EXCLUSIVE: ACI to serve as unified front for India’s advertising giants
The Advertising Council of India will streamline industry advocacy, governance, and talent development.
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In a landmark move aimed at unifying the voice of the Indian marketing and communication industry, major advertising bodies in the country are coming together under a single umbrella organization — the Advertising Council of India (ACI).
Originally established on April 20, 1999, by the Standing Committee on Advertising (STACA), ACI will now serve as the collective front for various prominent industry organizations. These include the Indian Society of Advertisers, Indian Broadcasting Foundation, Advertising Agencies Association of India, International Advertising Association - India Chapter, and The Advertising Club Bombay.
Speaking on the development, Srinivasan K Swamy, Executive Group Chairman of RK Swamy Group and Chairman of the Asian Federation of Advertising Association, emphasized ACI’s pivotal role, “Advertising Council of India is positioned as the apex body in India for everything connected with marketing communication. All major associations — from advertisers to broadcasters — are now members of ACI, which itself operates as a division under the STACA Trust.”
Swamy added that a formal Executive Committee is being constituted, with each member association nominating two representatives. This committee will be tasked with overseeing the Council’s affairs and electing its President.
“This formal structure will help us function more efficiently and represent the industry more authoritatively,” Swamy noted.
We will receive two names from each industry bodies and have received a positive feedback from all the stakeholders and the body will be formed in next one month. He added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ramesh Narayan, Founder of Canco Advertising and Director of Strategy at the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations, said, “There has been a crying need for a truly representative body of the entire Marcom industry. ACI provides a much-needed unified platform for meaningful representation in regulatory and governmental interactions.”
Another top industry leader said, "It is a better idea to deal with all the regulatory frameworks and government policies. It becomes easier to be the industry voice unitedly infront of the government rather than individual associations or industry stakeholders meeting them separately."
To support and nurture emerging talent in the industry, ACI also announced the third edition of its New Age Leadership Program (NALP), scheduled to take place from June 19 to 22, 2025. The program, an initiative of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), will be fully funded and is open to 24 selected young professionals under the age of 35 working in the marketing communications sector.
AFAA also announced a major initiative for AdAsia in Macaw representing true Indian talent at the marquee industry event.
This consolidation marks a significant step toward better coordination, advocacy, and talent development within India’s dynamic advertising landscape.
