 They are only the partners were going to give you these awards. Yeah, come on Well amazing. Thank you. I can see a lot of energy inside in this room And this is really nice to see all this charged up audience now So as you all are aware that neon events is a property of exchange for media group and way back It has been started in 2000 and of course as you are aware since then it has become one-stop Platform for all the business in media marketing and advertising with many a mark you event under the exchange for media's banner Neon events has become Synonymous to the best in the out-of-home industry to formally welcome you all I now invite Dr Anurag Bhatra chairman and editor-in-chief of exchange for media group and business world Yeah, I have a huge round of applause ladies and men once again for the gentleman doctor Anurag Bhatra Good evening. Please give Sneha a big round of applause. It's the woman's day. That's why we obeyed all those things You asked us to go left right up down. So we did all that because it's woman's day It's my honor and privilege to be here I just want to say that I feel very happy today about the orange industry and neon Because this is an industry. I briefly work live I was with J. Walter Thompson and I briefly worked in the watch industry and again It is very customary to beat ourselves. We are not good at this. We are not good at that, but I can tell you in the last 16 17 years of exchange for media and Seeing the media industry seeing the out-of-home industry today the quality of conversations that I was there for a little while I was not there in the room, but I can tell you the energy I got the kind of conversations the kind of people I think the out-of-home industry has definitely Become more professionalized. So I just want to start by saying that, you know, it is better quality of people We have been talking about measurement. We've been talking of accountability Creativity I think finally I see a lot of that air So I just want to start by saying that you should applaud each one of yourselves for making this industry What it should be and what it can be. So I'd like to start with that. Please give yourself a big round of applause Second I'd like to welcome You know the all exchange for media events are only about the jury process. They're about the jury. They're about integrity There are people who've not participated this year because they wanted guaranteed awards. We don't do that We don't do I cannot guarantee what to novel novel cannot guarantee an award to me Right and our team is there. They sit through the jury. They know how honest it is They believe in it. We don't even know who the winners are except people awards I think that's the only two categories. I sat in so I really want to use this opportunity to welcome our jury chair Mr. Rakesh call who is the CEO and president of in where so mr. Call was was the most democratic and pleasant jury chair So please give a big round of applause. I also see a lot of other jury members And I welcome all of you. I also want to use the opportunity to welcome mr. Prem Shankar Jha whose presence here adds the Regulatory government, you know supply side Policy side dimension. I'd also like to welcome Armino Who's in some way represents the quality of professionals that came into the watch industry and made a contribution Would like to welcome my friend Amit Tiwari Amit again somebody who been part of very large businesses and brands and does plays a Large part in making sure that the practices in our industry keep pace with the changing consumer habits. I'm very happy today There's a very close friend of mine as we grow we forget our old friends You bet get too busy with whatever we are doing and now my friends are people in the media industry I meet them but one of my classmates in now, and we went to the same engineering school level is two batches junior to me Ravi's is my batch mate and friend. He's an entrepreneur runs a garment brand called Elsa's Ravish and his friends are there So I'm very happy Ravish has never come to an event of mine in 20 years 18 years so Ravish welcome and I just want to say that the three things that Differentiate our awards. I have a running nose. I've got too much air conditioning in the hotel last night And also welcome Our friend and somebody who's a partner in lots of our initiatives as an organization I want to welcome mr. Jalan of Lakshya who's Who's been kind enough to see merit in what whatever we do and professionally partner with us and believe in us So really I Want to say that there's too many awards happening even in the OH domain. There are more than three awards The four differentiators we bring to the awards are one we are a leader brand in this space I don't want to go on saying too much But whatever we do we do it with passion and the industry totally Patronizes us so we have a local standard to give an award. We edit or really report on this domain We don't report enough on OH. We should do more and we will second we do it through a jury process So absolutely honestly Amit is there mr. Setia from you know, I'm at your head Amit met me yesterday. He met me last week. I've told him the next 30 days. We want me don't miss me too much So, you know, all the jury members are here We do it absolutely. Honestly, no quid pro quo. No suggestions. No prompting It's there's a process that are entries. There's data and then there's a jury And a lot of people call me saying, you know in the business world awards exchange for media I'm entering so I say I'll pray for you. That's the only thing I can do so when you win an award tonight, it has come through a process where marketers media Leaders who actually put money in media and know it have taken very Elaborate calls based on data based on their understanding third at the end of the day We have the ability to showcase work amplify this work and last and we deliver more marketers The whole objective when we curate our events is to be able to bring people who are on the marketing Ecosystem to every domain. So look at the number of marketers in the jury Look at the number of marketers that have spoken during the day So really that's what we bring to the table and that's what makes it what it is So thank you for making the neon's and OH or what what they are I want to I said this before in I wrote a piece 12 years back in pitch