Mumbai: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), India’s apex body representing advertisers for over seven decades, has announced that Atul Agrawal has taken over as its Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2, 2026.
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Agrawal brings extensive experience across brand building, media, and corporate communications, having worked with some of India’s most respected organisations. His appointment comes at a time when the marketing and media ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation, marked by shifts in technology, consumer behaviour, and measurement standards.
Commenting on his appointment, Atul Agrawal, CEO, ISA, said, “It is an honour to lead ISA at a time when marketing and media are undergoing such profound transformation. Having witnessed the evolution of brands, consumers, and technology over the years, I believe ISA’s role as the collective voice of advertisers is more crucial than ever.”
He further added, “My focus will be on driving responsible, effective, and efficient marketing through collaboration with entire ecosystem of advertisers, agencies, broadcasters/media owners and other stakeholders. Together, we will strive to strengthen ISA’s charter around media transparency and measurement, among others.”
A management graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Agrawal has worked across the FMCG and corporate sectors, including at Hindustan Lever and the Tata Group Headquarters. During his tenure at the Tata Group, he was involved in corporate brand marketing, youth engagement initiatives, media buying, and large-scale sponsorship programmes.
Agrawal has also been closely associated with ISA in the past, having served on its Executive Committee representing Tata Services. Additionally, he has contributed to the global advertising ecosystem as a jury member for the World Federation of Advertisers’ (WFA) Global Marketer of the Year award.
Welcoming the appointment, Sunil Kataria, Chairman, ISA, said, “Atul’s appointment comes at an important inflection point for the industry. His extensive leadership experience across the Tata Group and Hindustan Lever, coupled with his long-standing association with ISA, uniquely positions him to accelerate our agenda of building robust & transparent industry standards, enhancing advertiser support, and driving efficiency & effectiveness in advertising. With ISA leading critical initiatives like the Media Charter, Brand Safety, Viewability, First-Party Data frameworks, and Cross-Screen Measurement, Atul’s strategic and operational acumen will play a vital role in translating these into tangible value for advertisers.”
With this leadership transition, ISA reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with advertisers, agencies, media owners, and other stakeholders to drive greater efficiency, accountability, and sustainable growth across India’s advertising ecosystem.
