Mumbai: India has secured a strong presence on the Shortlisting Jury for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, with seven industry leaders selected to help evaluate and shape this year’s global creative benchmarks.
The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have unveiled this year’s Shortlisting Jury, a global panel tasked with evaluating and curating world-class creative work that will go on to be judged and awarded at the Festival, scheduled to take place from June 22 to 26, 2026, in Cannes, France.
From India, Moumita Pal — National Creative Director, Dentsu Creative, India, and Saakshi Verma Menon — Chief Marketing Officer (Foods), PepsiCo India, will represent the Brand Experience & Activation category—one of the most competitive segments recognising immersive brand storytelling and consumer engagement.
Ashish Khazanchi — Managing Partner, Enormous, India, has been named to the Direct category jury, bringing his expertise in results-driven creative communications to the global stage. In Film Craft, Akanksha Seda — Director, Good Morning Films, India, joins the jury, reflecting India’s continued strength in production and storytelling excellence.
Further strengthening India’s presence, Suchitra Gahlot — National Creative Director, McCann India, will serve on the Outdoor jury, while Sonia Huria — Head, Brand, Social and Corporate Communications, Maddock Films, India, has been selected for the PR category. Aditya Sunilkumar — Executive Creative Director and Head of Digital, Havas Creative Worldwide India, rounds off the list as part of the Social & Creator jury.
Collectively, Indian jurors will contribute across six categories — Brand Experience & Activation, Direct, Film Craft, Outdoor, PR, and Social & Creator, highlighting the country’s diverse capabilities spanning creativity, strategy, content, and digital innovation.
This year’s jury line-up globally reflects increasing diversity, with broader representation from emerging markets and independent agencies. Notably, jurors from Ethiopia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe have been included for the first time, alongside over 40 independent agencies making their debut on the jury panel.
Simon Cook — CEO, LIONS, подчеркed the importance of the Shortlisting Jury in setting creative benchmarks for the industry. He noted that the selected jurors bring a wide range of expertise and perspectives that will help identify and elevate groundbreaking work shaping the future of global creativity.
While India’s presence remains strong across key creative and communications categories, there were no Indian representatives this year in segments such as Creative Strategy, Design, Entertainment, Film, Health & Wellness, and Media—indicating potential areas for broader participation going forward.
As Cannes Lions continues to evolve as the definitive global platform celebrating creativity and effectiveness, India’s representation on the Shortlisting Jury underscores its rising stature as both a creative powerhouse and a strategic contributor to the global advertising and marketing landscape.
