Who among these nominees will bag the e4m Influencer of the Year 2024 title?

The 8th edition of the exchange4media Influencer of the Year Awards is set to take place on December 17, 2025, in Mumbai. The gathering will bring together some of the most respected names from the media, marketing and advertising landscape. The prestigious annual event honours leaders whose vision, strategy and innovation have helped shape the direction of the industry at large. With every edition, the platform celebrates individuals whose ideas have sparked new conversations and set fresh benchmarks for excellence.

This year’s nominee list reflects the scale, depth and diversity of influence across the rapidly evolving media and marketing ecosystem. From creative powerhouses and tech disruptors to business innovators and content leaders, the e4m Influencer of the Year 2024 (will be awarded in 2025) lineup showcases the people redefining the industry’s future. Their collective contributions span brand transformation, organisational growth, content innovation, digital acceleration and long-term value creation.

Over the years, the honour has been bestowed upon industry luminaries such as Azhar Iqbal, Prasanth Kumar, Naveen Tewari, Sanjay Gupta, Virendra Gupta, Umang Bedi, CVL Srinivas and Raj Nayak, the leaders who have consistently pushed boundaries and elevated the industry’s potential. The upcoming edition promises to be a celebration of influence and leadership, recognising those who continue to champion progress and shape the next era of media and marketing excellence.

Take a look at the nominees of e4m Influencer of the Year 2024:

Atul Hegde – Founder & Director, YAAP

Atul Hegde has been instrumental in building YAAP into a creative, content and technology powerhouse with a strong foothold across Asia. His commitment to innovation and scalable digital solutions has positioned him as a respected force within the modern marketing ecosystem. Under his leadership, YAAP has evolved into a powerhouse that seamlessly blends creativity with technology to drive brand narratives that resonate across platforms.

B Thiagarajan - Managing Director, Blue Star Limited

B Thiagarajan is recognised for steering Blue Star’s sustained growth with a sharp focus on consumer-centricity and operational excellence. Under his leadership, the brand has strengthened its market presence while embracing future-ready innovation. With a career spanning more than four decades, Thiagarajan has been at the forefront of India’s cooling, refrigeration, and air-conditioning sector, playing a key role in shaping one of the country’s most respected engineering and consumer durable companies.

Gaurav Banerjee - Managing Director & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India

Gaurav Banerjee has played a defining role in shaping content strategy and driving organisational transformation at SPNI. His leadership continues to push the boundaries of storytelling, platform expansion and entertainment impact. Banerjee’s two-decade-plus-long career encompasses his early days as a journalist, his pivotal role at Disney Star, and now his leadership at Sony. His journey serves as an inspiring example of success in the media industry.

Gour Gupta – Chairman & Managing Director, Tribes Communications

Gour Gupta has built Tribes Communications into a fast-growing agency known for creative disruption and experiential excellence. His entrepreneurial vision has consistently delivered award-winning work and business innovation. With over 20 years of experience, Gour Gupta’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary. From his early beginnings to becoming the Chairman and Managing Director of Tribes Communications Pvt. Ltd., Gour has shown a remarkable ability to lead, innovate, and scale businesses. Tribes Communications, under his leadership, has grown into a leading integrated marketing and advertising agencies, with a significant presence across India through multiple offices and more than 200 employees

Hephzibah Pathak – Executive Chairperson, Ogilvy India

Hephzibah Pathak is celebrated for her sharp strategic acumen and for leading Ogilvy’s creative culture with authenticity and purpose. Her influence spans across brand building, talent empowerment and long-term creative leadership. Pathak is the Executive Chairperson of Ogilvy India, a position she assumed on January 1, 2024. With over two decades of experience at Ogilvy, Pathak is the first woman to lead the company in India in its 95-year history. Her career at Ogilvy began in 1997, and she has since played a pivotal role in shaping the agency's growth and reputation.

Kartik Sharma – Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media India

Kartik Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media India, is one of the most respected voices in the industry. He stands out as a strong contender for the e4m Influencer of the Year 2024 title, backed by his consistent impact on India’s media and marketing landscape. Earlier, he has been pivotal in strengthening OMG’s leadership in data-led media solutions and integrated marketing transformation. His forward-thinking approach continues to power growth for both the organisation and its clients. In the past, Sharma has led Omnicom Media Group (OMG) India since 2020, after more than a decade at Wavemaker/Maxus (including CEO–South Asia) and earlier stints at Madison Media and Mindshare.

Monika Shergill – Vice President, Content, Netflix India

Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India, has reshaped streaming content strategy in India, championing bold narratives and premium storytelling. Prior to this role, she has also served as Director of International Originals at Netflix for nine months. Her work has significantly amplified Netflix’s cultural impact and consumer resonance across the country. A former journalist and documentary filmmaker, Shergill leads the development, creation, licensing and acquisition of all Indian-language content for Netflix and holds the position of Vice President of Content at Netflix India, a role she has held since April 2020.

Rana Barua – Group CEO, Havas

Rana Barua has led Havas India’s accelerated expansion with a strong focus on integration, creativity and client partnership. His leadership has elevated the network’s momentum, making it one of the fastest-growing agency groups in India. From steering Havas India to overseeing multiple regions, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and beyond, he has been at the forefront of transformation. Before Havas, Barua led Contract Advertising (WPP), Red FM, Radio City, McCann Worldgroup, and Rediffusion DY&R, bringing a wealth of experience across creative, media, and broadcasting industries. His journey is one of resilience, innovation, and a passion for storytelling that resonates across audiences and brands.

Sameer Singh – Group CEO, HT Media

Sameer Singh has driven HT Media’s transformation agenda with a balanced focus on digital adoption and editorial excellence. He continues to strengthen the organisation’s market influence through strategic innovation and operational agility. Prior to his current role, Singh was the Head of North America Global Business Solutions at TikTok/ByteDance where he was responsible for leading the advertising and sales teams across all advertising revenue in North America. He has also led GroupM as Chief Executive Officer - India and South Asia.

Before ByteDance, Singh successfully drove growth and innovation for the agency group. His earlier roles include a tenure at Google, where he led agency partnerships in India and spearheaded digital strategies for global clients across markets in the Americas.

Siddharth Dungarwal – Founder, SNITCH

Siddharth Dungarwal, Founder of SNITCH, has emerged as a dynamic force in India’s homegrown fashion landscape. With a sharp focus on agility, he has built a supply chain model that responds to trends almost in real time, allowing SNITCH to consistently deliver fresh, fashion-forward collections for the new-age consumer. His approach has set new benchmarks for speed, adaptability, and customer-centricity in the D2C apparel segment. His leadership showcases how today’s leaders are reshaping the fashion ecosystem with innovation, bold thinking, and a deep understanding of consumer behaviour.