The industry-first Portfolio Evening: Strategy Edition, hosted by WARC and DDB Mudra Group created an unprecedented opportunity for emerging brand strategists to get their work reviewed by some of India’s top strategy and business leaders.
The initiative marked a significant step towards nurturing the new generation of strategists with 0-5 years of experience.The event saw participation from 40 individuals, who brought their portfolios and engaged in focused discussions with 20 jurors representing leading advertising agencies and brands. Each participant presented two pieces of work from their portfolio that showcased their ability to define problems, uncover insights and craft strategic recommendations. The review rounds offered participants direct feedback, meaningful guidance, and insights into how to approach and evaluate strategy work.
Underscoring the importance of shaping and supporting the next wave of strategic thinkers, Shashank Lanjekar, National Strategy Head, DDB Mudra Group said, “The talent for strategy was never in question; what was needed was a springboard. The Strategy Portfolio Evening was one such effort to discover, mentor and motivate this talent. We were privileged to have one of India’s pioneers of Strategy Madhukar Sabnavis join us, who inspired participants by unpacking the DNA of great strategy through powerful brand examples. What we saw in the portfolios today was an exciting mix of fresh and sharp thinking.”
“I am glad that DDB Mudra Group has created this platform to spotlight strategy as the driving force of modern marketing, not a support function, but the engine behind effective creativity. At WARC, we champion this belief every day. With reports like The Future of Strategy, we continue to advance the conversation on how strategic thinking can shape marketing that’s sharper, braver, and built to last,” added Biprorshee Das, India Editor, WARC.
Khushi Sharma, Chintan Mehta and Khushi Karve were declared as the winners of the debut edition. They will receive exclusive access to WARC’s ‘Creative Impact Unpacked from Cannes’, deepening their exposure to global creative effectiveness.
At the event, WARC presented key insights from ‘The Future of Strategy 2025’ report, highlighting how AI, culture, and creativity are redefining the role of strategists in the current marketing landscape. The session underscored WARC’s ongoing commitment to championing evidence-based, human-centred marketing that drives long-term effectiveness.
Portfolio Evening: Strategy Edition reflected WARC and DDB Mudra Group’s shared commitment to advancing the practice of marketing effectiveness and strategic excellence.
Jury Panel
Aditi Patwardhan, Former CSO, Sideways Consulting
Anirban Mozumdar, CSO, TBWA\ India
Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO – India and South Asia, FCB
Ekta Relan, CSO, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi
Ganapathy Balagopalan, Deputy CSO, Ogilvy India
Jitender Dabas, CEO, Cheil X
Kawal Shoor, Planner & Founding Partner, The Womb
Kirti Meera Sharad, SVP-Planning, BBDO India
Layla Khan, Former SVP – Strategy, BBH
Mehak Jaini, Global Brand Equity Lead – Personal Care, Godrej Consumer Products Limited
Menaka Menon, President & Managing Partner – Growth and Strategy, DDB Mudra Group
Noor Samra, National Planning Director, FCB Interface
Prem Narayan, CSO, Ogilvy India
Rajesh Sharma, National Planning Director, McCann Worldgroup
S Subramanyeswar, Group CEO – India & CSO – APAC, MullenLowe Lintas Group
Sabiha Khan, Managing Partner – Strategy, Dentsu Creative
Sanchari Chakrabarty, SVP & Head of Strategy, 22feet Tribal Worldwide
Shashank Lanjekar, National Strategy Head, DDB Mudra Group
T Gangadhar, Co-founder, ZeroFifty Mediaworks
Toru Jhaveri, Founder & Strategy Lead, The Stuff of Life