The Advertising Agencies Association of India announced that the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 will be conferred on advertising veteran Shashi Sinha. This is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/ her outstanding contribution to the Advertising industry.
Shashi Sinha progressed from being the head of Media at FCB Ulka to the chief executive officer of all media units under IPG Media Brands in 2013.
This success elevated the global standing of IPG Media Brands. He played a pivotal role in the sevenfold growth of Interactive Avenues, a digital agency acquired during his tenure. Notably, MB agencies, apart from GroupM, are the only media agencies to have received Agency of the Year Awards at prestigious local shows like Emvies and Goafest Abbies.
He is known for his presence and guidance in various industry bodies, including roles as the current chairman of BARC, former president of the Ad Club and former chairman of ABC and MRUC. He has also been chairman of the Awards Governing Council at Goafest.
Making the announcement, Prasanth Kumar, president, AAAI, said, “Shashi Sinha’s journey in advertising is an inspiring narrative of leadership, innovation, and resilience. As the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Awardee for 2023, he exemplifies decades of transformative impact, steering media entities to unparalleled success. His tenure as CEO at IPG Media Brands marked a turnaround that elevated industry standards, making it the most profitable entity under IPG in India. Beyond corporate milestones, Shashi’s commitment to industry bodies and social causes is laudable. His achievements reflect not just professional excellence but a deep-seated passion for shaping the advertising landscape and contributing meaningfully to societal progress. Shashi Sinha is truly deserving of this honour.”
Anupriya Acharya, Chairperson of the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee, remarked, “No one deserves this prestigious honor more than Shashi. While his success in advertising is remarkable, his contributions to the industry at large are nothing short of exemplary. It is no surprise therefore, that the entire committee unanimously agreed to bestow this award upon Shashi, recognizing his outstanding achievements and significant impact on the advertising landscape.”
Some of the past winners of this award include Subhas Ghosal, Alyque Padamsee, Mike Khanna, R K Swamy, Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara, Prem Mehta, Roda Mehta, Ram Sehgal, Madhukar Kamath, Arvind Sharma, Colvyn Harris and others.