And I don't know where is a look of graphics eyes I saw him in a look is a young friend of mine with that who case he's a friend of mine He was my neighbor and I was in cars attending one of the early years. I started going to cars and I'm sleeping It's you know, and I'm getting calls up every three minutes from UKG. So finally I picked up the call said I'm in France and it's late night there. Can I call you back? He said, no, no I have to talk to you. You have an article written in pitch and you've talked about the caste system in media And you call the out of home guys shudras I Mean I didn't call it shudras, but I mean it kind of read like that But point I was trying that was low in the value chain I don't think with the amount of money being spent the integration of technology the integration of experiential Which has really come a long way. I really feel happy seeing the quality of conversations It still has a long way to give but I think it has progress So that's what I'm particularly happy at the end of the we are a catalyst in showcasing good people Leaders who made a difference and tonight the two leaders who will be awarded our leaders when somewhere pioneers in what they've done this They have not gone down the beaten track They continue to innovate and they've set examples in the way they've led their in companies and institutions and they've contributed to the So the two people awards and awardees that you see now see tonight a reflection of the evolution of the OH domain So I wish you all the best. I hope this domain grows. It integrates. Well, there's more professionalism They're more ethics because really that will grow their domain It's women day and I I can say that every day in our life is women day Married people. I mean that's what I'm talking about. So but on a serious note I just want to say that business world. We've done a survey where the number of women every year in the last 10 years an entrepreneurship is growing and That's a very healthy trend the only thing I want to say that we are doing it on a women's day But the number of women in leadership positions in OH is still low. I know at group M's OH agency kinetic There are two CEOs in one of them is a woman, right? That's welcome and when you think of leadership, you don't think of gender you think of ability you think of You know the drive whether you're a man or a woman doesn't really matter in exchange for media We can I think the women number out and outnumber the men Four of our editors are women three of our business heads are women except me now Well, Nishka and Gaurav everything is you know, everybody is led by women in our company So the only thing I want to say on the women's days. I hope in the OH industry We see more women in the leadership position running companies And I'm sure it will happen as the number of women in leadership positions across the industry is growing So I just don't want to stand between you and the awards I want to thank the jury chair who spent so much time all the jury members who spent so much time Making the decisions tonight this year. We had 250 plus entries. We are 52 awardees Between various categories to people awardees as part of those 52. I'm told By both the prankers that all of them are here I also I couldn't make it in the morning because flights got rescheduled I was coming from Mumbai But I referred to a young man and he's not even a sponsor of our event got some of bar talk I don't know where he is. He's maybe he's already at a bar, but in He's a very good example of how's integrated technology into OH How to a conversations. So that's how OH is changing Entrepreneurial energy is changing the OH domain. So on this day of women's day and A day that is always about entrepreneurship because the OH domain is most number of entrepreneur people who pick up rights People who create new opportunities using technology We'll continue to evolve in our nuance and we ideally want to make it a two-day event And we want to do it twice a year. So I hope we can do it beyond one day throughout the day Again, we've had five sessions three keynotes and all of our speakers. I'm told made an impact I was not in the room, but I was getting SMS from people in the room. So I wish you luck. I Congratulate all the winners. I congratulate all the shortlisted entries and institutions and I wish you luck for the coming year Since I represent the media industry I want to finish by saying there is a fight for the soul of our industry country happening. I'm not a political person I'm not in any party I'm too undiplomatic to be in a political party. I look down on politicians in some way But politicians are a necessity parties are a necessity governance is a necessity But I just want to say that in next few months two months, there'll be an election So just don't feel and vote think and vote. I just want to say that whoever whoever you believe in Do ask the right question and the environment is being made such that media they're being asked to answer questions, which is also okay We should be accountable But if somebody something happens the people who are doing that are not being made accountable News guys are being asked. How did you get the information about that? I think that's a very dangerous trend and again You know, I have lots of respect for our Prime Minister. He's very very entrepreneurial He's a lots of good things, but all governments are oppressive They don't want the truth all the last government this government So I hope all of us as citizens and people from the media can have this mind to stand up and say this is wrong because really otherwise the democracy that we've Thrived in won't last You know and we shouldn't idealize our politicians politicians are not normal people They're special people, but we shouldn't idealize point We shouldn't put them on pedestals like we put our news anchors on pedestals Satya. I'm referring to you We shouldn't put politicians on a pedestal. They're here to do a job and let's make them accountable So I want to use every platform that I go to to say this that please don't Feel and vote think and vote. I don't wherever you want to vote for I would not be upset even if you vote for Kejri Though I should be upset, but I'm just saying that you know, there are other entertainers that you can vote for He may not be the one that you want to work. Thank you