Agenda | MMA / Marketing + Media Alliance

Agenda

Friday, October 9, 2026

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Networking

Registration & Networking Breakfast

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Keynote

SMARTIES is not just an Awards Show

Rohit Dadwal
CEO & BOD, MMA APAC, Global Head of SMARTIES
MMA Asia Pacific
10:20 AM – 10:35 AM Keynote

Magic in the Multiverse

As creators, communities, and emerging tech converge, owning the tools is not enough to win in the marketing multiverse.  Amidst all the artificial intelligence in the room, the real key to creating magic will always be genuine human insight and the undeniable pull of a great idea.

Hephzibah Pathak
WPP Creative CEO India and Executive Chairperson Ogilvy India
10:40 AM – 10:50 AM Standard

Trends & Takeaways: Lessons from the Jury Room

Abhinav Anthony
Client Director & Jury Observer (SMARTIES)
Toluna
Shreya Roychowdhury
Client Director & Jury Observer (SMARTIES)
Toluna
Knowledge Partner
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM Panel

Knowledge session

In Partnership with
11:50 AM – 12:00 PM Standard

Full-Funnel Digital Advertising Outlook: First Look at MMA India’s Primary Study

Where are India’s marketers investing, and what is still blocking full-funnel accountability? Get the headline findings first-hand, including retail media’s growing role beyond conversion, as brands balance brand building, performance and measurable business impact.

Moneka Khurana
Managing Director & BOD Member
MMA India
12:05 PM – 12:35 PM Report Launch

Report launch: A CMO's Playbook for Accountable Full-Funnel Advertising

Gulshan Verma
MMA India Board Member; Director
Amazon Ads India
Rohit Dadwal
CEO & BOD, MMA APAC, Global Head of SMARTIES
MMA Asia Pacific
Lead Knowledge Partner
12:40 PM – 12:55 PM Keynote

Building the Brand Moat: Creativity, Technology & Effectiveness — Unplugged

Naiyya Saggi
Founder & CEO
EDT
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Networking

Lunch

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM Standard

From Data to Decisions: The Rise of Applied AI in Marketing Analytics

Sandeep Pandey
CEO & Co-Founder
Skewb Analytics Private Limited
In Partnership with
2:20 PM – 2:40 PM Fireside Chat

Knowledge Session

In Partnership with
2:45 PM – 3:15 PM Panel

Contextual Marketing in the AI Era

Ketan Deorankar
Director - Growth
Hybrid INSEA
Niranjan Singh
Head of Media - India
Monks
Sujay Ray
Head - CX, CRM, Consumer Care & Data
L’Oreal India
Kunal Aman
Regional Director of Marketing & Communications - India & META
SAS
In Partnership with
3:20 PM – 3:35 PM Standard

MMA India Creative Council: Inaugural Session

Soumya Mohanty
MMA India Board Member; MD & Chief Client Officer - South Asia; Creative Council Co-Founding Member
Kantar
3:40 PM – 4:00 PM Fireside Chat

Moving with Culture: How Brands Can Win in the Moments That Matter

Arpit Tyagi
Head of Advertising, India
Uber Advertising
In Partnership with
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM Networking

Coffee Break

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM Keynote

Knowledge Session

Sunay Bhasin
Chief Executive Officer
MTR Foods
5:00 PM – 5:15 PM Standard

Report launch: Beyond Reach

Anupriya Acharya
Chief Executive Officer, South Asia
Publicis Groupe
Lalatendu Das
MMA India Board Member; CEO
Publicis Media, South Asia
Moneka Khurana
Managing Director & BOD Member
MMA India
Report Partner
5:20 PM – 5:45 PM Standard

Decoding Beyond Reach

Pavanjit Singh Bedi
CMO Foods
Hindustan Unilever Limited
Rajiv Gopinath
Chief Solutions Officer – Data Science
Publicis Media
Moderator
Gautam Surath
Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer
Publicis Media
6:00 PM Standard

SMARTIES India Gala Night Registration Begins

06:30 PM – 6:40 PM Standard

Inaugural address by Jury Chair

Rajneet Kohli
Executive Director Foods
Hindustan Unilever Limited
6:45 PM Standard

Category Awards Begin

9:00 PM Standard

Industry Awards & Finale

Our Partners