MUMBAI: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the regulatory authority of advertisements in the country, elected D Shivakumar (executive president of Corporate Strategy at Aditya Birla Group) unanimously as its new chairman of the board.
He has previously served as a member of the board of governors since the last three years.
Shivakumar is an accomplished business leader having spent over 19 years in sales, marketing and general management positions across consumer products and the luxury industry.
Rohit Gupta, president – Network Sales & International Business at Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd. was named as the deputy chairman and Shashidhar Sinha, CEO of Media Brands Pvt Ltd was reappointed as the honorary treasurer.
The other 13 members of the board of governors include top officials from companies such as Google India, Procter and Gamble, Hindustan Unilever, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, Tata Global Beverages Ltd., Dainik Bhaskar and South Asia Nielsen for example.
Ms Abanti Sankaranarayanan, the outgoing chairman of ASCI, said, “2017-18 has been another strong year for ASCI as we have made significant advancements towards building our organizational muscle, external credibility and strong collaborations. Our stringent guidelines, seamless processes and the dedication and hard work of our Consumer Complaints Council have contributed to restricting the use of misleading advertisements and enhance self-regulation. ASCI’s momentous achievements for the year include successful completion of three year-long collaboration with Department of Consumer Affairs, renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Food Safety Standards Authority of India, introduction of “Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising” and inclusion in AYUSH’s Empowered Committee to control misleading ads of AYUSH drugs. As the chairman for ASCI for the year 2017-18, I am extremely proud to be a part of this journey and I am confident that under Shivakumar’s chairmanship ASCI will continue to grow swiftly and steadily.”
Shivakumar also commented, “I want to thank Abanti for her stewardship. We live in changing times with respect to information, media and trust of society. ASCI has been built on the foundation of self-regulation and the wisdom of the previous chairmen and the board. It’s my privilege to do the role now”.
