MUMBAI: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) recently concluded its CEO Conference 2025, where the great and the good of Indian business gathered to contemplate that most modish of technologies: artificial intelligence. Held at Mumbai's ITC Grand Central—a venue whose opulence matches the industry's self-regard—the conference bore the somewhat predictable title AI: Making Businesses Future-Ready.  The conference featured high-impact discussions on the transformative role of AI in business, marketing, and advertising.

A significant moment during the conference was the unveiling of ISA's new logo, representing a fresh identity for the organisation as it continues to guide the advertising industry forward.

ISA chairman Sunil Kataria highlighted the organisation's dedication to industry leadership, stating, "With AI redefining the rules of business, the ISA CEO Conference 2025 has provided a platform for leaders to share insights, debate challenges, and explore AI-powered opportunities. The unveiling of our new logo symbolises our evolving journey as an enabler of industry transformation."
 

The conference featured keynote presentations, expert panel discussions, and case studies demonstrating how AI is revolutionising consumer engagement, creativity, and business efficiency. Speakers addressed AI's role in predictive marketing, automation, and personalisation, while also discussing ethical considerations.

Google's Roma Datta Chobey arrived bearing impressive statistics—as tech executives are wont to do—proclaiming that 80 per cent of advertisers are already riding the AI bandwagon through the usage of some AI-driven Google Search Ads product.  Left tactfully unmentioned was whether these early adopters understood the technology they were so enthusiastically embracing.  

Said Roma: “Multimodal AI is enriching context to enable deeply personalised experiences. Intuitive information discovery is changing how users search and interact with information. Multi-Agent systems are automating complex workflows, boosting productivity and accelerating innovation."

The conference featured the usual suspects from India's corporate aristocracy: chiefs from Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and assorted tech firms, all sharing their visions of an AI future with the certainty that comes from having read the same industry reports.

Distinguished speakers included Rohit Jawa (CEO, Hindustan Unilever), Kumar Venkatasubramanian (CEO, Procter & Gamble), Abheek Singhi (Managing Director, BCG), and Ranjani Mani (Director and Country Head, Generative AI, Microsoft).

BCG's Abheek Singhi contributed to the proceedings with the mandatory consultant's metrics, suggesting AI could compress marketing timelines by 90 per cent while boosting effectiveness by 30 per cent to 50  per cent —a range broad enough to ensure future retrospective accuracy, whatever the outcome.

The launch of ISA's new logo was explained by Nihilent Limited and Hypercollective  global chief reative officer KV Sridhar  who stated, "The new logo reflects the times we live in currently. It draws upon ISA's strengths and rich legacy, while adding elements of the digital age to make it relevant in today's world."

The conference reinforced the importance of collaboration and forward-thinking in navigating AI-driven transformation, with ISA continuing its commitment to supporting advertisers in an increasingly AI-integrated business environment.