Beyond the glitz

India's campaign at Cannes ad fest was a face-saver; but that's just not good enough

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For all practical purposes, India's campaign at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year was a face-saver. With 32 metals, including one Grand Prix in the PR category, from 982 submissions, the conversion rate barely crossed 3%. That's certainly not good enough if one were to consider the size of the industry — India ranks ninth among the top advertising markets with revenues of ₹101,084 crore as of 2024. It's not that India hasn't had enough exposure — it has been sending representation at the world's most prestigious advertising industry gathering for over two decades now. India's standing in the country-wise ranking also declined slightly, from 10th place in 2024 to 12th in 2025. All that is not for the lack of enthusiasm though. This year, Indian agencies submitted 150 more entries compared to 2024 and logged a dozen more shortlists than last year.