Vikram Sakhuja to receive AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2024

New Delhi: The Advertising Agencies Association of India has announced that the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 will be conferred upon Vikram Sakhuja

This is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/her outstanding contribution to the advertising industry.

Sakhuja, an IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta alumnus, has nearly 40 years of experience with industry giants like P&G, Coca-Cola, Star TV, WPP, and Madison. 

He began his career as a DCM Management Trainee in 1984 and after his MBA joined P&G in 1988 handling marketing research and media, he moved to Coca-Cola, where he managed brand marketing for five years. 

He later joined Star TV as EVP of Marketing before joining the WPP group in 2001, eventually becoming the first Indian global CEO of a global advertising and media agency. 

Currently, Sakhuja is the equity partner and Group CEO of Madison, India’s independent media agency group.

His leadership roles have included leading Mindshare and GroupM South Asia, chairing FICCI's Advertising & Marketing Committee, and serving on the boards of key industry bodies like BARC and AAAI. 

Sakhuja's influence extends to his contributions to setting up India’s first media AOR and pioneering numerous media practices that have shaped the country's advertising landscape.

Some of the past winners of this award include Subhas Ghosal, Alyque Padamsee, Mike Khanna, R K Swamy, Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara, Prem Mehta, Roda Mehta, Ram Sehgal, Madhukar Kamath, Arvind Sharma, Colvyn Harris, Shashi Sinha and others.

AAAI President Prasanth Kumar said, “On behalf of the entire industry, it is a profound privilege to present Vikram Sakhuja with the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2024. It’s a pleasure to celebrate this moment as well as express gratitude to Vikram Sakhuja’s contributions to the media and advertising industry.  Vikram’s visionary leadership and relentless pursuit of innovation have continuously helped media agencies to shape progressively. Having worked closely with Vikram, his remarkable journey, from cutting-edge marketing strategies to driving transformative industry change, continues to inspire professionals across the board. This recognition is a testament to his commitment and immense efforts that have reflected the invaluable impact he has had on the industry."

Anupriya Acharya, Chairperson, AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee, added, “Vikram’s unparalleled three-decade contribution has revolutionized our industry. His exceptional expertise in media, marketing, and advertising, combined with his relentless pursuit of excellence, sets him apart. His leadership skills are unmatched, as he mentors and inspires the next generation of industry leaders. It has been an absolute honour to work with him closely both at work as well as in the industry forums. And I am thrilled, proud, and eagerly anticipate Vikram being awarded this highest honour of our industry, recognising his extraordinary influence and lasting legacy.”