Mumbai: India went without a win on the third day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, failing to convert its shortlisted entries in the Media and Direct categories into metals.
With the latest round of winners announced, India’s overall performance at Cannes Lions 2026 remains at five awards—two Silver Lions and three Bronze Lions.
The Day 3 results covered Creative Data, Media, Direct, PR and Social & Creator Lions. While India had shortlisted work in Media and Direct, it had no representation in Creative Data, PR or Social & Creator.
In the Media Lions, India had two shortlisted campaigns, with one each from Ogilvy and WPP Media’s Mindshare. The Direct Lions also featured two Indian finalists, represented by VML India and Ogilvy’s 82.5/Grey. None progressed to the winners’ list.
India’s medal tally remains unchanged following its opening-day success and a solitary win on Day 2. The country began its Cannes campaign by winning two Silver Lions and two Bronze Lions, before TBWA\Lintas added a Bronze Lion in the Film Craft category on the second day.
Despite the absence of fresh wins, India has continued to build its presence on the shortlist tables. So far, Indian agencies have secured 24 shortlists across the 30 categories announced at this year’s festival.
The performance comes in a year when Indian participation at Cannes has declined significantly. Agencies and brands submitted 676 entries to the 2026 edition, down from 982 entries last year—a decline of 31.2 per cent, or 306 fewer submissions.
Industry observers have linked the reduction to agencies taking a more measured approach towards awards investments, including entry fees, travel costs, delegation sizes and the broader return on investment from international creative festivals.
Attention will now shift to the next round of announcements on June 25, when Cannes Lions will reveal winners across Creative Business Transformation, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Luxury, Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce and Innovation.
The 73rd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is being held from June 22 to June 26 in Cannes, France, with awards presented each evening across specialist creative disciplines.
India will be hoping for a stronger finish after an exceptional 2025 campaign, when it returned with 32 Lions, including one Grand Prix, nine Gold, nine Silver and 13 Bronze awards. That performance was achieved from 85 shortlists across 22 categories, making it one of the country’s best-ever outings at the global festival.
