The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has added a regional layer to its national structure, launching new chapters for North, South and East India. The move is designed to bring agency leaders closer to local industry conversations and make professional development more accessible outside the largest metros.
What the chapters will do
Each chapter will run workshops, fireside chats and peer-learning forums that reflect the priorities of its own market. They will operate inside AAAI’s national framework while retaining enough autonomy to act on region-specific needs.
That structure matters because advertising demand, client behaviour and talent pools differ by region. A local chapter can respond to those differences more quickly than a single national calendar typically allows.
Who is leading the rollout
- North India: Kunal Lalani, Crayons Advertising Ltd, as Chairperson; Santosh Kumar, Innocean Worldwide Communication Pvt Ltd, and Sunil Chhabra, Pamm Advertising & Marketing, as Co-chairs.
- South India: K. Srinivas, Sloka Advertising Pvt Ltd, as Chairperson; C. Muthu, Maitri Advertising Works Pvt Ltd, as Co-chair.
- East India: Priyanka Chatterjee, Standard Publicity Pvt Ltd, as Chairperson.
Why it matters for our readers
For marketing professionals and students outside the usual metro circuits, chapters lower the barrier to industry participation. Local workshops and peer forums can become a practical route to mentors, partnerships, hiring pipelines and early signals from regional clients.
The real test will be consistency. A regional chapter creates value only when its workshops and forums are regular, inclusive and tied to clear outcomes such as hiring, skill-building or new business. For smaller and independent agencies, that consistency could be more useful than occasional access to a national event.
Dr. Sandeep Goyal, President of AAAI, framed the launch as a way to make local insight part of national standards:
“Regional chapters are critical to building a stronger, more connected advertising industry in India. With Kunal, Santosh, Sunil, C. Muthu, K. Srinivas, and Priyanka leading these efforts, we’re ensuring that local insights and talent shape national standards. This is about putting agency leaders closer to the conversations that matter.”
What to do next
Find the chapter nearest to your market and treat its first events as a working networking opportunity, not just a calendar item. Follow up with two people per session and bring one regional insight to the conversation.
Source: MediaNews4U
