The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the IAA Voice of Change Roundtable in Gurugram on 17 September. The roundtable brought together leaders from advertising, marketing, media and content to discuss the evolving landscape of gender representation and inclusion in the industry.

IAA Voice of Change is a pioneering initiative by the IAA India Chapter dedicated to fostering more equitable and inclusive representation across advertising, media and content. The initiative encourages storytelling that challenges stereotypes and promotes more progressive and authentic narratives. Manifest is the cause partner for the initiative. 

The Gurugram roundtable continued the conversation started at the Mumbai Roundtable in July, where the IAA Voice of Change Midline Study, India Advertising Midline: Gender Representation and Inclusion Trends, was unveiled, offering valuable insights into the industry's progress and the areas that still need attention.

The research was conducted by the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) which analysed gender portrayal across the 1,000 most-viewed multilingual Indian advertisements on television and digital platforms, benchmarked against the 2021 baseline.

In Gurugram, the programme featured a panel discussion, ‘IAA Voice of Change: Shaping the Future of Inclusive Advertising,’ moderated by Nina Elavia Jaipuria, chairperson, women empowerment committee, IAA India Chapter, with Ayshwarya Sharma, executive creative director - innovations, Leo India; Virat Khullar, head - marketing, Hyundai Motor India; Akanksha Jain Bahl, global associate director, Pepsico; and Jitender Dabas, CEO, BBDO Group India.

The panel explored the challenges of achieving more inclusive representation in advertising and how meaningful representation can contribute to stronger brands and business outcomes. The discussion also examined the wider role of advertising in shaping perceptions, influencing opinions and, ultimately, helping shape the culture and society we live in. 
 
The roundtable also featured a fireside chat - ‘Beyond the Headline: Challenging Bias in Representation’ between Megha Tata, co-chairperson, women empowerment committee, IAA India Chapter, and Padmaja Joshi, managing editor, NDTV.

Joshi shared numerous personal anecdotes and insights from within the newsroom, including how women were brought in to cover and present ‘soft stories’, how she showed resistance towards it, and how it has evolved.

Jaipuria said, “It was encouraging to see the panel explore whether advertising should simply mirror society or use its influence to help move society forward. The conversation was a strong reminder of the role our industry plays in shaping how people see and understand gender and relationships. While representation is evolving, stereotypes continue to find their way into advertising. We need to recognise these gaps, challenge the norms that hold us back and create work that shifts perceptions and builds more inclusive brands. That is the opportunity before us as an industry. Let’s continue to break the bias.”

Tata added, “The Gurugram conversation reminded us that inclusive storytelling is not a single-function responsibility; it is shaped by the choices made across the entire communication ecosystem. The exchange of perspectives today, particularly around how gender, representation and familiar narratives intersect, showed the value of creating spaces where the industry can question, listen and learn from one another. For Voice of Change, the next step is to carry these conversations beyond the room and turn greater awareness into more intentional choices in the work we create.”

To build on this momentum, the conversation will shift to Bengaluru continuing the dialogue on how the industry can drive meaningful change.

Detailed coverage from the roundtable will be available in the October issue of Manifest, which can be pre-ordered here.