May 13, 2026, Mumbai, India: Goafest 2026 is set to welcome CEOs, CMOs and senior brand leaders from over 50 leading companies across sectors. The scale of participation further reinforces the festival’s position as one of India’s most significant gatherings for marketers, agencies, media professionals, creators and industry stakeholders.

Senior representatives from 50+ marketing companies like Acko Group, Adani, Aditya Birla Group, Ajio, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Bajaj Insurance, boAt, Britannia, Coca-Cola, Dabur, DS Group, Emami, Flipkart, Godrej, Google, HDFC, Haleon, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), IBM, ITC Limited, Kotak Mahindra Bank, PepsiCo, Lenovo, Levi’s, MagicBricks, Marico, Mondelez, Nestle, Nippon, Nykaa, OnePlus, Parle, Perfetti Van Melle India, Pernod Ricard, Swiggy, Taj Hotels, TVS, Vida, Yum! Brands, Zepto and several others are expected to be present at the festival.

The 2026 edition of Goafest hence makes way for deeper engagement, offering delegates the opportunity to interact directly with senior marketing decision-makers. This growing participation of brand leaders highlights Goafest’s importance as a platform for meaningful industry exchange.

Mohit Joshi, Co-Chair of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee and CEO, Havas Media Network India, said, “The growing participation of marketing leaders reflects the increasing importance of collaboration across the industry. Bringing together leaders from over 50 organisations creates opportunities for impactful dialogue, new partnerships and shared learning that benefit the entire ecosystem.”

“Goafest has always stood for one idea: “the entire industry as one force.” Having 50+ leading brands join us alongside agencies, media companies and our trade bodies is a powerful testament to that. When clients, creators and custodians of the industry choose to come together at one place, it reaffirms the responsibility we all share – and the trust the industry places in Goafest to be that common ground”, said, Jaideep Gandhi, Vice President, AAAI and Chairman of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee.

Goafest 2026 is committed to bringing the industry together through conversations, networking and shared experiences designed to support collaboration and future growth.

The post Goafest 2026 Brings India’s Leading Marketing CXOs under One Roof appeared first on India Communication Forum.

Mumbai, 13 February 2026: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (‘Z’), India’s leading Content and Technology Powerhouse, has announced the launch of ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, an omnichannel solution aimed at helping brands navigate multi-screen engagement and achieve stronger reach and creative cut-through across platforms.

With media access becoming increasingly democratized, brands of every size can now purchase inventory with similar ease. However, this wider access has created a new challenge for marketers, that of achieving impact in a marketplace crowded with messages. With shrinking attention spans and rising clutter, visibility alone is no longer enough. Brands must look for ways to move from awareness to memorability, while driving both affinity and action.

To address this shift, ‘Z’ has introduced ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a character-led, moment-driven media format that blends culturally rooted storytelling with measurable commercial outcomes. The format is designed to integrate brands into narratives audiences already follow, rather than interrupting viewing experiences. By building brand presence around trusted television characters on shows across the ‘Z’ bouquet of broadcast and digital platforms, ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ is designed to create integrations that feel organic and are emotionally resonant across India’s diverse markets.

‘Dilfluencer Moments’ is anchored in a television-first approach that begins with high-trust, high-recognition moments on linear TV and then extends into digital, social, and creator ecosystems. The objective is to help brands benefit from shareability and cross-platform velocity, using storytelling cues that audiences naturally carry forward into conversations, forwards, and participation across screens.

The format was recently demonstrated through the “TumHoLovely” campaign, launched on National Girl Child Day with the message, “Jab Life ko leti ho Lightly toh lagti ho aur bhi Lovely”. The campaign used character-led moments embedded across ‘Z’s Hindi and Marathi shows, with the narrative travelling organically across digital platforms through creator and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further amplified the storyline, showcasing how TV-originated cultural cues can translate into broader engagement and virality.

Laxmi Shetty, Head – Advertisement Revenue, Broadcast & Digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said: “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments is a new media format for marketers, delivering reach at scale through character-first content systems that seamlessly travel across platforms while connecting with audiences at a personal level. With Dilfluencer Moments, we are enabling advertisers to transform culturally rooted storytelling into brand love—powered by platform-agnostic distribution and ‘Z’s national scale.”

Kartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “The Indian ad market has expanded steadily, not just in size but in access. Today, a 100 Mn brand and a 10,000 Mn brand can both buy impressions with equal ease. With nearly half of the 1-lakh crore ad market coming from video across Linear and Digital devices, ‘Access’ alone is no longer an advantage; ‘Affinity’ is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and a relatable world and from moments that stay with audiences across screens. That’s where ‘Z’s ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ can be disruptive. While media choices still happening by platform verticals, a moment has the ability to travel horizontally across platform, organically and concurrently at scale. With our reach, our Dilfluencers and the emotional equity of our storytelling, we’re enabling brands to participate meaningfully in moments that audiences already love”

The “TumHoLovely” campaign illustrated how character-first storytelling can scale quickly across platforms, moving from television to digital social platforms, WhatsApp forwards, and real-world conversations within 24 hours. The campaign generated 35 million total impressions, with 20 million social and digital views, 2.5 million engagements, and over 1,000 comments.

For marketers, ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ is a way to embed brands into culturally relevant moments, generate organic engagement that supports genuine virality, distribute messaging at scale across platforms, and convert attention into long-term brand love and emotional equity.

The post ‘Z’ Launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a New Omnichannel Media Format Designed to Turn Attention into Brand Love  appeared first on India Communication Forum.

Mumbai, 12th January 2026: Veteran media professional James Varghese has announced the launch of OTS Communications (I) Pvt Ltd, a full-service media agency delivering integrated solutions across Out-of-Home (OOH), BTL activations, retail signages, and ATL media.

With over 33 years of experience in the media and advertising industry, Varghese brings deep expertise in media strategy, planning, and execution. He was associated with OAP for 19 years, where he played a pivotal role in driving strategic media initiatives and building long-standing client relationships across categories.

Commenting on the launch, James Varghese, Founder & CEO, OTS Communications, said, “Over the years, I have had the opportunity to lead campaigns across platforms and categories. These experiences reinforced my belief that effective media outcomes come from strategic clarity, execution rigour, and ownership. OTS Communications is an extension of that belief—hands-on, focused, and deeply involved in delivering tangible value for clients.”

Sharing his perspective, Abhijit Sengupta, CEO & Director, OAP Mediatech, said, “James Varghese has been an integral part of OAP’s journey for nearly two decades, and his leadership, integrity, and people-first approach have left a lasting imprint on the organisation. As he embarks on the next chapter of his professional journey, I wish him success in building something of his own and pursuing his entrepreneurial vision. I am confident that the values he has always stood for honesty, humility, and commitment will continue to guide him forward.”

His transition marks the culmination of a significant professional chapter, shaped by decades of industry experience, relationships, and trust built over more than three decades—particularly during his time at OAP forming a strong foundation as he embarks on this new entrepreneurial journey.

OTS Communications is founded on the principle that effective media delivery is achieved through a balance of sharp strategy, disciplined execution, and accountability. Built as an agile and focused organisation, the agency is designed to work closely with clients at every stage of the campaign lifecycle, ensuring measurable and outcome-driven media solutions.

Positioned as a responsive and involved media partner, OTS Communications (I) Pvt Ltd aims to deliver integrated, performance-led media solutions while maintaining close senior-level involvement across all mandates, offering clients strategic clarity, execution discipline, and accountability across media platforms.

The post James Varghese Steps Down from OAP Mediatech; Takes Charge as Founder & CEO of OTS Communications appeared first on India Communication Forum.