The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) has announced that Ramesh Narayan has been selected as the winner in the Individual Leader category of its Changemakers for Good Awards. He was chosen by a Pan Asian jury comprising Gary Chi, Vice Chairman, TAAA / CEO, Dentsu Creative Taiwan; Kyungsin Kim from Korea; Aly Mustansir from Pakistan; and Sangeeta Pendurkar, CEO, Pantaloons at Aditya Birla Group.
The Changemakers for Good Awards assess the societal contributions made by marketing and communication professionals. Judging takes place in two stages. A national jury selects winners from each country, who are then evaluated by the Pan Asian jury. Final awardees will be recognised at the AdAsia 25 conference on 25 October in Beijing.
Ramesh Narayan is known for initiating the Olive Crown Awards and IAA Leadership Awards, and for his work on various campaigns under the IAA India Chapter, covering topics such as elder care, autism, natural disasters and voter participation. He has also launched several initiatives including Bhavishya Yaan, a student enrichment programme at the Rotary Club of Bombay; Ananda Yaan, an elder daycare programme; and the Lighthouse Project for young children in Cuffe Parade. He has taken part in projects related to rural development and environmental work, including the planting of over 3,500 trees and the development of a Miyawaki forest of 900 trees in Cuffe Parade. He has also produced a film promoting the adoption of street dogs.
Narayan has previously been inducted into the Hall of Fame at both the AFAA and the India Chapter of the IAA. He holds Honorary Member status from the Global IAA and AFAA, and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Agencies Association of India, and the Global Champion Award from the IAA. He has also been named Rotarian of the Year three times and has received various Rotary District awards.
He was involved in the organisation of AdAsia 2003 in Jaipur, AdAsia 2011 in New Delhi and the IAA World Congress 2019 in Kochi, India.
