OAA 2026: First Jury Meet Kicks Off in Gurugram, Sets the Tone for India’s Top OOH Honours
The road to this year’s OOH Advertising Awards (OAA) 2026 officially began today, as the first offline jury meet got underway at Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre in Delhi NCR — marking the start of what promises to be a closely contested edition of one of the industry’s most respected recognitions.
Leading the panel as jury chair is Kapil Batra, President – Creative at TBWA\LINTAS, joined by a strong line-up of marketing voices from across categories: Ruchika Gupta (Director-Brand Marketing, Hilton), Snehita Chakravorty (Brand Manager, Yum Brands – KFC), Goldee Patnaik (Head of Brand and PR Comms), Kanika Anand (GM Marketing, Airtel), Archana Aggarwal (Chief Growth Officer, Havas Media), and Rajan Chauhan (Head of Media Strategy and Commercial, Orient Electric).
By all accounts, it wasn’t a quiet first day. The room saw genuinely engaged debate, with jurors digging into entries on multiple fronts — how original the idea was, whether it actually moved the needle for the brand, and how well the story came through in a format that doesn’t get the luxury of a second look like digital or TV does. With marketers from such varied categories — hospitality, QSR, telecom, media, and consumer electronics — in the same room, the conversations naturally pulled in different perspectives, which is exactly what a credit-worthy jury process needs.
This is just round one. The jury reconvenes for two more rounds of deliberation in Mumbai on July 3, where the shortlist is expected to take firmer shape.
The final winners will be revealed at the OAA 2026 awards night, set for July 25 at The Grand Hyatt, Goa — capping off two days of the OOH Advertising Convention (OAC), which continues to be a key gathering point for the out-of-home industry’s biggest names and ideas.
With strong categories already in motion and a jury that isn’t pulling punches, this year’s OAA looks set to raise the bar for what gets celebrated as truly great outdoor advertising.
