Abhishek Karnani is stepping down as president of the International Advertising Association’s (IAA) India Chapter after a two-year tenure that began in September 2024, the association confirmed on September 21, 2026. The Abhishek Karnani IAA India exit closes a term defined largely by the trade body’s push to bring artificial intelligence into mainstream industry conversation.
Karnani’s tenure began just as generative AI was moving from experimentation into boardrooms across India’s advertising and marketing industry. Under his leadership, the IAA India Chapter focused on three core pillars: AI adoption, skilling, and industry dialogue, while keeping human creativity, ethics, empathy and judgement central to the conversation.
What Did Karnani’s Tenure Focus On?
The chapter brought AI into mainstream industry discussion through its IAA Conversations series, featuring speakers such as Dr. Sanjay Pradhan, Dr. Manish Gupta of Google DeepMind, and futurist Adjiedj Bakas. It also partnered with LinkedIn for a CMO Roundtable titled “Winning in the AI Era,” bringing senior marketing leaders together to discuss AI’s impact on decision-making, creativity and growth. On skilling, the chapter worked with Snapchat on an Augmented Reality learning workshop for emerging creative talent, and partnered with UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute on the IAA Voice of Change initiative to address bias and gender stereotypes in advertising, running roadshows at agencies including Ogilvy, VML, BBDO and Madison.
What Does This Leadership Change Mean For India’s Ad Industry?
The IAA India Chapter’s leadership transition comes at a pivotal moment for the advertising industry, as agencies and brands continue to recalibrate their AI strategies and skilling programmes. During Karnani’s term, the IAA Leadership Awards expanded into a platform for leadership conversations, including a session with business strategist Dr. Ram Charan, and recognised leaders such as Uday Kotak, Dilip Shanghvi and Prasoon Joshi. The chapter also deepened ties with industry bodies including ad:tech, MMA Global and the Indian Society of Advertisers.
Industry Reaction
The IndIAA Awards continued to recognise creative excellence through the two years, while the Olive Crown Awards focused on sustainability, working toward making the awards net zero in carbon emissions. As Karnani completes his term, the IAA India Chapter said it will build on this work, including contributing to AdAsia 27, the regional advertising congress slated to be held in India, signalling continuity in the body’s AI and sustainability priorities despite the leadership change.
What Happens Next?
The IAA India Chapter has not yet named Karnani’s successor. The association said its focus going forward will be on building on the AI, skilling and industry-dialogue foundation laid during Karnani’s tenure, with preparations for AdAsia 27 expected to be a key priority in the months ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Abhishek Karnani?
Abhishek Karnani is the outgoing president of the International Advertising Association’s India Chapter, having served in the role since September 2024.
What did the IAA India Chapter focus on during his tenure?
The chapter focused on AI adoption, skilling and industry dialogue, running initiatives including the IAA Conversations series and the IAA Voice of Change programme with UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute.
What is next for the IAA India Chapter?
The chapter is expected to build on its AI and skilling initiatives while preparing for AdAsia 27, the regional advertising congress set to be held in India.
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