Advertising
From Pink Slips to Silent Sidelining: Inside adland’s layoff and anxiety crisis
Big Tech rules tighten in 2026 | KFC–Pizza Hut operators to merge in $934m deal
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
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Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
AI, DPDP and IT rules will drive new phase of Big Tech regulation in India in 2026
The release of India’s long-awaited AI Governance framework, the finalisation of DPDP rules, the Competition Commission of India’s market study on AI, the RBI’s AI-in-financial-services framework, and the DPIIT working group’s report on copyright and AI, taken together, mark the year India’s digital state infrastructure formally aligned with the AI era.
India’s media, advertising sector cuts 1,000-plus jobs as AI reshapes work
The country's advertising, media and entertainment industry cut more than 1,000 jobs in 2025 as companies accelerated the use of artificial intelligence, restructured operations and consolidated businesses, according to staffing executives and industry estimates.
The losses did not fall evenly. Freshers continued to find openings, particularly in digital roles. However, employees in mid-level and support positions, such as those handling routine reporting, basic production support, low-complexity creative adaptations, and account-heavy work, were increasingly shown the door, their tasks absorbed by software that is capable of producing first drafts, edits, and analytics at speed and scale.
KFC, Pizza Hut franchises to unite as Sapphire Foods merges with Devyani International in a $934 million deal
Sapphire Foods India said on Thursday that it would merge with Devyani International, a deal that would unite two of Yum Brands’ largest franchise partners in India at a time when the country’s fast-food industry is confronting slower growth and tighter margins.
The transaction would consolidate the operations of global quick-service chains such as KFC and Pizza Hut under a single operator, creating a scaled platform with nationwide reach just as consumers pull back on discretionary spending amid rising living costs.
Warner Bros Discovery likely to reject Paramount Skydance hostile bid despite Ellison guarantee
Harris Oakmark, Warner Bros’ fifth-largest shareholder with a holding of 96 million shares, stated that Paramount’s revised offer was not sufficient and added that it failed to adequately cover the potential break-up fee.
'If the system was unfair, they wouldn’t show up”: Zomato's Deepinder Goyal calls out ‘miscreants’
As delivery worker unions called nationwide strikes, Zomato and Blinkit hit all-time-high volumes, with Deepinder Goyal pushing back sharply against what he called a misrepresentation of the gig economy.
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Read More“Confusion creates opportunity for agile players,” Sir Martin Sorrell on industry consolidation
Looking ahead to the close of 2025 and into 2026, Sorrell sees technology platforms as the clear winners. He described them as “nation states in their own right”, with market capitalisations that exceed the GDPs of many countries.