We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.
Calls grow for tougher regulations on WhatsApp, Telegram as spam threatens brand safety
While telecommunications companies, including Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, continue to call for stricter oversight on OTT communication platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to curb fraud and unsolicited communication, the advertising industry too has sounded the alarm due to the risk to the brand safety.
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, require fair business practices, yet WhatsApp Business API users overwhelm users with marketing messages, often with minimal opt-in controls. As more users block businesses on WhatsApp and Telegram, eroding trust in these platforms as communication channels, brand reputations are also said to be equally at risk.
AI adoption surges across industries, but salaries lag behind
As artificial intelligence continues to permeate industries worldwide, the nature of employment is undergoing a transformation. The evolving workplace is not only being reshaped by economic forces but also by the changing expectations of a workforce entering a corporate landscape defined by automation and AI-driven efficiencies.
Over the past two years, AI-related job opportunities have surged by 42 percent, climbing from 40,000 in 2018 to 253,000 in 2024, according to job platform foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME). This growth is expected to continue, with AI hiring projected to rise another 14 percent in 2025 as businesses integrate AI into their core operations at an accelerating pace.
PhonePe to hire Britannia’s Amit Doshi as CMO: Report
PhonePe, which is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO), is all set to hire, Amit Doshi as the chief marketing officer, who was previously with Britannia Industries in a similar position, stated an ET report.
It was further reported that another Bengaluru based internet firm too was in talks with Doshi for another role, but he has accepted PhonePe’s offer.
Battle for identity: Growing concerns over personality rights in an AI-driven digital age
Over the past three years, a string of legal battles has emerged in India, bringing to light the infringement of personality rights among some of the country’s most well-known public figures. From Bollywood luminaries Amitabh Bachchan (2022), Anil Kapoor (2023), and Jackie Shroff (2024) to journalist Rajat Sharma (2024), the unauthorized use of celebrity identities has sparked a broader conversation on the gaps in India’s legal framework.
In 2025 alone, similar cases have surfaced involving BharatPe’s founder Ashneer Grover, esteemed cardiologist Devi Prasad Shetty, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, and the late Ratan Naval Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group.
Ads on social media platforms driving users to illegal gambling websites: DIF Report
The Digital India Foundation, a non-profit think tank, has called for a joint collaboration between Meta and Google to combat illegal betting and gambling platforms operating in India. A report titled “Illegal Gambling and Betting Market in India: The Scale and Enablers” analyzed digital platform policies and found that while strict regulations exist for paid advertisements, enforcement remains inconsistent.
India’s illegal gambling and betting ecosystem operates through a sophisticated network involving digital advertisements, social media and messaging platforms, and payment technologies such as cryptocurrency. This illegal sector exceeds $100 billion per year and is rapidly growing at a rate of 30% annually, fueled by increasing digital adoption, technological advancements, and regulatory uncertainty.
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