As the global creative community gathers once again on the French Riviera, IMPACT has returned to Cannes Lions with a legacy of chronicling the industry’s biggest ideas, boldest conversations and most celebrated work. Reporting from Cannes Lions, Neeta Nair, Editor of IMPACT Magazine, is bringing readers the latest updates, exclusive interviews with global industry leaders, and insightful conversations with members of the Indian contingent.
For well over a decade, our team has reported from the ground at the world’s most prestigious festival of creativity, giving readers front-row access to the trends, talent and thinking shaping the future of marketing and advertising.
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India arrives at Cannes Lions 2026 with growing confidence and a track record that reflects its rising influence on the global creative stage. Since 2015, Indian agencies have brought home 12 Grand Prix trophies, a testament to the country’s ability to create work that resonates far beyond its borders.
This year, India’s presence extends strongly into the jury rooms and speaker circuit as well, with industry leaders serving across key categories including Creative Strategy, Media, Outdoor, Gaming, Digital Craft, Print & Publishing and Health & Wellness. The jury line-up reflects the growing recognition of Indian creative leadership in global decision-making spaces at Cannes Lions.
India’s Cannes Lions 2026 Jury Representation
Jury Presidents
|
Name |
Designation |
Category |
|
Anupriya Acharya |
CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia |
Creative Data (Jury President) |
|
Kainaz Karmakar |
Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India |
Health & Wellness (Jury President) |
Jury Members
|
Name |
Designation |
Category |
|
Dheeraj Sinha |
CEO, McCann India |
Creative Strategy |
|
Rakesh Menon |
Chief Creative Experience Officer, Ulka |
Creative Business Transformation |
|
Gurbaksh Singh |
CCO & CIO, Dentsu Creative India |
Digital Craft |
|
Lulu Raghavan |
President APAC, Landor |
Design |
|
Anisha Iyer |
CEO, OMD India |
Media |
|
Dhruv Warrior |
Executive Creative Director, VML India |
Print & Publishing |
|
Pooja Manek |
Founding Member and Creative, Talented |
Outdoor |
|
Prachi Narayan |
Managing Partner, Havas Play India |
Entertainment |
|
Binda Dey |
Global CMO, Knight Riders Sports |
Entertainment Lions for Sport |
|
Subhajit Mukherjee |
Music Composer |
Entertainment Lions for Music |
|
Amitesh Rao |
CEO, Leo South Asia |
Entertainment Lions for Gaming |
The speaker line-up this year brings together some of the most influential voices from India’s creative and marketing ecosystem, reflecting the country’s growing presence in global industry conversations at Cannes Lions.
- Kainaz Karmakar - Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India
- Josy Paul - Josy Paul, Chief Creative Officer BBDO Group & Chairman, BBDO India
- Sonal Chhajerh - National Creative Director, Leo Burnett India
- Dheeraj Sinha - CEO, McCann India
- Anupriya Acharya - CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia
- Kawal Shoor - Founding Partner, The Womb
- Navin Talreja - Founding Partner, The Womb
- Suhayl Limbada - CMO, KFC India
Alongside this, Indian participation spans a wide cross-section of agencies including Dentsu Creative, VML India, Leo India, Havas Creative India, Enormous, tgthr, Tribes, Talented and 22feet, representing both network powerhouses and independent creative voices on the global stage.
The recent years tell an interesting story of resilience and resurgence. India secured 25 metals in 2023, followed by 18 metals in 2024, before bouncing back strongly with an impressive haul of 32 metals in 2025—its best performance since 2022.
Since 2011, India’s strongest performance at Cannes Lions came in 2022, when it won a record 47 metals. The next-best showing was in 2017 with 40 metals, followed by 33 Lions in 2013. In contrast, India’s weakest performance during this period was in 2015, when it secured 13 metals.
Cannes Lions 2026 also arrives against the backdrop of a significant shift in participation levels. Global entries have fallen to 20,050 this year, a sharp 25.5% decline from 2025. After three consecutive years of relatively stable submission numbers, the drop marks one of the most notable changes in the festival's recent history and adds another layer of intrigue to this year's awards race.
As Cannes Lions 2026 unfolds, IMPACT will once again be on the ground, tracking every shortlist, metal and milestone. With 18 shortlists already secured and more announcements expected through the week, Indian agencies and brands will be hoping to convert recognition into Lions and continue the momentum built over the past year.
The road ahead remains promising, with several key categories yet to announce their shortlists, including Creative Business Transformation, Creative Commerce, Luxury, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Sustainable Development Goals and Film. The coming days will reveal whether India can add further momentum to its campaign and strengthen its standing on the global creative stage.
From award-winning campaigns and jury insights to industry-defining debates and exclusive conversations with global creative leaders, IMPACT will bring you comprehensive coverage of the festival as it happens.
The Lions are ready to roar. And so are we.
