The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has a new leadership team for 2026-27. Dr Sandeep Goyal, Chairman & Managing Director of Rediffusion Brand Solutions, was elected President at the association’s Annual General Body Meeting in Mumbai. Jaydeep R Gandhi, founder of Another Idea, was elected Vice-President.
Leadership change at the agency body
Goyal succeeds Srinivasan K. Swamy, the immediate past president, who will continue on the AAAI Board as an ex-officio member for 2026-27. The newly elected board includes:
- Sam Balsara
- Priyanka Chatterjee
- Tanya Goyal
- Santosh Kumar
- Kunal Lalani
- Chandramouli Muthu
- K Srinivas
- Ajit Varghese
The association said the honorary secretary, honorary treasurer and co-opted directors will be announced after the elected board meets to fill vacant positions under the AAAI articles of association.
Why this matters for marketers
Founded in 1945, AAAI is a not-for-profit, industry-led trade body representing Indian advertising agencies. Its small, medium and large member agencies together account for almost 80% of the advertising business placed in the country. That scale gives the presidency a broad influence over agency standards, talent conversations and technology adoption in the Indian market.
Goyal’s background and agenda
Goyal is chairman of both Rediffusion and Everest and brings around four decades of experience across advertising, media and corporate leadership. His career includes roles at HTA (now VML), Trikaya Grey, DDB Mudra and Rediffusion Dentsu, Young & Rubicam. He has also been Group CEO of Zee Telefilms, India JV partner and Chairman of Dentsu India & Middle East, and Chair of Snapchat’s India Advisory Board. An MBA, PhD and DLitt, he has published 10 books.
“I am deeply honoured by the trust AAAI members have reposed in me as President of this distinguished institution,” Goyal said.
His stated goals for the year include championing innovation, maintaining high creative standards, helping the ecosystem navigate new technologies, skilling younger professionals and taking up societal causes.
The vice-president and what’s next
Gandhi has been associated with AAAI since 2008 and has served on its Board since 2014. He has also been involved with Goafest as Co-Chair and later Chairman since 2019, and is a board member of the IAA India Chapter and a trustee of the Advertising Council of India’s STACA Trust.
Marketing professionals should watch whether the announced focus areas turn into skilling programmes, training partnerships or industry guidelines once the full AAAI operational team is in place. With the secretary, treasurer and co-opted directors still to be named, the complete leadership picture will become clearer after the first board meeting.
Source: MediaNews4U
