. Content, irrespective of the genre, is central to our offering and we are extremely excited in partnering with Red Chillies Entertainment on the mega premiere of Jawan. This also marks our entry into the Film industry. Asian paints and Madison World have been our key partners in the ICA journey and we are delighted to have them on our first movie project too!” says Guneet Anand, Global Revenue Head, Whisper Media.

“Jawan is possibly the largest cinematic platform of the year and we are pleased to have found a way for Asian Paints to be part of it. Whisper Media’s technology and approach to ICA has made this partnership possible in a way that extracts the maximum benefit for our client and we look forward to several more such opportunities to showcase our clients,” concludes Abhik Banerjee, COO, Madison Infinity.