IMPACT’s ‘Top 30 under 30’ list is back in its second edition, to identify and celebrate leaders-in-the-making in creative and media agencies. Have you nominated that talented youngster you know?
Who will be the next Piyush Pandey, Prasoon Joshi and R Balki in the creative industry? And who will fill the shoes of Sam Balsara, Vikram Sakhuja and Shashi Sinha in the media agency domain? This was the question that we asked ourselves when we launched the ‘Top 30 Under 30’ talent hunt in 2013 to identify and encourage youngsters with the potential to become the future leaders of the industry. We received an overwhelming number of entries and our high profile jury members had a tough time shortlisting the final Top 30 Under 30. The first edition of the list was unveiled by our guest of honour, Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief, Times Now, at a glitzy event in Mumbai last year. Many organizations have already taken the lead by assigning the young guns with more responsibilities and leadership roles.
The Selection Process
This year too, we are looking for talented youngsters who have impressed their seniors and clients they deal with, through their work. Based on the response last year, it is no surprise that we have already started receiving entries for this year. The process involves an initial screening of entries at an editorial level, followed by scrutiny by a jury comprising top industry leaders, who judge the profiles and entries on various parameters. So if you are under 30 and believe that you have got what it takes to star in our list, submit your entries at http://www.exchange4media.com/ImpactTop30/2014/Submit.aspx.
2013: WHAT THE JURY HAD TO SAY
This is a great initiative by the exchange4media Group because in our industry, people who get recognized are people who are known. There are a lot of youngsters doing lots of good work, but because they are not senior enough, they never get recognized. This initiative will bring to the forefront a lot of people from the industry and inspire others to excel in whatever they do. RAJ NAYAK, CEO, Colors (Jury Chair)
This is a fantastic initiative because when we are talking to 70% of the target audience, i.e., the youth of the country, the average age is around 24-26 years. Then we rather have a lot of young thinkers who can do justice while communicating to those guys and to have such strong leaders, this is the best platform that exchange4media has invested in. Three to four years down the line, this could be a fantastic property. SANTOSH PADHI, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot India
A lot of industries are identifying young people and celebrating young talent. I think it is important as India’s media and advertising industry, we celebrate our young talent as well. I’m sure the initiative will become far bigger and better with time, and promote young talent. ANUPRIYA ACHARYA, Group CEO, ZenithOptimedia, India
2013: WHAT THE WINNERS HAD TO SAY
This will only spur us to work harder in life and more young talent will aspire for it in future. It is a great inspiration to work harder and be more successful in life. VIKASH MODI, Maxus
It is a great initiative by exchange4media and IMPACT, recognizing the young talent that is there in our industry. It really gives a kind of an ego boost and motivates us to work harder and achieve more for our clients. HARSHA VARDHAN DESIREDDY, Madison Media
It feels amazing to be among the ‘Top 30 Under 30’ and I would thank everyone at Ogilvy & Mather who helped me on this journey. It wasn’t a piece of cake but it was worth every minute of it. It has been a really good experience and I am sure that the property is going to be something big in the future. Stay tuned! EUGENE REBELLO, Ogilvy & Mather
