The title of "IAA Business Leader of the Year" was given to Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India. The 10th edition of the IAA Leadership Awards was held by the India branch of IAA, a prominent association for marketing, advertising, and media professionals.
The "IAA Creative Agency Leader of the Year" and "IAA Media Agency Leader of the Year" honours, respectively, went to Rajdeepak Das of Leo Burnett and Ajay Gupte of Wavemaker. Media industry veteran Dr Bhaskar Das was inducted into the ‘IAA Hall of Fame’. Das, former president (response), Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited, described the industry as his ‘karma bhoomi' where he served for over 40 years.
"I’ve come to believe that every moment spent working is a balance sheet of achievements and failures, each holding its own invaluable assets. A career is a solitary endeavour, just like life itself. It’s a tapestry woven together with the threads of complex collective efforts. In fact, in my journey, I’ve come to realise that everyone, and everything, has been my teacher. Learning and gratitude - these are the two cornerstones of my being," said Das.
Navika Kumar, news editor and anchor from Times Network, was honoured with the ‘IAA TV Anchor of the Year’ award.