IAA and UNICEF to Unveil Indian Advertising Gender Diversity Study in Mumbai
The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), in partnership with UNICEF, is scheduled to host the "IAA Voice of Change Roundtable" on July 7, 2026, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Starting at 2:00 PM, the event will focus on gender representation in Indian media and advertising, marking a major industry gathering to discuss inclusive narratives.
A key highlight of the Mumbai roundtable will be the unveiling of the "India Advertising Midline Study: Gender Representation and Inclusion Trends." Conducted by the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) alongside UNICEF, the research analyzes gender representation across 1,000 Indian advertisements and compares the findings to a baseline study conducted in 2021.
The event aims to bring together leaders from the advertising, marketing, and content creation sectors to discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities in developing more equitable and authentic media representation. The "Voice of Change" initiative was originally launched by IAA India in 2020 as a gender-sensitisation effort.
Following the presentation of the study's research findings, a panel discussion will take place featuring prominent industry figures. The panel will include Pavanjit Singh Bedi, Chief Marketing Officer of Foods at Hindustan Unilever; Puneeth Bekal, EVP Chief Marketing Officer at HDFC Securities; Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder and CCO of Fundamental; Aahana Kumra, Actor, Entrepreneur, and Founder of Working Panda Films; and Sanjay Singh, Chief of UNICEF Maharashtra.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Chairperson of the Women Empowerment Committee at the IAA India Chapter, will moderate the panel discussion. According to Jaipuria, the midline study provides an important opportunity to understand how gender representation is evolving in Indian advertising using data-driven insights.
The roundtable will also feature a special fireside chat with Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO of BBDO India. The chat will be moderated by Megha Tata, Co-Chairperson of the Women Empowerment Committee at the IAA India Chapter. Tata noted that the study offers an essential perspective on where the industry stands today and sparks conversations on collective improvement.
