Mumbai: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), in partnership with knowledge partner UNICEF, will host the IAA Voice of Change Roundtable on 7 July 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, beginning at 2 pm.
The event marks a key milestone for IAA Voice of Change, IAA India’s gender-sensitisation initiative launched in 2020 to encourage more equitable, authentic and inclusive representation across advertising, media and content.
This year’s roundtable will feature the unveiling of the India Advertising Midline Study: Gender Representation and Inclusion Trends, conducted by the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) in collaboration with UNICEF. The study analyses gender representation across 1,000 Indian advertisements and measures progress against the baseline research conducted in 2021.
The study is expected to provide fresh insights into how gender portrayals in Indian advertising have evolved over the past five years while identifying opportunities for further improvement in representation and inclusion.
The event will bring together leaders from advertising, marketing and content industries to examine the findings and discuss the progress made, persistent challenges and the role of storytelling in shaping more inclusive narratives.
The programme will include a presentation of the research findings followed by a panel discussion featuring Pavanjit Singh Bedi, Chief Marketing Officer – Foods, Hindustan Unilever; Puneeth Bekal, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, HDFC Securities; Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder & CCO, Fundamental; Aahana Kumra, Actor & Entrepreneur and Founder, Working Panda Films; and Sanjay Singh, Chief, UNICEF Maharashtra.
The panel will be moderated by Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee, IAA India Chapter.
The event will also feature a fireside conversation moderated by Megha Tata, Co-Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee, IAA India Chapter, with Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO, BBDO India.
Commenting on the initiative, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee, IAA India Chapter, said, “Advertising not only reflects society, but also has the power to shape it towards becoming more inclusive and gender sensitive. Through Voice of Change, we have encouraged more mindful and authentic storytelling across the industry. The midline study gives us an important opportunity to understand how gender representation in Indian advertising is evolving and to ground that conversation in data and insights. The Mumbai roundtable will bring together industry leaders to reflect on the progress made and discuss the way forward for more equitable representation in the narratives we create.”
Sharing her views, Megha Tata, Co-Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee, IAA India Chapter, said, “Voice of Change was founded on the belief that as communicators, we have both the influence and responsibility to shape narratives that move society forward. The midline study offers an important perspective on where we stand today and helps spark conversations on what we can collectively do better. By coming together with openness and intent, the industry can create storytelling that is not only impactful, but also more representative and responsible.”
