Indian Society of Advertisers names Atul Agrawal as CEO

The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), the Indian apex body representing the interests of advertisers, has announced that Atul Agrawal has taken over as its chief executive officer starting January 2, 2026.

With a career spanning nearly four decades at some of India’s most respected corporations, Atul brings a rare combination of strategic vision, cross-functional leadership, and deep expertise in brand building, media, and corporate communication.

Commenting on his appointment, Atul Agrawal, CEO, ISA said: “It is an honour to lead ISA at a time when marketing and media are undergoing such profound transformation. Having witnessed the evolution of brands, consumers, and technology over the years, I believe ISA’s role as the collective voice of advertisers is more crucial than ever.”

“My focus will be on driving responsible, effective, and efficient marketing through collaboration with the entire ecosystem of advertisers, agencies, broadcasters/media owners and other stakeholders. Together, we will strive to strengthen ISA’s charter around media transparency and measurement, among others,” he further added.

A management graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Atul has worked across the FMCG and corporate sectors, including at Hindustan Lever and at the Tata Group Headquarters, where he was involved with several initiatives in corporate brand marketing, youth engagement, media buying and large-scale sponsorship programs.

Having served on its executive committee representing Tata Services, he has also contributed to the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) as a jury member for the global marketer of the year award in the past.

Sunil Kataria, chairman, ISA, added, “Atul’s appointment comes at an important inflection point for the industry. His extensive leadership experience across the Tata Group and Hindustan Lever, coupled with his long-standing association with ISA, uniquely positions him to accelerate our agenda of building robust & transparent industry standards, enhancing advertiser support, and driving efficiency & effectiveness in advertising. With ISA leading critical initiatives like the Media Charter, Brand Safety, Viewability, First-Party Data frameworks, and Cross-Screen Measurement, Atul’s strategic and operational acumen will play a vital role in translating these into tangible value for advertisers.”