Abby Awards 2026: Six Jury Chairs Named, Indian Advertising's A-List Steps Up

Introduction

Who decides what deserves to be called the best in Indian advertising? At the Abby Awards, it starts with the jury chairs — and this year's lineup is anything but ordinary. The Ad Club has progressively unveiled six jury chairs across key creative categories for Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show. With Goafest 2026 just weeks away, the announcements are building serious anticipation across India's advertising and marketing community. Here's a closer look at who's leading the charge — and what it means for the industry.

The Big Announcement

The Ad Club has named jury chairs across six categories for Abby Awards 2026, to be held at Goafest 2026 on May 20, 21, and 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon.

The three most recent appointments are:

Senthil Kumar, Creative Consultant and Film Director, will chair the Integrated jury. Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO of Famous Innovations, will lead the Outdoor jury. Niraj Ruparel, Creative Technology Lead at WPP and WPP Media India, takes charge of the Technology jury.

These follow three earlier announcements: Rajdeepak Das, CCO of Publicis Groupe South Asia, will chair AV Film (TV). Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner at Enormous, heads AV Film (Digital and OTT). Anupama Ramaswamy, MD and CCO at Havas Creative India, leads the Direct jury.

Together, these six names represent some of the most decorated creative minds currently active in Indian advertising.

What This Means for Your Brand

Jury chair appointments at a prestigious platform like the Abby Awards are not just administrative decisions — they send creative signals to the entire industry.

Senthil Kumar's appointment to the Integrated jury is particularly significant. With over 300 international awards to his name, including 27 Cannes Lions and India's first Gold Lions in Film and Film Craft, Senthil brings a benchmark of storytelling rigour that will push integrated campaign entries to justify every touchpoint — not just the big TVC.

Raj Kamble chairing Outdoor is a sharp choice for 2026. As the founder of Famous Innovations — a nine-time consecutive winner of South Asia Independent Agency of the Year — Kamble brings both creative pedigree and an independent agency perspective to a category that is undergoing a dramatic transformation with digital OOH and data-driven placements becoming mainstream.

Niraj Ruparel leading the Technology jury reflects where the industry is heading. His work spans voice AI for rural India, immersive spatial experiences, and AI-powered inclusion tools — a lens that goes well beyond urban tech showcases and asks whether technology is truly serving Bharat's 1.5 billion stories.

For agencies preparing entries, the message is clear: surface-level craft alone won't cut it this year. Depth, integration, and genuine innovation will be under the microscope.

Expert Take

The collective résumé of this year's jury chairs is staggering. Senthil Kumar holds the record for India's first One Show Gold Pencils in Film, Film Craft, and Film Innovation, alongside 24 D&AD Pencils including the coveted Yellow Pencil. He was recognised as Agency Creative Head of the Year 2025 by the International Advertising Association.

Raj Kamble brings over 150 international awards, including multiple Cannes and One Show Golds, and a 25-year career spanning agencies across Mumbai, London, and New York. He currently sits on the Board of Governors at IIM Kozhikode and MIT-Pune — bringing academic rigour alongside commercial creative instinct.

Niraj Ruparel's teams at WPP India have won multiple Cannes Lions, a Cannes Titanium, Spikes Asia, Kyoorius and Effies — making him one of the most globally validated creative technology leaders currently operating out of India.

The brands.in Perspective

The Abby Awards jury chair lineup this year reads less like a committee and more like a creative manifesto. Choosing leaders who have built landmark work in film, independent agencies, and frontier technology signals that the Abby Awards in 2026 aren't just rewarding what Indian advertising has done — they're defining what it must become. For brands watching from the sidelines, this is a cue: the bar for creative ambition in India is being raised, publicly and deliberately.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

• Six jury chairs confirmed across Integrated, Outdoor, Technology, AV Film (TV), AV Film (Digital/OTT), and Direct categories
• Goafest 2026 takes place May 20–22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon
• Senthil Kumar's Integrated jury will demand holistic, story-first campaign thinking
• Raj Kamble's Outdoor jury will likely reward innovation beyond traditional formats
• Niraj Ruparel's Technology jury elevates inclusion and real-world impact alongside technical craft
• Abby Awards 2026 is powered by The One Club and The One Show, raising its global credibility

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the Abby Awards and who organises them? The Abby Awards are India's premier advertising creativity awards, organised by The Ad Club. The 2026 edition is powered by The One Club and The One Show, adding significant global recognition to winning entries.

Q2. Where and when will Abby Awards 2026 be held? The awards will be presented at Goafest 2026 on May 20, 21, and 22, 2026, at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon in Goa.

Q3. Why does the jury chair selection matter for advertising agencies? Jury chairs set the creative benchmark for each category. Their professional backgrounds and areas of expertise directly influence the kind of work that gets recognised, guiding agencies on the standards expected for winning entries.

Closing

With six of Indian advertising's sharpest creative minds in the jury chairs, Abby Awards 2026 is shaping up to be a defining moment for the industry. Will your agency's best work make the cut? Share your thoughts below, and follow brands.in daily for everything that matters in Indian brand and marketing intelligence.