Mumbai: Indian advertising stalwart Ramesh Narayan has been selected as the winner in the Individual Leader category of the Changemakers for Good Awards by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA). The decision was made by a distinguished Pan-Asian jury comprising Gary Chi, Vice Chairman of TAAA and CEO of Dentsu Creative Taiwan; Kyungsin Kim from Korea; Aly Mustansir from Pakistan; and Sangeeta Pendurkar, CEO of Pantaloons at the Aditya Birla Group.

The Changemakers for Good Awards celebrate marketing and communication professionals who have gone beyond business success to make a positive impact on society. The selection process involves two stages: national juries identify country-level winners, who are then evaluated by the Pan-Asian jury. The final awardees will be felicitated at the prestigious AdAsia 2025 conference on October 25 in Beijing.

Ramesh Narayan is widely regarded as a visionary who has merged advertising excellence with social responsibility. He is credited with conceptualising the Olive Crown Awards and the IAA Leadership Awards, and is recognised as both a Gender Warrior and Climate Warrior. The latter title conferred by Earthday.org. Through the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), he has spearheaded campaigns on causes such as elder care, autism, disaster relief, and voter awareness.

Beyond the advertising world, Narayan has initiated several impactful social projects, including Bhavishya Yaan, a student enrichment programme; Ananda Yaan, an elder daycare initiative; and The Lighthouse Project for underprivileged children in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade area. A passionate environmentalist, he has planted over 3,500 trees, including a 900-tree Miyawaki forest, and advocates strongly for animal welfare—recently producing a film promoting the adoption of street dogs.

Often described as one of the most awarded figures in the Indian advertising industry, Narayan has been inducted into the Hall of Fame by both AFAA and the IAA India Chapter. His accolades include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Agencies Association of India, the Global Champion Award from IAA, and multiple Rotarian of the Year honours.

Narayan has also played a pivotal role in organising landmark industry events such as AdAsia 2003 in Jaipur, AdAsia 2011 in New Delhi, and the IAA World Congress 2019.